THERE is nothing, as they say, like being there.
Scotland’s John Higgins and English qualifier Mark Selby are, as I type, contesting the final of the World Snooker Championship.
This sporting weekend always brings back memories of a dramatic previous final, which I was lucky enough to attend.
The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield is well-named.
Millions know and love it through the BBC’s excellent annual TV coverage.
The arrival of digital TV has vastly increased the amount of table time which can be screened.
Author: ianwylie
WE always knew there was a devil buried somewhere deep within Mavis Wilton, didn’t we?
Once Rita’s faithful companion in The Kabin – think Norris in a skirt – Mavis spent 26 years on Coronation Street.
It’s now almost 10 years since she did the papers for the last time and left Weatherfield to run a B&B in the Lake District.
But actress Thelma Barlow, who played Mavis, still had a tear in her eye as she watched an archive clip of her farewell scene on today’s edition of This Morning.
“It was brilliant,” she said of her time on the cobbles. “It just gave me a wonderful life.”
Middlesbrough-born Thelma, 77, has gone on to star in many more roles, including parts in Dinnerladies and Mrs Henderson Presents.
And she makes her much heralded appearance in Doctor Who this Saturday as baddie Lady Thaw.
THERE are moments in life when you know you are very lucky to be in the right place at the right time.
Elling at The Bush Theatre in west London was one of those moments last night.
Downstairs, TV coverage of Liverpool’s penalty shoot-out victory over Chelsea, to reach the Champions’ League Final, gripped a packed bar.
Upstairs, drama of a different kind entranced a sold out fringe theatre of 80 ticket holders.
Some 85 per cent of the audience was female. Many, no doubt, were attracted by the presence of Life On Mars star John Simm.
I went expecting him to be brilliant, astonishing and totally different to his last TV character – Sam Tyler.
John was all three and much more as Elling, one half of an odd couple released from a Norwegian mental asylum.
Together with roomate Kjell Bjarne, played by former Teachers star Adrian Bower, they were placed in a state apartment in Oslo.
THE beard is now grey, as well as black. But the music is more poignant and powerful than ever.
Yusuf Islam is the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens.
A year ago, BBC1 screened an outstanding Imagine documentary about the superstar who vanished from the stage.
You can read about it in the MEN feature here.
At the end of his final performance in 1979, he told the audience: “We’ve only got one life and we’ve got to do the best with it.
“You’ve got to find the right path and when you do, you know it. So I pray that you find the right path. Inshallah. Goodbye.”
Last Sunday, the same channel broadcast Yusuf’s return to the stage at London’s Porchester Hall.
It saw classic songs like Father and Son and Peace Train alongside tracks from his “comeback” album An Other Cup.
THE first episode in the new series of Hustle was filmed last December on location in Los Angeles.
But while it looks impossibly glam and stylish on screen, don’t get too envious of the cast.
Back in October I met up with them as they were filming episode two in far less exotic surroundings.
The location was a farm by the Grand Union Canal in Rickmansworth, Herts – in the pouring autumn rain.
A short drive down a muddy track from the local pumping station, the stars of the BBC1 drama were filming a scene in and around the farm’s stables.
Robert Glenister, who plays Ash Morgan, was sporting a green padded jacket and gold tie.
Jaime Murray (Stacie) sheltered from the rain in a black padded coat and dark blue wellies.
And Marc Warren (Danny) went for black wellies and a quick break on top of the double-decker catering bus.
THE debate about the final episode of Life On Mars has certainly thrown up some interesting viewpoints.
Some fans continue to ask questions at The Railway Arms.
Named after Manchester CID’s 1973 local, it’s a brilliant fan site with some of the most passionate and intelligent comments to be found on the web.
It also demonstrates how a TV drama can spark creativity, humour, fun, serious debate, empathy and friendship via the world wide inter-web.
If you were a fan of the BBC1 series, then it’s a place you must seek out.
Members of the TV team, including John Simm and Dean Andrews, have also contributed their thoughts there from time to time.
And Life On Mars co-creator and lead writer Matthew Graham called in again this afternoon to “draw a line under a few points”.
SHE’S played dozens of TV roles in her career.
But for viewers of a certain age, Paula Wilcox will always be remembered for two characters.
The Manchester-born actress first made her mark as Beryl Battersby, alongside Richard Beckinsale, in Granada’s The Lovers.
Hard to believe that series began all of 37 years ago.
In 1974 she moved on to the role of Chrissy Plummer in Man About The House and became a major star.
But acting, like most other professions, is a long game.
GET the kettle on – “milk and two sugars” – for a TV travel treat this Sunday.
No, it’s not that nice Michael Palin. He’s still working on his new television epic.
Due to be broadcast this autumn, it has the working title: New Europe With Michael Palin.
So step forward Victoria Wood and three-part BBC1 series Victoria’s Empire.
You can read more about it in today’s MEN TV feature here.
And there’s more…
The Bury-raised writer, actress and comedy star impressed in 2004 with two-part Victoria Wood’s Big Fat Documentary.
But Victoria’s Empire is, dare I say it, worthy of St Michael himself.
NOW, nobody’s saying the Chatsworth estate is the Garden of Eden.
But it’s been a good home to Frank Gallagher and his kids.
This week they moved to a new TV base in Wythenshawe, although the estate will look exactly the same on screen.
Shameless creator Paul Abbott (pictured with Frank) spoke to me and other journalists at the grand opening of the exterior set and studio.
And, among other things, he likened Manchester’s Gallagher clan to the royal family.
“The Gallagher family is identical to so many families that are outside that working class sub-culture – sub-working class,” he explained.
“I keep looking at the British royal family and going, ‘We’re not far off that lot.’
THE rain flowed almost as freely as Paul Abbott’s quotes at the launch of the new Shameless complex in Manchester yesterday.
He spoke about the planned American re-make of the Channel 4 series, which may feature Cheers star Woody Harrelson as Frank Gallagher.
Paul also revealed how he had turned down requests from the likes of John Simm, Matt Lucas and Bill Nighy for guest roles in the original UK version.
There was a full report plus pics on Pgs 1 and 3 of today’s MEN. You can read the online version here, along with a gallery of images here and a video report here.
(I’m man in brown jacket carrying small black brolly, fortunately with my back to the TV camera)
Life of Wylie 