Thanks to Diane for sharing this file with us. I was able to transcribe it from a cassette I made of the broadcast. This is what Diane said:While our group of about 55 people were standing outside the BBC, a radio journalist named Alison came over to interview us. She spoke to us outside for about 15 minutes then was given a ticket compliments of the BBC and watched the show with us. She then spoke to a few others after the show. The following Sunday she knew she'd be on the radio to talk about her experience but didn't know what time and didn't think the hotel would get the LBC station. So she agreed to send me a cassette of the show.
Steve Jones: Often TV critics bemoan the fact that we don't have a decent situation comedy on the screen at the moment, that really standards have disappeared over the years. I don't think that's true myself, but I'm very glad to say that although it was under threat a couple of years ago, that our very own homegown As Time Goes By is being made again, there's another series being made and it has generated a fan base, not just from this country, but also from overseas and over the weekend, round about 60 obsessives arrived from the states to watch it being recorded -- from America! -- they flew in especially for this because the show stars I think, Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer -- and I think he deserves a title as well -- and the fans of the program are united over the web but some met for the first time at the filming, or the recording, indeed, on Friday. And our very own Alison Brady joined in the fun and she's with us now. Good morning.
Alison Brady: Good morning Steve.
Steve Jones: Nice to have you with us again. This is quite astounding, I mean, I know that we have fans for American shows in this country, but who were these people who were coming to watch this all happen.
Alison Brady: Well as you said they were obsessives, basically. They love British sitcoms, they love BBC programs and in America you probably know there's the Public Broadcasting Service which is in 158 states [perhaps she means stations or markets] and covers 87 per cent of the population so an awful lot of Americans like tuning in to BBC programs and they watch things like Fawlty Towers, One Foot in the Grave, Fine Romance -- all this sort of stuff, but -- apparently As Time Goes By is the most popular one and a lady called Bonnie Rottstin [mispronounced Rottenstine] set up a web site which has a chat room in it so that if they want to find out information about the writer they can chit-chat to each other over the web site and you can find out all sorts of information about absolutely anything on this web site.
Steve Jones: Of course web sites are like that for any subject, aren't they?
Alison Brady: Absolutely.
Steve Jones: But coming over here it's unexpected business to fly from the United States into the UK, isn't it, you know, with the cheap fares, they must really love it.
Alison Brady: I think they got a package together, I think perhaps there were so many of them that they were able to get a cheaper package... and they're not just coming from -- I mean that's the main reason for coming but lots of them were traveling off to see other places or looking around London -- they've been to Bath, they've been to Statford -- the usual things so they're making the most of their trip over here.
Steve Jones: Right, okay, so you joined them to watch an episode being filmed, being recorded...
Alison Brady: ... Yes, actually because I've never seen anything like that before and I had to be honest admit I haven't seen the program myself either. So I thought I was going to be, you know, "there's a fraud in the program". [Steve laughs]. So I talked to them outside really to find out what's the appeal of this thing because it strikes me as quintessentially English the humor and the references must be very English as well and they said that some of humor doesn't translate and they have to sort of have it interpreted before they can find out what the laughs are, which I thought was thought was a bit frustrating, but they obviously appreciate the humor.
Steve Jones: It's very slow -- I mentioned things like Friends and Frasier and whatever in the opening, in the introduction to this piece and this particular program is -- it's slow -- I mean Geoffrey Palmer is quite lugubrious however and I've always loved him but he's got this rather hang-dog expression.
Alison Brady: Yes. Yes he has. Yes. Um, what they like about it is the fact that it's sophisticated. Their point-of-view is that in America there aren't any sophisticated -- I suppose Frasier is probably an exception -- but this ironic wit, this dry humor is what they appreciate -- it's very British. And they enjoy it. It's classy. It's articulate, apparently. And Geoffrey Palmer is apparently extraordinarily sexy for the ladies.
Steve Jones: Yes. The ladies like it.
Alison Brady: They do.
Steve Jones: Alright. They will be aware, of course, of Judi Dench because she won an Oscar last year, she was nominated the year before and I gather she is going to co-present some some part of this year....
Alison Brady: She's going to the Academy Awards. In fact some of them actually met up in New York because she was appearing in Amy's View on Broadway so some of them had actually met before and it was at that meeting that Diane McElheny suggested that they come over to Britain so they -- some of them had met before, some hadn't, but this was the first time that this number of people had actually got together to see it.
Steve Jones: Terrific. Well, they uh -- Do you know how far into the series they were -- the one that you saw being done?
Alison Brady: Well, this is Series 8, Program 5, so I mean, it's been going for quite a long time.
Steve Jones: Series 8!
Alison Brady: Yes.
Steve Jones: Good Lord!
Alison Brady: And afterwards they were trying to find out if there is going to be another series. The actors said that they were kept in the dark about it, but obviously the hope is that there will be. It's the sort of thing that can just keep going -- running and running and running.
Steve Jones: Sure, well there's the relationship between those two, of course. (I didn't understand what was said next -- he whispered it and it sounded as though he said "well we can find out if he can be on the show when he comes up as well, I mean..." ) Was the daughter and her friend still in there and the guy with the glasses who comes in....
Alison Brady: Yes, Alistair.
Steve Jones: [mocking] Hello Li! [She laughs] Hello Li! How are you? Yes....
Alison Brady: That's ongoing, as you say. It's a continuing situation. Sort of maneuverings between the girls. I think he was turned down in matrimony by one of them and never quite got over it. So...it was fun to watch it actually. Very, very well done. Great to see Judi Dench. And they absolutely loved it! It was -- they appreciate -- the thing they like about Judi is that, according to them, she is so real and she is very natural on stage.
Steve Jones: Absolutely. Well they went away satisfied -- to go off to Shakespeare's Stratford or whatever it was they were after. Are you likely, do you think, having seen this to join them as one of the band of fans of the show?
Alison Brady: Mmmmmmmmn, I don't think so, after all I can watch it here, but back to see something else recorded. But, it is a good show, but perhaps a little too slow for me.
Steve Jones: Well such a racy (garbled) Alison, you are. Well thank you very much.