An interview with Brian Clemens
Jan. 27th, 2025 03:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ali15sonI recently bought some written fanzines from around 1990 included was an interview with Brian Clemens so some of the answers relate to that time and (i'm not breaking the rules just bending it a little). This is not mine but seeing as i own the magazine.
DO YOU KNOW IF GRANADA PLUS WILL SHOW ALL 57 EPISODES
BC I don't know, although it looks like it.
IS IT BEING SHOWN NOW BECAUSE THE RIGHTS HAVE EXPIRED OR DID THEY STUMP UP THE CASH FOR MARTIN
BC No, it's being shown at this time because Martin cannot block satellite or cable. I think he will back down too if ITV decide to show it on the network.
DO YOU THINK THAT POLITICAL CORRECTNESS HAS STIFLED THE CREATION OF TRULY POWERFUL AND REFLECTIVE ACTION DRAMA? THE FEAR OF OFFENDING SOME HAS MADE MANY PRODUCTION TEAMS PLAY SAFE.
BC Yes, but it will pass. It is not so evident in movies and their influences always washes over into tv.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE SERIES SINCE IT WAS SHOWN
BC I have seen a few episodes.
DID YOU ENJOY THEM
BC Yes, they seem to hold up very well.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULARLY FAVOURITE EPISODES?
BC "In The Public Interest". I felt it exposed a serious fascist possibility. "The Rack". At the time we were under fire for violence. I thought it would be fun to attack violence within our own series. "Mixed Doubles", because of the intriguing idea that the villains above were, in a way, mirror images of our team. Only good and evil seperated them.
ARE YOU PARTICULARLY PROUD OF YOUR CREATION
BC Well it's still going 20 years on, so i must have got something right.
DID YOU HAVE ANY DIFFICULTY IN CONVINCING LWT TO TAKE A CHANCE ON IT?
BC None at all. They asked me to create the series.
DO YOU THINK "KLANSMAN"WILL BE SHOWN IN THE RE-RUN OR WILL THEY BE SCARED OF THE CONTROVERSEY?
BC I'm not sure.
SHOULD IT BE SHOWN?
BC Yes.
WERE THE CAPRI'S USED IN THE SERIES ALTERED IN ANY WAY. LIKE THE SUSPENSION AND SUCH, TO COPE WITH THE HANDBRAKE TURNS ETC.....?
BC No, although we did have special capri's with razor edged bodywork and things like that we used in some episodes.
WHY DID THE NAME "BENNY" CROP UP IN SO MANY EPISODES. WAS IT A RUNNING JOKE AMONG WRITERS OR JUST A CO-INCIDENCE
BC Purely co-incidence.
HOW WERE THE OTHER WRITERS SELECTED TO WRITE FOR THE SERIES AND DID YOU HAVE ANY SAY ON THIS.
BC I had every say in it. They were selected because of their track record. Steve Lister was the exception. He sent in some specimen scenes. I hired him.
YOU SAID IN THE C4 DOCUMENTARY THAT IF FLARES CAME BACK SO WILL THE VOGUE OF THE PROGRAMME AND IT WON'T LOOK DATED, WELL FLARES ARE BACK, BRIAN, ARE YOU SURPRISED BY THE GROWING 'CULT' STATUS OF YOUR CREATION?
BC Not at all. It is still better produced and better looking than anything they can afford to do today.
THE SCRIPTS ARE SO BRILLIANT, YOU PAY SO MUCH ATTENTION TO DETAIL. IS IT TRUE YOU WOULD CHEW OVER THE IDEA FOR A SCRIPT FOR WEEKS?
BC Yes, then it might take four days to actually write it.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO SCRIPT WRITING
BC I got in through persistance really.
HAVE YOU HAD ANY APPROACHES TO REMAKE THE SERIES?
BC Yes and it could happen this year.
BEARING IN MIND THAT SOURCES STATE IT COST £115, 000 AN EPISODE, WOULD THIS BE FINANCIALLY
VIABLE TODAY?
BC Yes, very viable though it would cost alot more than £115,000. Probably nearer £500,000.
ARE THERE ANY TV SERIES PAST OR PRESENT YOU ADMIRE AND WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR IDEAS FOR WRITING
BC I admired "Johnny Stacatto", "M Squad" and "Z Cars" on television. I was and still am influenced by great movies and directors like Ford, Hitchcock, sturges, welles etc...
HOW OFTEN DID YOU VISIT THE SET WHEN FILMING WAS IN PROCESS?
BC During the first two series all of the time.
IN REFLECTION ARE THERE ANY EPISODES YOU FEEL NOW COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER?
BC No, i stand by all the episodes made.
Part 2 to be concluded.
DO YOU KNOW IF GRANADA PLUS WILL SHOW ALL 57 EPISODES
BC I don't know, although it looks like it.
IS IT BEING SHOWN NOW BECAUSE THE RIGHTS HAVE EXPIRED OR DID THEY STUMP UP THE CASH FOR MARTIN
BC No, it's being shown at this time because Martin cannot block satellite or cable. I think he will back down too if ITV decide to show it on the network.
DO YOU THINK THAT POLITICAL CORRECTNESS HAS STIFLED THE CREATION OF TRULY POWERFUL AND REFLECTIVE ACTION DRAMA? THE FEAR OF OFFENDING SOME HAS MADE MANY PRODUCTION TEAMS PLAY SAFE.
BC Yes, but it will pass. It is not so evident in movies and their influences always washes over into tv.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE SERIES SINCE IT WAS SHOWN
BC I have seen a few episodes.
DID YOU ENJOY THEM
BC Yes, they seem to hold up very well.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULARLY FAVOURITE EPISODES?
BC "In The Public Interest". I felt it exposed a serious fascist possibility. "The Rack". At the time we were under fire for violence. I thought it would be fun to attack violence within our own series. "Mixed Doubles", because of the intriguing idea that the villains above were, in a way, mirror images of our team. Only good and evil seperated them.
ARE YOU PARTICULARLY PROUD OF YOUR CREATION
BC Well it's still going 20 years on, so i must have got something right.
DID YOU HAVE ANY DIFFICULTY IN CONVINCING LWT TO TAKE A CHANCE ON IT?
BC None at all. They asked me to create the series.
DO YOU THINK "KLANSMAN"WILL BE SHOWN IN THE RE-RUN OR WILL THEY BE SCARED OF THE CONTROVERSEY?
BC I'm not sure.
SHOULD IT BE SHOWN?
BC Yes.
WERE THE CAPRI'S USED IN THE SERIES ALTERED IN ANY WAY. LIKE THE SUSPENSION AND SUCH, TO COPE WITH THE HANDBRAKE TURNS ETC.....?
BC No, although we did have special capri's with razor edged bodywork and things like that we used in some episodes.
WHY DID THE NAME "BENNY" CROP UP IN SO MANY EPISODES. WAS IT A RUNNING JOKE AMONG WRITERS OR JUST A CO-INCIDENCE
BC Purely co-incidence.
HOW WERE THE OTHER WRITERS SELECTED TO WRITE FOR THE SERIES AND DID YOU HAVE ANY SAY ON THIS.
BC I had every say in it. They were selected because of their track record. Steve Lister was the exception. He sent in some specimen scenes. I hired him.
YOU SAID IN THE C4 DOCUMENTARY THAT IF FLARES CAME BACK SO WILL THE VOGUE OF THE PROGRAMME AND IT WON'T LOOK DATED, WELL FLARES ARE BACK, BRIAN, ARE YOU SURPRISED BY THE GROWING 'CULT' STATUS OF YOUR CREATION?
BC Not at all. It is still better produced and better looking than anything they can afford to do today.
THE SCRIPTS ARE SO BRILLIANT, YOU PAY SO MUCH ATTENTION TO DETAIL. IS IT TRUE YOU WOULD CHEW OVER THE IDEA FOR A SCRIPT FOR WEEKS?
BC Yes, then it might take four days to actually write it.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO SCRIPT WRITING
BC I got in through persistance really.
HAVE YOU HAD ANY APPROACHES TO REMAKE THE SERIES?
BC Yes and it could happen this year.
BEARING IN MIND THAT SOURCES STATE IT COST £115, 000 AN EPISODE, WOULD THIS BE FINANCIALLY
VIABLE TODAY?
BC Yes, very viable though it would cost alot more than £115,000. Probably nearer £500,000.
ARE THERE ANY TV SERIES PAST OR PRESENT YOU ADMIRE AND WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR IDEAS FOR WRITING
BC I admired "Johnny Stacatto", "M Squad" and "Z Cars" on television. I was and still am influenced by great movies and directors like Ford, Hitchcock, sturges, welles etc...
HOW OFTEN DID YOU VISIT THE SET WHEN FILMING WAS IN PROCESS?
BC During the first two series all of the time.
IN REFLECTION ARE THERE ANY EPISODES YOU FEEL NOW COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER?
BC No, i stand by all the episodes made.
Part 2 to be concluded.
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no subject
Date: 2025-01-27 05:55 pm (UTC)Thank you for taking the effort to write it down for us to read. Would it be okay if I copied it and made myself a Word document out of it?
no subject
Date: 2025-01-27 06:02 pm (UTC)Thankyou.
no subject
Date: 2025-01-27 08:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-01-27 09:03 pm (UTC)Thankyou.
no subject
Date: 2025-01-30 07:16 pm (UTC)This was great — thanks for posting. What zine did you find this in?
no subject
Date: 2025-01-30 07:48 pm (UTC)Thankyou for liking. In around 1990 there used to be a group called the professionals appreciation society. These written fanzines were sent out to each member and the interview was included in one of the fanzines. They came up for sale and i bought them.
no subject
DO YOU THINK THAT POLITICAL CORRECTNESS HAS STIFLED THE CREATION OF TRULY POWERFUL AND REFLECTIVE ACTION DRAMA? THE FEAR OF OFFENDING SOME HAS MADE MANY PRODUCTION TEAMS PLAY SAFE.
BC Yes, but it will pass. It is not so evident in movies and their influences always washes over into tv.
BC always had a nose for populist drama and I think he was proved pretty right in this assessment. I think the zeitgeist is less afraid of the 'PC police' today - but there is a modern trend for representation that's bordering on the offensive and ridiculous. I'm all for rebalancing the racist casting polices of the past - but not to the extent of the sort of 'Pollyanna casting' that has period Cotswold villages awash with happily integrated immigrants. It's ridiculous because it was never true and offensive because it erases a whole lived experience of casual racism. Funnily enough, and to that extent, 'Klansman' maybe still has a place - though I'd argue not the implied place BC claims for it. I think modern audiences would find it offensive for other reasons - so I'm not as convinced as BC that schedulers would feel the need to air it. I don't think 'misguided but well meaning' really cuts it - although as a piece of evolving social history it has its merits. And of course most fic-centric Pros fans bypass the inherent racial gristle for the prime cuts of the lads' relationship. The ethics of which are a debate for another time.
and
DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULARLY FAVOURITE EPISODES?
BC "In The Public Interest". I felt it exposed a serious fascist possibility. "The Rack". At the time we were under fire for violence. I thought it would be fun to attack violence within our own series. "Mixed Doubles", because of the intriguing idea that the villains above were, in a way, mirror images of our team. Only good and evil seperated them.
I think the contentious central premise of 'In The Public Interest' gets a bit lost in the neo-woke debates over 'Klansman' - which I note, despite his implied claims for it, BC doesn't cite as a fav ep. Here is a mainstream, prime-time, in-its-own-time iconic show casually suggesting that targeting gay people is morally unacceptable. Although, I think the whole 'undercover as gay' thing is vastly over-egged in fandom. It's extremely doubtful that mainstream audiences at the time read it as that. Mainstream audiences at the time bought Liberace as straight.
And I think 'The Rack' and 'Mixed Doubles' demonstrate that even mainstream 'action' audiences of the day were willing to entertain the introspective philosophical examination of the tropes underpinning its beloved show. The TV audience was always more sophisticated than schedulers allowed - and still allow. But today audiences have alternatives and the lazy assumptions of yesteryear aren't cutting it anymore.
Anyhoo, this was really interesting. How lucky you are to have run across these zines and be able to snaffle them up.
I saw your pic with B&D levelling their guns straight to camera but it seems to have disappeared before I could comment. So I will say here what a technicolour fresh take on that shot I thought that artwork was.
no subject
Date: 2025-02-02 05:23 pm (UTC)Thankyou for your comment on the artwork but i felt something was missing hence the disappearance.
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Date: 2025-02-10 10:39 am (UTC)Cheered me up no end — thank you
no subject
Date: 2025-02-10 10:41 am (UTC)Thankyou.