Moira Brooker and Philip Bretherton Meet Iowa Britcom Fans and Host the Funny Ladies Pledge Event
The Funny Ladies of British Comedy made its broadcast premiere January 10, 2004 on Iowa Public Television and became that network’s most successful Britcom pledge event ever. An important part of its success was due to the co-hosts you’ll see during the pledge portions of the evening. Joining public television veterans Bill Young and Terry Steel were As Time Goes By co-stars Moira Brooker (Judith) and Philip Bretherton (Alistair).
Having stars like Moira and Philip on hand is something relatively new in public television land called a “virtual” pledge special. By carefully crafting the comments and phrasing, the event is made to look like it originates real time from any given public television station when in fact it was taped months earlier and specifically designed to give the national play a localized feel. Neither actor had done anything quite like it before, but they said from day one they were game on.
Philip and Moira first became aware of Funny Ladies when they agreed to be interviewed for it. The executive producers were struck both by the passion with which they spoke and by the insight they were able to provide. When approached to take further part by being on air talent for the pledge event, the actors readily agreed. The production team knew they were onto a good thing, a very good thing.
Moira and Philip were to have arrived in Des Moines on Thursday, January 8 in order to give them a day and a half to adjust for the time zone change and to relax a bit in advance of their turn before the camera. But that was not to be. Their departing flight from London was delayed which meant they missed their connecting flight through Dallas. As no other flights were available that evening, they had to settle for spending the night at DFW airport hotel. Another cruel turn came from the airline telling them due to the nature of their delay, they’d have to pay for their own hotel rooms for the evening. The trip was not exactly off to a cheerful start.
When the production crew joined the actors for dinner the night of January 9, there was a question about whether the two would be found rested and ready to go. It would not have been a surprise to find them tired and perhaps a bit cranky, but these two professionals made it through dinner and pre-production discussions beautifully. They each told funny stories from their trip and seemed touched to have been recognized as that lovely couple from As Time Goes By.
Moira and Philip generously gave more of themselves than time in front of the cameras. Early Saturday afternoon they did a two-hour luncheon “grip and grin” with major donors of Iowa Public Television along with a half hour question and answer session. Then, on the very heels of that event, they did another forty-five minute question and answer session for members of Iowa Public Television’s Britcom Club. While other presentations at the Britcom Club carried forward, they sat at the foot of the studio audience and signed autographs and accommodated photo opportunities for another forty-five minutes before heading back to their hotel for a well-deserved rest before the evening’s taping.
When they returned to the studios for makeup and last minute instructions, they were both incredibly relaxed and enjoying the flow of the day. Philip had mentioned in one of the afternoon sessions that his nephew in the UK was a huge fan of the “alternative metal band” Slipknot. That comment was not missed by Iowa Public Television’s Executive Director, Daniel K. Miller, who later presented Philip with an official Slipknot lunch box complete with metal drink canister. The band, you see, is from Iowa, and one of its members has a relative at the Des Moines studio who provided Dan with the lunchbox. Philip looked like he had just been given a Golden Globe Award.
As for Moira, she very cleverly responded that a tasteful set of diamond earrings would suit her fine as a souvenir of the event. Lamentably, there was no spare pair of diamond earrings to be had around the studio that evening, but she reacted happily when told they she would be treated to a root beer float after the evening’s taping. Classy lady.
It took only a few minutes of the first pledge break of the evening for Moira and Philip to reach full stride. They deftly delivered the points requested of them by the producer and told one wonderful story after another about their work on the series with Dame Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer.
In fact, when you tune in you’ll find out the original title of As Time Goes By and how the cast felt about it, learn a few facts about the show’s legendary producer/director Sydney Lotterby, and discover the identity of the biggest prankster among the cast of As Time Goes By. You’ll also find out who inspired Moira to become an actress and hear Philip deliver a pledge pitch a la Alistair. Hey hey! All great stuff.
The madly ringing phones proved that Philip and Moira were speaking directly and extremely effectively to their target audience. If there were any butterflies in those two stomachs for doing their first ever pledge break, and their first ever live television, they were flapping very softly. Moira did, however, at the end of the first break, remark to the production team, “My God. I just realized that really was live television.” She then swallowed and blinked. Blinked hard.
Through the rest of the evening’s pledge taping the pair’s performance just became stronger and stronger. It was apparent to everyone in the studio that evening, and obviously to all those in the audience who phoned in their pledges, that they were speaking from the heart, listening carefully and coming forth with interesting insight and information at every turn.
When you watch The Funny Ladies of British Comedy, enjoy the core program with its great clips and interview segments But pay special attention during the breaks to two consummate artists who in giving of such large measure of themselves, helped create a very special event for all Britcom fans.
Thanks very much to Marie Queri for sending me this article which appeared in the March 2004 (Volume 5, Issue 3) PBS publication The Insider.Return