THE factory gates are open again at Mackintosh Textiles.
Made redundant in 2003 after four BBC1 series, Clocking Off begins a very welcome repeat run on ITV3 at 9pm tonight.
Created by Paul Abbott, the BAFTA-award winning drama set against the backdrop of a Manchester textile factory is not to be missed.
Although some didn’t realise it at first, Paul and the Red Production Company sold the BBC a series of modern Play For Todays.
The stories were surprising and featured the cream of Britain’s acting talent.
Many were to go on to even greater heights, including Ashley Jensen of Extras and Ugly Betty fame.
From the very start in late 1999, I interviewed the stars of Clocking Off and continued to do so year after year until the series was axed.
That included Philip Glenister, who played factory boss Mack, and John Simm, who features – along with the MEN – in tonight’s very first episode.
John plays lorry driver Stuart who returns home after being missing for 13 months and appears to have lost all memory of the intervening period.
Author: ianwylie
“I don’t need your help,” insists DI Alex Drake.
“Everyone does,” replies her sozzled boss in sharp 1981 suit and tie.
The return of Gene Hunt is a cause for celebration across the land.
Or as The Guv puts it: “The A-Team are back in business.”
With a chess board ceiling in the new CID office, there’s a new puzzle to solve in Life On Mars’ sequel Ashes To Ashes.
Keeley Hawes plays Alex, the 2008 police psychologist who finds herself back in time with Gene, Ray, Chris and Duran Duran.
Shot in the head, the modern day detective concludes she’s trapped in her mind, one second from life…or death.
Alex believes that Gene (Philip Glenister) and his 1981 world are fantasies she’s assimilated from studying Sam Tyler’s (John Simm) memories of his trip to 1973 while he was in his “prolonged deep coma”.
Realising this must be a “subconscious construct induced by severe cranial trauma”, she stumbles: “No, no, no. This happened to him, it can’t happen to me.”
ITV say no final decision has been made about its future.
But it’s plain this morning that Coronation Street star Antony Cotton’s teatime chat show has been axed.
Having said that, fans of the talented Bury actor need not despair.
Antony, 32, is set to return with a new format later this year.
And he’s said to be firmly in the plans of ITV1’s daytime controller.
Antony hosted 25 editions of his teatime talk series last year.
That Antony Cotton Show, recorded at ITV Granada’s Manchester studios, began in August with two million viewers.
But ratings for the mix of celebrity chat and games later fell to around 1.1m in the face of Channel 4 hit Deal Or No Deal.
ITV is now talking to the Corrie favourite about a number of other ideas, including a possible game show, aside from his role in Weatherfield.
THE search is on for a new Miss Marple.
Just in from ITV is the announcement that Geraldine McEwan is to hang up her knitting needles and retire from the role of the spinster sleuth.
“Of course, it is terribly disappointing to have to pass the baton on,” said Geraldine.
“But it has been a marvellous experience to inhabit this role for the last few years, and I am sure that my successor, whomever she may be, will throroughly enjoy her time with the production team.
“And with the extraordinarily talented group of writers and actors that they come up with for each series.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure to work on Miss Marple since 2003, and I leave with fond memories.”
I interviewed Geraldine before that very first revamped Marple series and have spoken to her several times since.
DO women feel more guilt about affairs than men?
That was the question posed to actress Sharon Small at the launch of TV drama Mistresses.
“I think it’s, perhaps, generally a bigger step for a woman to be unfaithful than a man,” she replied.
“I’m not sure, because I’m not a bloke, but I think it’s less engaged in the heart for men.”
Sharon plays 9/11 widow Trudi in the BBC1 drama, which continues at 9pm tonight after last week’s first date with single dad Richard (Patrick Baladi).
There’s a feature interview with Sharon in today’s MEN – the online version is here.
As you can see from the photo above, her latest character has a very different look to washed out Det Sgt Barbara Haves in The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.
YOU can usually spot the writer at TV launches.
They’re the one sat at the back being mostly ignored while the stars of the show grab the headlines.
And yet there’s one thing all actors agree on – the script is the most important part of the entire project.
You can have the best production, direction, acting and theme tune in the world.
But without a good script, you’re lost.
The critics, predictably, didn’t much like Wild At Heart when it made its ITV1 debut.
That’s because it’s aimed at real viewers who want to relax with a spot of escapist family drama on a Sunday night.
Vera: My fear for young smokers.
That’s the headline on today’s front page exclusive in the MEN.
Just hours after viewers saw Vera Duckworth die on screen, we reveal how the actress who plays her has spoken about the deadly lung disease which forced her to quit the cobbles.
Liz Dawn talks on TV for the first time about her illness in a moving film to be screened next month.
Five years ago she was diagnosed with chronic emphysema.
Although treatment has slowed the progress of the disease and improved her quality of life, Liz could not guarantee being well enough to continue her role.
“The last five years, my breathing’s not been that good and I’ve thought I’m not going to be able to carry on,” she tells the ITV1 Tonight documentary called Liz Dawn: Fighting For Breath.
“You can’t guarantee signing a year’s contract and being well for a year,” she explains.
THERE will be tears before bedtime tonight as we say farewell to Vera Duckworth.
The death of Jack’s little swamp duck is screened in two poignant Coronation Street episodes.
“She only left a few weeks ago but already I miss walking on set and seeing her there,” says Bill Tarmey, who plays heartbroken Jack.
Liz Dawn, who has starred as Vera for over 33 years, certainly deserves a happy retirement.
There’s a story about the end of an era on Pg 3 of today’s MEN.
The online version – with photo gallery and audio clips – is here.
It follows the Pg 9 feature published on Wednesday – the online version of that is here.
THE tabloid spin has started already, along with the first TV teaser trails.
Ashes To Ashes: Dust To Dust was just one headline this morning.
Gene Hunt is being killed off, it claimed, by the man who plays him, Philip Glenister.
A classic case of a story written to fit the headline.
What Phil actually said at Tuesday’s press launch was that he thought the new BBC1 drama – set in 1981 – would be the last time shift for Gene.
As things stand, he probably couldn’t see The Guv in any follow up drama set in the 1990s, or before the 1973 of Life On Mars.
But no mention whatsoever of killing Gene off.
Plans are already in place for a second series of Ashes To Ashes, which would begin filming later this year.
But although the cast are “optioned” for a second series, it has yet to be given the green light.
That depends – as is normal practice these days – on ratings for the first series, which is now confirmed as starting in the week beginning Monday Feb 4.
THE first screening of Ashes To Ashes tonight and a nervous moment for Life On Mars fans.
Could the spin-off series possibly live up to what has gone before?
Twenty minutes in and I still wasn’t sure.
But as DI Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes) walked into Luigi’s Wine Bar – the new Railway Arms – it suddenly all fell into place.
And by the end of the first episode there was a broad smile on my face, a warm glow in my heart and a sudden urge to order a case of Asti Spumante.
Ashes To Ashes is terrific.
Arriving on BBC1 next month, the eight-part series sees DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) transferred from Manchester to London.
The time shift from 1973 to 1981 opens up a whole new world, with old school cop Gene frustrated in an era of policing where he’s not seen as part of the future.
As fans will know, Alex was Sam Tyler’s (John Simm) psychologist in 2007 and finds herself back in 1981 after being shot in the head.
Having previously documented Sam’s journey to 1973, she thinks she knows exactly who Gene, Ray and Chris are – figments of her imagination.
Life of Wylie 