Here's a wonderful present I got last night from Debora Bush, who kept the tape rolling:
... after Judi's pledge plea, the show turned to two hosts, one was the producer of the special and the other was Gareth Gwenlan. As I started to switch channels, one said that we would hear more from Geoffrey and Judi later, so I put the remote down and turned on the VCR. Three more segments aired that were not included in your transcript. I don't know if this was something unique to the Nashville pledge drive or if the others just switched channels before they realized there was more. I took the liberty to transcribe the segments for you to add to the site if you would like to include them. I must say I have a new respect for the items you have transcribed. There were a couple of words I couldn't make out, but for the most part here it is word for word and hmmm for ah! Also between takes the host (I didn't get his name, but he was the producer of the Salute) and his guest Gareth Gwenlan, producer of Waiting for God, To the Manor Born, and former head of the BBC's comedy productions, were discussing the differences in producing American and British comedy.Geoffrey: In England, I think things are different the way we record shows ah than from what they are in America. Ah how we do this, we're going to be doing six episodes next. We'll do about ten days. Don't we? (looking at Judi) we're doing the...Judi: filming
Geoffrey: the locations, the filming, the exteriors stuff and then we'll do one show a week. We usually do the show on a Sunday in front of an audience of about 400 people. Ah, we will do the show hmm in a period about an hour and a half overall. We have to do it in that time, in half an hour (sic), which gives us time to get a few things wrong (looks at Judi), which we do.
Judi: (laughing) which we do often.
Geoffrey: And we then we have a day off and then we'll go in and have five days of outside rehearsals which is usually 1/2 a day, isn't it?
Judi: Yes, so that was quite tough actually. Tough sometimes when we were in the theater at night doing a play that was tricky. Ah that was...
Geoffrey: Because Judi's invariably in the theater. She's usually doing three or four jobs at the same time. (Judi's laughing) Much to the fury of most of us (A laughing Judi interrupts to say "That's why I never know" but GP continues talking, who spend our lives being unemployed!!! (Judi has thrown her head back and is laughing.)
Judi: That's why I never know the lines of course, isn't it? Geoffrey says...
Geoffrey: (moving his hands as if pushing something away) We won't get into that. We won't get into that. (Both are laughing.)
Judi: I never know the lines.
Both start to speak. Geoffrey tells her to go on.
Judi: No, but so this, actually, this way I think will make it easier. If we're, if we're in the studio on a Friday evening, plot it and read it on a Saturday so that we have the Saturday afternoon and the whole of Sunday off. There's no excuse for not knowing it on Monday morning.
Geoffrey: Unless you've had friends for lunch or something which Jude always does. She cooks for 18 when she's got a minute off. (Judi is laughing during this exchange.)
The hosts return for another pledge drive.
Another segment with Judi and Geoffrey.Geoffrey: It's very different, I understand, from the way things happen in the states. Because we were over in Chicago in the summer, we met John Mahoney whom I met before from Frasier. A distinguished English actor I'd point out, another in America, (Judi half laughs), and he was telling me how that works there which is so totally different. A committee of writers they have (Judi looks at him in disbelief) and they go in and read it in front of all these writers and producers. The actors are then dismissed (he pauses for effect while Judi looks on in shock) and then people discuss what (shakes head) what should be rewritten!
Judi: (who's intrigued by this account) Not, this is not in the week you're doing it?
Geoffrey: This is the week they're doing it. (Judi mutters something and bites her lower lip. I think she mutters Christ, but I'm not sure, even after listening to it several times) and every day they go in they would get rewrites. They might get them the night before or when they go in that morning. This is what John told me, and I said to him 'For godsake, when do you stop getting the rewrites.' He said, 'Just before the show.'
Judi: Oh, no I couldn't do that!
Geoffrey: And what we do with Bob Larbey. Bob's the only person who's written these these scripts. And Bob now hopefully he has faith in us, and he doesn't even come to the show anymore. He comes in to the read through, whatever morning that is, and he'll defend his baby after that. And we'll say, 'Bob why do I say that, it doesn't make sense.' And he'll say 'why you say that is because' and you go (he snaps his fingers) 'I see; he's absolutely right.'
MY TAKE ON THIS SEGMENT:
During this segment it was interesting to note that Judi spent much of the time at the beginning picking at her hand, but when Geoffrey started telling about the how rewrites were done on American shows, she became extremely interested and flabbergasted at what he related. It was obvious she was hearing this for the first time. She was totally stunned at the thought of being handed rewrites at the last minute. I don't think we'll see her on an American sitcom anytime soon. Her expressions were priceless.The hosts return to discuss Judi's comment that she couldn't possibly do that. This leads to an explanation of the different approaches to making a comedy. Gareth Gwenlan says that one is not necessarily better than the other, but they work well for each ones needs. The American system of committee writers works well for long running shows with big casts in which they produce 22 episodes a season. Whereas the British system of single person authorship suits Britain. He also gives this as the reason a season is only about six episodes. When the writer runs out of things to say that's the end of the season. Another point of interest that the two men discuss is the commitment of the British actors to the Britcom. Gwenlan says this is one of the biggest difference in American and British entertainment industries. He points out that in England most of the film, television, and theater productions are headquartered in London allowing actors to easily cross mediums. He pointed out, that it was rare that actors hadn't worked (or at least known of) each other before working on a project.
This led to the final segment about Judi and her many roles. Judi: And the chance therefore to do something like Queen Victoria and play Jean Pargetter and then Esme in Amy's View and then Queen Elizabeth I and they're all they're all very very very different characters and and they all present a kind of challenge. Actually, I have a er a problem at the moment hmmm is that I'm just about to start a film hmmm and so far they haven't talked to me about any kind of wig that I ought to wear. I'm just very concerned that I'm going to be going to look the same person as M. I'm going to look the same person as Jean Pargetter. I'm going to look the same person as this character that I'm about to play. And that worries me a bit although they are all very different characters. HMMM but it's nevertheless it's the challenge of doing very different things, I love.
Back to the hosts, they again discuss the writing and acting that goes into the Britcom. Gwenlan again states how fortunate they are in the UK to be able to take full advantage of highly skilled writers and actors, the long history of theater training, and the ability of actors to work in the different mediums simultaneously. He uses Judi to illustrate his point by stating that at one time she did Bond in the morning; rehearsed As Time Goes By in the afternoon, and appeared in Amy's View in the evening. Incredible and not normal in America, where it would be impossible to do.