In Memoriam: My Hero Director John Stroud

We're very sorry to report that My Hero and producer and director John Stroud has died aged 54 of a brain tumour.

John, who was also co-founder of Big Bear Films with Marcus Mortimer and is probably best known for his work on the British superhero comedy My Hero, enjoyed a TV career that spanned 30 years, from joining Thames Television as a trainee to setting up the indie in 1996.

Both John and Marcus were keen to use their experience to hothouse new writers, as well as developing projects with more familiar talents and produced six seasons of My Hero, as well as the upcoming BBC circus-based comedy Big Top (due to screen later this year on BBC1) and The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook, a rare foray into factual fare. (John discovered The Hairy Bikers, brought them to Big Bear and co-produced and/or directed 21 episodes of The Hairy Bikers Cookbook and The Hairy Bikers Ride Again and a special for BBC 2).

A Cambridge Footlights contemporary of Griff Rhys Jones, Jimmy Mulville and Peter Fincham, Stroud’s first TV credits included Rainbow and The Sooty Show, where he notoriously secured an appearance by punk group UK Subs.

John, who is survived by a wife and two children, made his name with Channel 4 sketch show Who Dares Wins, he directed shows such as Spitting Image, Harry Enfield and Chums and the final episode of Minder. He is .

While we were covering production of My Hero om downthetubes - and yes, we know it was one of those shows people either loved or hated and re-casting James Dreyfus as the hero for the final season was a mistake - John was a wonderful supporter of our My Hero micro site, providing valuable background material and more to the making of the show. We're sure he will be much missed.

• You can read our 2005 interview with John here

What's Chores? No Heroics on ITV1 tonight...

The second episode of the ITV2 superhero comedy No Heroics, produced by Tiger Aspect, will be getting its first airing on ITV 1 at 11.35pm.

The six-part series features a group of British off-duty superheroes living their day to day life, which for supposed saviours of the world is actually rather normal – as they just can’t be bothered. Instead this group of b-listers would rather get drunk in their local superheroes-only pub, The Fortress, and commiserate at their lack of superiority.

In The Fantastic Chore, Sarah and Jenny reunite as crime-fighting duo Ladytrouble to appear at a convention, Alex goes on a drugs bust and Don makes a new friend at the Fortress.

• Visit the official No Heroics web site

No Heroics Gets ITV1 Airing

ITV2's superhero sitcom No Heroics will be repeated on ITV1 from 6 January, screening at 11.35pm on the terrestrial channel, after a successful debut run on ITV2 over the autumn.

The six-part series features a group of British off-duty superheroes living their day to day life, which for supposed saviours of the world is actually rather normal – as they just can’t be bothered. Instead this group of b-listers would rather get drunk in their local superheroes-only pub, The Fortress, and commiserate at their lack of superiority.

• Visit the official No Heroics web site (featuring spoof trading cards created by Sam Gibley)

Doctor Who Stand-Up Returns to Lancaster

Top comedian and actor Toby Hadoke returns to the Dukes, Lancaster this month with his hilarious hit show, Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf.

This razor sharp comic odyssey, at The Dukes on Saturday 18 October (and will also be performed at other venues in places such as Belfast and Keswick, see below), charts the rise, fall and rise again of the TV legend. A must for anyone who has ever had a passion for anything, this critically acclaimed show has delighted even those who've never seen Doctor Who.

Eagle eyed audiences may remember Toby from his performance at The Dukes in The Talented Mr Ripley four years ago.

"Last time I came to The Dukes I died on stage," Toby recalls. "I hope not to repeat that experience!

"To be fair though, I was supposed to, stabbed to death by an extremely talented Mr Ripley: as fat Freddie Miles, I had to wear significant amounts of padding, to bulk out my girth. Time has not been particularly kind though, and nowadays such padding would be unnecessary.

"I loved being in Lancaster and thoroughly enjoyed my stint at The Dukes, so I look forward to getting the audience aboard my time machine of mirth."

Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf was a complete sell out at Edinburgh festivals in 2006 and 2007 gaining five star reviews from all press, leading to a recent acclaimed West End run.

Toby is an actor, writer and stand-up comedian. As a stand-up, he has been resident compere of the multi award winning XS Malarkey Comedy Club in Manchester for over a decade. His television acting credits include The Forsythe Saga and Phoenix Nights and he also has made many appearances on stage around the country.

• The complete list of tour dates is below

No Heroics Claire Keelan Interviewed

Quickly following up on their interview with Drew Pearce, the creator of ITV2's new off-duty superhero comedy No Heroics (see news story), top British comics podcaster Geek Syndicate now offers an exclusive interview with actress Claire Keelan, who plays Sarah (aka Electroclash), who has the ability to control machines with her voice.

Claire's film and tv credits include British comedy movie A Cock and Bull Story starring actor and comedian Steve Coogan and, most recently, the thriller Hush, the comedy TV film Perfect Day, the BBC drama Sorted, sitcom How Not To Live Your Life and The Bill.

Talking about the appeal of the show for her as an actor, Claire told Geek Syndicate she took the role because she felt it was unlike a lot of other things out there.

"It seemed to me to be more of a parody of our celebrity culture," she says. "I’ve always enjoyed superhero films and was obsessed with Superman as a kid. Electrolash is a great female character to play, as she’s so healthily irreverent in a world of skewed values."

Of her character Sarah, Claire says that on the surface she appears quite cool, "although there are ripples going on underneath, issues with her parents etc, In spite of this she manages in the main to keep it together.

"What you see is what you get with Sarah," she reveals. "She makes no apologies for who she is. She has a healthy cynicism of the world around her, this is a trait I would say I shared although it’s never led me to ignore a man being shot because of a preoccupation for muffins and ciggies!"

• Listen to the interview with Claire Keelan
• Visit the official No Heroics web site (now with spoof trading cards created by Sam Gibley - Electrolash above)

No Heroics Creator Interviewed

Top comics podcast service Geek Syndicate has just published its interview with Drew Pearce, the creator/writer of the upcoming ITV2 superhero comedy No Heroics, the first ever original sitcom for the channel.

The six-part series is brand new for 2008 and sees a group of British off-duty superheroes living their day to day life, which for supposed saviours of the world is actually rather normal – as they just can’t be bothered. Instead this group of b-listers would rather get drunk in their local superheroes-only pub, The Fortress, and commiserate at their lack of superiority.

This is a podcast first as Drew has not done any such interviews until now.

The Geek Syndicate team have also posted Drew's answers to questions posed by email, responding to many questions not asked the podcast interview.

"Put simply, [No Heroics] is a show about a bunch of mates who just happen to be off-duty superheroes, hanging out in a capes-only bar in Soho," Drew says of the new show. "It’s about loads of other stuff as well, though: friendship, being rubbish with girls, bullies, and the fact that everybody wants to be famous nowadays. Plus there’s some jokes about balls."

And will it appeal to comics as well as comedy fans? "I’m probably the wrong person to make that call, because I’ve been working on the show for about three and a half years, so I’m pretty close to it right now," says Drew, who also reveals that comics such as Grant Morrison's Zenith, which appeared in 2000AD, helped shape the show. "Having said that, it’s purposefully written to work on a non-parody level – as long as you understand the basics of a superhero universe, you can move past that pretty quickly, I think, and enjoy the comedy of a bunch of mates bickering and jostling for success.

"Having said that, there’s an entire second tier of visual imagery in the show, which we called geek detail, that’s there for me and you and the other millions of people who do actually care about the last 50 years of superhero culture."

Here's a trailer for the show, via YouTube: be warned, it includes swearing.



• Click here for the Geek Syndicate Drew Pearce Interview
• Click here for details of more interviews on Geek Syndicate
• The first episode of No Heroics screens on ITV2 on 18 September at 10.30pm. Click here for the official web page. (Read more about the new show in this earlier post)
• No Heroics Fan Site

No Heroics Reviewed

Over on Comic Book Resources, Rich Johnston has published a preview, complete with several photographs, of ITV2's new superhero sitcom No Heroics, as part of his latest Lying in the Gutters comics news and gossip column.

The show, set to debut later this year, is currently being previewed for the press, so expect more mainstream media to pick up on the new show, which is being produced by Tiger Aspect.

Created and produced by Drew Pearce, whose credits include ITV2's magazine reality show Deadline, No Heroics is ITV2's first original sitcom, and centres on the lives of four London-based off-duty superheroes and their struggles in love and with fame - or the lack of it.

The sees the off-duty superheroes living their day to day life, which for supposed saviours of the world is actually rather normal – as they just can’t be bothered. Instead, this group of b-listers would rather get drunk in their local superheroes-only pub, The Fortress and commiserate at their lack of superiority.

The show is directed by Ben Gregor and executive produced by Sophie Clarke-Jevoise, who also worked behind the scenes on BBC1's My Hero series as its executive producer.

The show stars Patrick Baladi as Excelsior - the strongest of the heroes and bane of the Hotness’ life), Nicholas Burns (as the Hotness, a heat-controlling hero desperate to save, well something…), James Lance (who plays Timebomb, who can see sixty seconds into the future), Claire Keelan (as Electroclash, who can control machines but prefers to use her powers to empty out cigarette machines) and Rebekah Staton (who plays super-strong She-Force, a mighty heroine who’s more interested in waiting for Mr Right to sweep her off her feet).

Commissioned by the ITV2 controller, Zai Bennett, and the ITV editor of comedy, Michaela Hennessey-Vass, the initial commission was for eight episodes and is seen by ITV2 as part of a wider strategy to develop its comedy output.

"This is a perfect ITV2 comedy," commented Bennett last year, when the show was first announced. "It's witty, accessible and laugh-out-loud funny, and is being produced with real passion from a great team."

For creator Drew Pearce, No Heroics is an opportunity to put a British take on superheroes. "Plus, I have about 20 years' worth of comic books that I'm looking forward to finally being able to claim as expenses."

• ITV2 web site: itv2.itv.com
• Fan Site: www.noheroics.com

New Hammer and Carry On stamps from Royal Mail

2008 is the fiftieth anniversay of both Hammer's classic Dracula movie and the Carry On films (although in the case of the latter you'd be forgiven for not knowing that giving the lack of fanfare over such a milestone!).

To celebrate these landmark anniversaries, on 10 June the Royal Mail are releasing a scrumptious set of stamps featuring poster art from Carry On Sergeant (which featured Doctor Who actor William Hartnell), Carry On Cleo and Carry On Screaming (which both included Jon Pertwee in the cast), The Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula and The Mummy.

These three Hammer films all starred another Doctor Who in the form of Peter Cushing. The presentation pack includes notes from sci-fi/movie expert Kim Newman.

• See the stamps and order them at www.royalmail.com

Nebulous Returns

The SF comedy series Nebulous returns to BBC Radio 4 at 11 pm on Thursday 15 May for the first in a new series of six episodes.

Set in 2099, the comedy series involves the Key Environmental Non-Judgemental Taskforce (KENT) in their fight against alien threat and ecological disaster. Starring Mark Gatiss as Professor Nebulous and David Warner as his nemesis Dr Klench, the series is written by Graham Duff, who also appears as the Professor's assistant Rory Lawson, and is directed by Nicholas Briggs.

The illustration of the KENT team is taken from the Radio Times and is by Graeme Neil Reid who describes its creation on his blog.

• The first series of Nebulous is available on BBC CD from Amazon.co.uk

Actor Brian Wilde dies

Brian Wilde, best known for his roles of Foggy in some 100 episodes of BBC comedy Last of the Summer Wine and Barrowclough in Porridge, but whose credits included several cult TV appearances, has died aged 80.

Brian last appeared in Last of the Summer Wine in 1997. "Since then, he has been invited to return many times, but says he feels he has 'done it now' and doesn't want to go back," the show's producer Alan JW Bell once said. "I am sure that one day he will make an appearance - we still have his costume standing by." Sadly, this was never to happen.

Cult TV appearances for Brian included Ace of Wands (as a magician in the episode Peacock Pie, pictured above), Out of the Unknown (The Uninvited), Doomwatch (in the untransmitted third season episode Sex and Violence), Catweazle (as the vicar, Potts, in The Telling Bone), The Avengers (The Fear Merchants), and The Ghosts of Motley Hall. He also appeared in the Hammer film To the Devil a Daughter.

Links
• Daily Telegraph Obituary

Beer Run Goes Bad

Secret Wars Re-enactment Society

Priceless tomfoolery at the expense of Marvel's now ancient 12-part mini series...