It Was The Best of Times, It Was The Worst of Times…

Hugh Sachs and Tony Maudsley filming Benidorm Series 4

So we’ve been filming now for about four weeks. We shot the Christmas Special in the first two weeks and now we are kind of doing one episode per fortnight.  I say ‘kind of’ because not all scenes can be completed sequentially and when they get moved about inevitably some get pushed into different weeks due to accessibility of locations, weather, guest stars availability etc.   Our 1st assistant director David Gillchrist does an incredible job fitting every scene into the schedule; I’ve no idea how he manages it.  It’s a bit like someone trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle while somebody keeps taking the pieces away.  Unfortunately I don’t exactly help as for the last 3 years I’ve always rolled up in Spain with the last episode missing; although I must say I’m glad I waited ’til I did to write the last instalment this year.  I only completely finished episode 6 last week but I must say, with a total lack of modesty, that it’s the best episode I’ve ever written.  Well, it’s certainly the funniest, let’s put it that way.

I’ve got to say the new characters in the show are working out brilliantly, mainly due to the amazing actors we have booked.  Tony Maudsley, Kathryn Drysdale, Adam Gillen, Selina Griffiths and Shelley Longworth; google them, you’ll probably know then from one show or another.  It was a difficult decision to change some of the regular cast, a decision met with some disapproval from a few fans of the show.  But I absolutely know it was the right decision; for this tv show to keep feeling fresh.  If we do a 5th series the same will happen again and it will all be for the best.

On a slightly different note I have some more unpleasant news.  A week ago last Friday my house in Spain was broken into and everything stolen.  Laptop, iPad, cameras, iPod, all electrical goods, even my suitcases.  At times this year has appeared to be one challenge after another, it sometimes has felt difficult to want to plough on with it all, especially when a few nights ago there was an other attempted break in, this time I was in the house.  To be absolutely honest I felt I was at breaking point and took a cab to Alicante airport, bought a ticket to London Gatwick and waited for the plane.  Luckily the flight was delayed by a couple of hours and in that time I decided to stay.  I’m so glad I did.  They say what doesn’t break you makes you stronger, after the year I’ve had so far I reckon I’m bordering on the invincible…

All’s Well That Starts Well

"I Don't Fancy Yours Much..."

So as we near the end of the Benidorm Christmas Special I am absolutely overjoyed.  I’ve never enjoyed filming as much as this before, everything feels right, all of the actors and crew seem happy  and even though we’ve been working in unbelievable heat (while pretending it’s Christmas!) nobody has complained.

Talking of the heat, I’ve been to many hot places over the years but nothing has ever compared to last week.  I’ve had sunstroke in Costa Rica and battered by the sun in Egypt but I think even it only reached 40 degrees.  Someone said last week, in the Altea Hills, it reached 47 degrees.  Now I don’t know if that’s true but it can’t have been far off. Of course many of us would think of the actors, having to perform on cue, remember lines and act cool (in more than one way!) but to see the crew humping equipment (ooof!), setting up lighting and generally running around non stop, well, I almost felt the urge to leave my air conditioned office and get someone to shake them by the hand on my behalf. Of course that was a joke… I’d never touch crew. Yes, that was another joke; I spend most of the time under a blanket watching the monitor wearing headphones as I watch and listen to what we are shooting with Ben our producer.  Anyway, the good news about all this is I must have lost at least a couple of pounds last week in sweat alone.

So after our first week of slog I decided to hold a little BBQ at my rented villa, it was an Xmas Special party as some of the main cast aren’t in the Special so they haven’t arrived in Spain yet.  We had the likes of Brian Murphy, Louie and Spence, Tim Healy (see pic above!) cavorting around the pool along with original cast members Siobhan Finneran, Crissy Rock, Sheila Reid, Oliver Stokes, Janine Dutvitski, Jake Canuso and a few others.

There’s so much more I want to tell you but I really think it would spoil the surprise.  This week we have a 70′s rock god and a 60′s legend filming with us.  We’ve already had Su Pollard (if you’ll pardon the expression), somehow John Henderson (our Xmas Special guest director) managed (with the hep of Sandy Johnson, regular director, with a 2nd unit) to shoot all of her scenes in one day (well, practically, she managed to squeeze in one more scene at 8am before she got on her flight to London at 11am), which was one of the things we were worried about.  Oh, we’ve also got a legendary 80′s band filming with us in a few weeks, they will be appearing at ‘Neptunes’ in episode 4.. or is it 5?  Oh it’s so confusing… a few parts have not been cast yet so we’re hoping to still have a few aces up our sleeve.  Obviously a lot of these guest stars will probably be revealed in the tabloids but I really hope they do us a favour and keep one or two of the big names a secret.  I know it’s probably wishful thinking but I love the idea of people watching the show, getting to a scene and saying “Oh my God! Look who it is!”.

Also, some rather disappointing news for me; I was due to play a (semi) regular part in this series, three episodes in all, a character I wrote for myself but unfortunately I just have too much work to do.  I’m writing a new series (not Benidorm) and for that to be finished by the end of the year along with my  role of associate producer, I just don’t have time to appear in the show.  Sorry to any fans (???!) of my acting work, rest assured I’ll pop up somewhere on the telly again at some point.

OK, better go now, we are filming with the brilliant Shaun Foster Conley today, so all you SFC fans are in for another treat in the Xmas Special (plus he also makes an appearance in series 4). Oh, and we also have brilliant Benidorm act Asa Elliott making a cameo appearance in the Special too, do any of you remember him in Stars In Your Eyes a few years ago?   Here he is in action!

Promise I won’t stay leave it as long until next blog.  Have a great week and stay COOL! (Although if you are in the UK I hear you haven’t really had a choice!)