- Ready When You Are, Mr McGill
Infobox Film
name = Ready When You Are, Mr McGill
image_size =
caption =
director = Mike Newell
producer = Michael Dunlop
writer =Jack Rosenthal
narrator =
starring = Joe BlackJack ShepherdMark Wing-Davey Stanley Lebor Fred Feast
music =
cinematography = David Wood
editing = Tony Ham
distributor =Granada Television
released = 1976
runtime =
country = UK
language = English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0075124"Ready When You Are, Mr McGill" is a
feature length TV drama , written byJack Rosenthal .ITV produced two versions, in 1976 and 2003. The 1976 version was the first in a series of six single television plays called "Red Letter Days" each of which showed the events in a single, special day in someone's life. The 2003 version was a remake which was partly rewritten by Rosenthal.Maureen Paton, "Back to the write stuff", "The Times", 13 January 2003, p. 15.]Plot
The "Ready When You Are, Mr McGill" story is centered around the filming of a movie. A television actor-extra (Joe McGill) is finally given a line to say to camera. While filming, a collection of comical mishaps occur to create chaos on-set.
1976 version
In the 1976 adaptation Joe Black takes the lead role of Joe McGill. It aired on ITV on January 11, 1976. The story is based around a British soldier and his relationship with a suspicious School Mistress, set in 1940. McGill's line is "I've never seen that young Lady in my life before, and I've lived here fifty years". Jack Shepherd plays the stressed director, and
Mark Wing-Davey is his assistant.2003 version
Infobox Film
name = Ready When You Are, Mr McGill
image_size =
caption =
director = Paul Seed
producer = Lynn HorsfordAnalisa Barreto
writer = Jack Rosenthal
narrator =
starring =Amanda Holden Bill Nighy Tom Courtenay Sally Phillips
music = Martin Phipps
cinematography = John Kenway
editing = Dave King
distributor =ITV
released = 2003
runtime = 95 mins
country = UK
language = English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0385986In the 2003 adaptationTom Courtenay takes the lead role of Joe McGill. The story is centered around the filming of a movie starringAmanda Holden as a police officer. McGill's line was, "I've never seen the young man before in my life, and I've worked here 40 years".Television industry
Rosenthal said his rewrite had turned the drama into a criticism of Television executives, and argued that "the industry has gone crazy and it needs a new generation to change it into something better". He also criticised television schedulers. Although completed early in 2003 the resulting film was held backSteve Pratt, "In the Picture - Left on the shelf", "Northern Echo", 24 April 2004, p. 11.] and had not been screened by the time Rosenthal died in May 2004; it turned out to be his last work. It was first screened, not on ITV but on Sky Movies 1, in September 2004.Matthew Sweet, "The last word", "The Independent", 9 September 2004, p. 6-7.]
Rosenthal's widow
Maureen Lipman claimed that TV executives were reluctant to screen the film which was "maybe too acerbic".Guy Adams, "Pandora", "The Independent", 30 November 2004, p. 10.] In April 2005 she challenged the management of ITV to show the film as a tribute to Rosenthal, jokingly threatening to kill them if it was put in a slot outside primetime.Kathryn Spencer, Julie Carpenter and Kate Bohdanowicz, "Day & Night", "The Express", 25 April 2005.] It was eventually shown on Boxing Day 2005, beginning at 11:05 PM.Terry Ramsey, "Pick of the day", "Evening Standard", 23 December 2005.]External links
*imdb title|id=0075124|title=Ready When You Are, Mr McGill (1976)
*imdb title|id=0385986|title=Ready When You Are, Mr McGill (2003)References
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