Nov 18, 2020
Play for Today: The Black Stuff (BBC, 1980)
"Christ! What was that for?"
"I've told you, you're too good! You're too soft to survive! And you're always gonna be friggin' happy, aren't you? And you... You're gonna go through life bein' contented. An' easy-going. And above all, happy! You don't want nothing, do you. You don't wanna be rich. You don't wanna be somebody! Hey, all my life I've wanted that. I wanna be noticed, Chrissie! I wanna be somebody, I wanna be seen! I am a human being! I'm alive, I'm here now, look at me!"
"I don't wanna be somebody, Yosser. I'm already me."
#play for today#The black stuff#Boys from the blackstuff#Single play#1980#Alan Bleasdale#Jim Goddard#Tom Georgeson#Michael Angelis#Alan Igbon#Gary Bleasdale#Peter Kerrigan#bernard hill#David Calder#Edward Peel#Jean Warren#Janine Duvitski#Valerie Lilley#Sean Lynch#Alan Lake#Oh we're really hitting the legendary stuff now. It's hard to think of a PfT that had a greater impact on British pop culture‚ with the#Possible exception of Abigail's Party. Bernard Hill's Yosser Hughes would‚ particularly after the follow up series Boys from the Blackstuff#Had aired‚ become part of pop culture lexicon. Not that there's much sign of the haunted‚ wide eyed 'Gizzer job' touting Yosser here; no#This play finds our heroes in much more confident‚ if not entirely comfortable‚ surroundings. An exceptional bit of writing‚ Bleasdale's#Play is shot through with sharp wit and dark humour‚ but it's ultimately a pretty bleak tale that ends a car chase by van (a well picked#Moment of absurdity) on a deeply impressive moment of pure despair. Incredible performances throughout of course. This really is stellar#Old TV. Sad to see‚ whilst looking up the credits for this play‚ that Michael Angelis had died earlier this year. I hadn't heard. Always#Wonderfully adept at playing subtlety and quiet kindness‚ he's in his element here and manages to steal some key scenes from Hill‚ as the#Gentlest and most good natured member of the group. Shot in 78 but not screened until 80‚ what many took to be a response to Thatcher's#New government was actually written a good 18 months before she took power. It doesn't make a difference to the ppl who's stepping on them.
