Many readers will remember the row in the 1980s about the BBC not commissioning a play on the Falklands War by Ian Curteis which portrayed Margaret Thatcher in a sympathetic light. Eventually BBC made a low budget version of the play in 2002 starring Patricia Hodge as Mrs T. It was absolutely superb and I've just found out that it is being released on DVD next week to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the invasion. The BBC is also releasing TUMBLEDOWN in which Colin Firth portrays a soldier in the heat of one of the fiercest battles of the war.
Ah, that wonderful line delivered to Al Haig.
ReplyDelete"Shall we dehungerise?"
I don't expect Ted Heath's Dinner will wish to watch it.
ReplyDeleteI remember the row over this play. It showed the BBC at its very worst. Didn't they ask Ian Curteis to write some additional dialogue (for which there was no historical evidence) to show Thatcher in a bad light?
ReplyDeleteAll profits from this DVD should go to the Conservative party.
There was an excellent BBC drama mae about 10-15 years ago starring Ian Richardson as Falklands governor Rex hunt and Bob Peck as the Marine Commander on the islands. It showed the chaotic nature of the invasion and defence of the islands when it was first invaded, but it also showed the funny side of things like Flakland Islanders providing Marines with cups of tea whilst they were fighting the Argentinians.
ReplyDeleteI also remember the emergency debate on the invasion, Mrs T was lucky to get away with it, the first time a British posession had been invaded since 1940.
ReplyDeleteDear Norfolk Blogger,
ReplyDeleteYou are right, it was called "An Ungentlemanly Act [1992]". It is available on DVD and you can get it at Amazon for £2.38
Last night as I was coming back from Spring conference there was a superb program on Radio 4 about the broadcasting from Falklands Island Radio on the night of the invasion. When I got home I couldnt get out of the car without waiting for the finish. Entitled "Strangers in the Night" it was definately worth listening to. You can get it on the Radio 4 website.
ReplyDeleteCan I second Vicky Ford's recommendation. Its the archive hour "strangers in the nght". A light touch on background and storyline from the presenter but the story is really told by the recordings of the local radio station. A courageous broadcaster, thrust into history, with others equally brave men, the Marines, Governor Hunt. Fantastic programme.
ReplyDeleteThanks Iain - have bought both.
ReplyDeleteNow you need to get them to bring out Tory Tory Tory !
Alan Clark wrote in his book "Conservatives and the Nation State" that there was some rarely shown BBC footage of Mrs T travelling to the first Falklands debate after the invasion being roundly abused by the crowd and looking considerably shaken.
ReplyDeleteThe Falklands Play is on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday 7th April 2007 14:30 to 16:00
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to "listen again" to this play since 12h00 Sunday 8th via bbc radio 4 web site but keep getting a play about Freud & young Adolf H. Can anyone help with a working link?
ReplyDelete