Warming Up

5190/18110

Got the video RHLSTP script more or less finished and started on the audio one. Didn't really get anywhere near far enough with that one, given how little writing time I have between now and Sunday, but I am sure we'll make it work. It has been a slog to get this series done (and even once Sunday is over there are still a couple more sketches to write and film), but it's nearly finished now. I found myself in the odd position of writing a tribute sketch to Tam Dalyell. Though not really to the genuine man who sadly died this month, but to the character version of him, who also must fall with his barely connected namesake. Although I struggled to remember what we'd even done with the characters of Tam and Subo back in the day, it was still oddly poignant to have Subo return (with her baby- I think it was called Tambo, but only because someone tweeted about it). I was actually moved by writing it. Which is very, very strange.

I watched Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent as research for the skit. It is an incredibly emotionally manipulative bit of film and incredibly moving. In a sense it was the carpet pulled from under the feet that the whole series had been working up to. We'd seen crazy looking, non-attractive people before (and for some reason we seem to accept that it's pretty much only good-looking people who can sing) and Susan looked as nutty as them all. Coming out with some weird non-sequiturs and moving around in an unusual way. I often think about the eye-rolling girl who they chose to focus in on when Susan said she'd like to be as famous as Elaine Paige. Even though that young girl represented the reaction of every single person in the audience, they chose to pick her out. And I wonder how much shit she got for it in her life. “Oi, you were the one who doubted Susan Boyle, you bitch!” Even though Susan Boyle was only a thing because everyone doubted her.

In fact I just googled “The girl who rolled her eyes at Susan Boyle” (great name for a play)  and, I am right (maybe I half-remembered it) - she got loads of shit for it

How dumb and self-unaware people are. Blaming her for their own reaction.

And as heart-warming and tear-inducing as the clip is, that's the whole thing about it. The producers knew what they were doing with this and didn't really care about the fall out on individuals. They picked someone out of the crowd to be the hero and someone out of the crowd to be the villain, not caring about what effects this would have on their lives. I don't know what Subo is up to at the moment, apart from a brief appalling cameo (as all the cameos were) in Zoolander 2. It might have made her happy and rich and I hope so, but there was no guarantee of that.

I mean it's genius from Cowell and his gang and even more impressive that the show is still going, in spite of having blown this essential punchline so soon. But the manipulation of us and of the people at the centre of it, is a little discombobulating.

Still I turned Susan Boyle into a weird and arguably nasty (though I'd say it's pretty affectionate) comedy character, which was just about as removed from her as Tam Dalyell was from his. It brought tears to my eyes to bring back the character. So maybe we're all just as manipulative or malleable. 

I think I might go a little bit for nostalgia of the old series in this last bonus audio ep. I have tried to limit it in the new series and keep it for special occasions. And I wonder how many people will even remember the stuff we did all those years ago (I genuinely remember next to nothing - I read through a couple of scripts and it did not ring any bells at all). You'll need to be quick if you want a ticket to it though. It's going to be an end of term atmosphere. And hopefully a lot of fun. Even though I feel a bit like I am crawling over the finish line on this.

Thanks so much for all your support for this.