Haldane Duncan

Infobox Person


image_size = 150px
name = Haldane Duncan
imagesize =
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birth_name = Haldane Duncan
birth_date = birth date and age|1945|07|25|mf=y
birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland
death_date =
death_place =
other_names =
known_for = Director:
"Take the High Road" (1980–88)
"Taggart" (1986–90)
"Brookside" (1996–2000)
"Emmerdale" (1999–2007)
"Coronation Street" (2000–04)
occupation = Television producer and director
spouse =
partner =
website =

Haldane Duncan (born July 25 1945, Edinburgh, Scotland [ [http://uk.imdb.com/name/nm0241978/bio Date and place of birth] : IMDB.com website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] ) is a television producer and director, best known for his contributions to soap operas.

Career

Early years

After gaining experience from about 1963 in Glasgow's Close Theatre, Duncan went to London in 1966, occupying a bed-sit in White City, and working as a "holiday relief" assistant floor manager for the BBC, on programmes such as "Top of the Pops", the popular music television show which ran from 1964 to 2006, and the children's show, "Crackerjack", hosted by Eamonn Andrews. He then worked on shows starring Dusty Springfield, recorded at the BBC Television Theatre in Shepherd's Bush. [http://www.transdiffusion.org/emc/tvheroes/haldaneduncan/haldane1.php Autobiographical detail] , from an interview with Duncan, part 1: "TV Heroes" website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.]

In the late 1960s, they sent Duncan back to work in his native country, for BBC Scotland, although he still spent "an inordinate amount of time in London" on training courses. [http://www.transdiffusion.org/emc/tvheroes/haldaneduncan/haldane2.php Autobiographical detail] , from an interview with Duncan, part 2: "TV Heroes" website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] Whilst with them, he was involved in the production of "Dr. Finlay's Casebook", which starred Andrew Cruickshank, Bill Simpson and Barbara Mullen. [http://www.transdiffusion.org/emc/tvheroes/haldaneduncan/on_the_case.php Autobiographical detail] , from an interview with Duncan, part 3: "TV Heroes" website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.]

He eventually moved to Scottish Television, the ITV regional station, where he began producing and directing. From 1977 to 1981 he was in charge of their "In Concert" productions, beginning with one featuring Barbara Dickson on February 7 1977. [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/641238 "In Concert: Barbara Dickson (1977 TV music show)"] , director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] By 1979, he was making documentaries [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/189012 "The Divine Truth - The Greek Search (1979 TV documentary)"] , director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] and in 1980 began adding drama to his output. [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/346439 "Should We Come Back Tomorrow? (1980 TV drama)"] , director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] It was around this time that "ITV wanted a daytime soap from Scotland but had no interest in "Garnock Way", the weekly serial that STV made for local consumption", and so Duncan was set to work on "Take the High Road" (initially named "The Glendhu Factor" and then "High Road - Low Road", finally settling on the title by which it was known until 1994, when it changed to just "High Road"). [http://www.transdiffusion.org/emc/tvheroes/haldaneduncan/glendhu1.php Autobiographical detail] , from an interview with Duncan, part 4: "TV Heroes" website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.]

He directed the "Hogmanay Show" in December 1981, which traditionally saw out the old year and brought in the new, [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/234447 "Hogmanay Show (1981 TV variety show)"] , director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] and in 1982 covered an outside broadcast from the Edinburgh Festival of Benjamin Britten's "Noye's Fludde". [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/298933 "Noye's Fludde (Choral work)"] , 1982 Edinburgh Festival, director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] In the same year, he directed one of a " [s] eries of plays by new writers" under the banner "Preview". [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/320469 "Preview" (1982 TV play)"] , director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.]

Expanding his horizons

In 1982, Duncan returned south of the border briefly to direct episodes of the soap opera "Brookside" for Channel 4 [ [http://uk.imdb.com/name/nm0241978/#director1980 "Brookside (TV soap opera)] , director: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] before returning to Scottish Television in 1983 to make the drama "The Old Master", commissioned by London Weekend Television and starring Andrew Keir and Rowena Cooper. [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/301184 "The Old Master (1983 TV drama)"] , director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] He had continued to direct episodes of "Take the High Road" well into 1984, [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/602785 "Take the High Road (1984 TV soap opera)"] , director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] but still found time to make the TV film "Midnight Feast", for STV on behalf of Channel 4, in that year. It told the story of " [t] wo public schoolboys [who] gain access to the housemaster's personal files during a midnight feast". [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/281993 "Midnight Feast (1984 TV film)"] , director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.]

Duncan produced the three-part story "Murder in Season" from the popular Scottish TV series "Taggart" in 1985, [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/430158 "Taggart (1985 TV series)"] , producer, storyline "Murder in Season": BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] and he would go on to direct six complete storylines within the show between 1986 and 1990. [ [http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0088621/fullcredits "Taggart (1986–90)] , director, 6 storylines: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] His other major television contribution in 1985 featured the Scottish folk music band The Corries and their regular guests, The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, in a six-part series he produced and directed, entitled "The Corries and Other Folk". [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/438688 "The Corries and Other Folk (1985 TV music series)"] , 6 shows, producer and director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.]

Apart from his "Taggart" work in 1986, he also oversaw a televised Scottish Opera performance of Rossini's "La cambiale di matrimonio" on July 9 1986. [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/160151 "La cambiale di matrimonio (1986 TV opera performance)"] (Rossini), director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] And from 1986 to 1988, he produced or directed various children's television plays in the "Dramarama" series which ran from 1983 to 1989 on Scottish Television. [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/126452?view=credit&page=2 Filmography credits (1)] : BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] His other major work of that period, broadcast on December 31 1988, was "The Steamie", a "TV version of the stage play by Tony Roper", which he co-produced and directed, and in which a group of Scottish try to finish their work in the steamroom before the Hogmanay festivities start. [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/422299 "The Steamie (1988 TV play)] , co-producer and director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] His contributions to "Take the High Road" continued in parallel that year, [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/602785 "Take the High Road (1988 TV soap opera)] , director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] and in 1989 he directed the 60 minute drama "Albert and the Lion", which starred James Ellis and Russell Hunter. [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/428191 "Albert and the Lion" (1989 TV drama)"] , director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.]

The 1990s and a new century

At the beginning of the new decade, Duncan cut his ties with Scottish Television, becoming freelance, and beginning work on various English-based soap operas. From 1992 to 1995, he directed four episodes of the London police drama "The Bill" for Thames Television, [ [http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0084987/fullcredits "The Bill (TV soap opera)] , director, 4 episodes 1992–95: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] and in 1993 returned to BBC Scotland to direct two instalments of "Strathblair", [ [http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0144068/fullcredits "Strathblair (1993 TV series)"] , director: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] the " [t] en part drama series set in Scotland during the 1950s". [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/series/19904 "Strathblair"] , synopsis: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.]

With the success of "emergency services" television drama series, such as "The Bill" and "Casualty", in the United Kingdom, Duncan spent most of 1994 and early 1995 in Germany, where he had been commissioned by production company Endemol to direct two hour-long instalments of the "Bill"-style police drama, "Die Wache", [ [http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0108985/fullcredits "Die Wache (1994-95 TV series)"] de icon, 2 episodes, director: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] for their home market, and for "twice [his] normal fee". [http://www.transdiffusion.org/emc/tvheroes/haldaneduncan/the_cologne_diaries.php Autobiographical detail] , from an interview with Duncan, part 5: "TV Heroes" website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] The episodes were filmed in Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia, [ [http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0108985/locations Filming locations, "Die Wache"] : IMDB.com website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] with the police station set being located in the Cologne suburb of Dellbrück.

Returning to England in 1995, he immediately began work on three episodes of the Nicky Campbell-hosted TV game show "Wheel of Fortune", [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/126452?view=credit&page=1 Filmography credits (2)] : BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] which ran from 1988 to 2001, and which featured contestants who would gamble for big prizes on the spin of a giant wheel, in conjunction with a word game format. [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/series/18094 "Wheel of Fortune (1995 TV game show)"] , synopsis: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] He directed one further show in 1996.

1996 was also the year in which Duncan entered the sphere of directing British soap operas in earnest, beginning with 9 episodes of Channel 4's Liverpool-based "Brookside", a Phil Redmond brainchild for Mersey Television. Duncan would return to make several more episodes in 1999 and 2000, before moving on. Also in 1996 and on into 1997, he was director for six instalments of the other big Channel 4/Mersey TV hit "Hollyoaks". He then made four editions of the Cockney soap opera "EastEnders" for the BBC in 1997 [ [http://cvonline.servstream.com/CVEntry.aspx?StaffId=109&GenreId=0 "EastEnders (1998 TV series)"] , 4 episodes, director: from film editor Damian Raistrick's CV at the "Servstream.com" website. Retrieved on March 16 2008.] - edited clips of these contributions would also be featured in "EastEnders: The Mitchells - Naked Truths", a television special focussing on the Mitchell family who feature heavily in the London soap. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0336345/fullcredits#directors "EastEnders: The Mitchells - Naked Truths (1998 TV special)"] , archive director: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.]

Duncan made a nostalgic return to Scottish Television to direct the sports drama "The Game" in 1998. This told the tale of "a Rangers fanatic and a Celtic fanatic [who] put aside their differences and unite behind the Scottish team for the 1978 World Cup from the comfort of their couch". [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/713525 "The Game (1998 TV sports drama)"] , director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] In early 1999, he directed three instalments of the children's television show Hububb, a vehicle for kids' comic Les Bubb. [ [http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0482406/combined "Hububb (1999 TV children's show)"] , 3 episodes, director: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.]

In the year 2000, he directed episodes of "Coronation Street" for Granada Television, [ [http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0053494/fullcredits#directors "Coronation Street (2000 TV series)"] , various episodes, director: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] and in 2002 made several of the "River City" soap opera shows for BBC Scotland, [ [http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0338653/fullcredits "River City (2002 Scottish TV soap opera)"] , various episodes, director: IMDB.com website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] "set in a fictional West End area of Glasgow called 'Shieldinch' that, whilst looking authentically Glaswegian, follows the of Albert Square, complete with local shop, café and pub". [ [http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/reviews/2002/rivercity.htm "River City"] , synopsis: "OffTheTelly.co.uk" website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.] He returned to direct six more instalments of "Coronation Street" in 2003 and 2004. [ [http://www.tv.com/haldane-duncan/person/140049/summary.html "Coronation Street (2003–04 TV series)"] , 6 episodes, director: "TV.com" website. Retrieved on March 15 2008.]

Eight years in Emmerdale

Since 1999, Duncan has worked on the one other major soap opera so far not mentioned - "Emmerdale", which airs on the ITV network several times a week. Beginning in 1972 as "Emmerdale Farm", it initially centred on just the agricultural base of the Sugden family, with other characters appearing there from the surrounding areas. Over time, the village of Beckindale was included more often, the most famous of the early days being The Woolpack public house, which became a social meeting place for many of the characters. The village changed its name to Emmerdale in 1994, although the change of name for the series happened in 1989. [ [http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0068069/trivia "Emmerdale" facts] : IMDB.com website. Retrieved on March 16 2008.]

Haldane Duncan directed his first episode of "Emmerdale" for Yorkshire Television on November 8 1999. The producer was Kieran Roberts and the script was by Bill Lyons. [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/673996 "Emmerdale (1999 TV series)"] , first episode as director: BFI.org.uk website. Retrieved on March 16 2008.] He devoted much of his time over the next eight years to the programme. The last known contribution to the soap opera from him as director was on October 15 2007.

This is also his last recorded work of any kind.

References

External links

*imdb|0241978
* [http://www.transdiffusion.org/emc/tvheroes/haldaneduncan/ Complete 11-part interview with Haldane Duncan] at the "TV Heroes" website