Hauling Like A Brooligan

Stephen Gallagher

Author: Steve

  • Scooter, Skeeter, Spud.

    In one of the few non-Murdoch pieces in today’s Guardian, critic Peter Bradshaw asks, “Why are closing credits full of nicknames?” Grips, wranglers, animators, all kinds of below-the-line employees opt for their contractual credit to include the nickname by which they’re known within the industry. Why? Mainly it’s the internet. Crew members choose to be…

  • Paranoia and the Legacy of PKD

    The Gary Sinise movie based on Philip K Dick’s Impostor was a waste of the premise, but one of my earliest and most vivid TV memories is of a 1962 adaptation in ABC’s Out of this World anthology series (that’s the British ABC, the one that produced The Avengers, not the US network). (That’s the…

  • Tough Pitch

    For some reason the networks are reluctant to take a look at my love-triangle procedural, Two Girls, One Cop.

  • Ray Harryhausen

    One of the proudest moments in my career came when I was remembered and recognised by Ray Harryhausen in a Convention bar. Happy 91st birthday, Ray.

  • On Suspense

    Over on the Top Suspense blog we’re trying out a form of online craft discussion in which a bunch of us tag-team the post over a number of days. Here’s my contribution; hop over and check it out in the context of the others’ thoughts and comments. My take on suspense is a pretty straightforward…

  • The Killing 2

    No spoilers, but thanks to a friend with connections I’ve been getting a sneak preview of Forbrydelsen II and it (probably wisely) doesn’t attempt to replicate the first season’s slow-burning emotional drive. It’s more of a mystery thriller, revolving around a deeply-buried secret in the recent past of a Danish military unit. Imagine if Michael…

  • Manchester Events

    Got a couple of things going on in Manchester in July, and as the month’s speeding toward us I suppose I’d better a) mention something about them, and b) start getting psyched about what I’m going to do. Both events take place at “Manchester’s perfect pub” the Lass O’Gowrie near Oxford Road, and the first…

  • My Start

    It’s only looking back that I realise how fortuitous my career timing was. With just one spec Saturday Night Theatre script it was like I stepped into radio’s National Theatre. My very first producer (on The Humane Solution) was the legendary John Tydeman, who’d pretty much launched the careers of Joe Orton and Tom Stoppard.…

  • ‘king Crimson

    I’ve been catching up with The Crimson Petal and the White and it’s an encouraging reminder of BBC2’s much better days, though I’m uneasy at the BBC’s current operating assumption that the only acceptable historical drama involves shagging or lesbians. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll happily watch either, but the feeling’s like that of reading…

  • Who Loves Ya

    To quote The Fast Show, this week I has mostly been watching Doctor Who. I hadn’t seen the show in at least a couple of years and, frankly, I took one look at Matt Smith in pre-publicity and thought WTF? He’s twelve! and so wasn’t too encouraged to visit again. The enthusiasm of friends did…