This superb BBC2 drama anthology series of short plays was written largely by first-time writers (the “firsts” of the series title) and produced at the BBC’s £7 million television complex at Pebble Mill in Birmingham – which is often referred to as England’s “second city” (hence the other part of the title).
Second City Firsts enabled a number of now very well-known writers to have their first television scripts produced: ‘King of the Castle’ (shot on location in an industrial setting using an Outside Broadcast unit and broadcast on 12 November 1973) was the first play by Willy Russell, while another Liverpudlian, Alan Bleasdale, made his television debut in 1975 with ‘Early to Bed’ (20 March 1975) – the story of Vinny (David Warwick), an 18-year old student who was having a sexual relationship with Helen (Alison Steadman), the young married woman living next door.
Many fine British actors appeared in the series, including Alun Armstrong, Julie Walters, Richard Griffiths, Michael Gambon, Dinsdale Landen, Pete Postlethwaite, Michael Elphick, David Threlfall, Bob Peck, Brian Glover, Arthur English, Liz Smith, Max Wall, Phil Daniels and Ivor Roberts.
The first play to be shown in the Second City Firsts series was ‘The Medium’ (15 October 1973), written by the Sunderland-based writer Denise Robertson.
Its subject was spiritualism: a group of women gathered in the house of Beattie (Norah Fulton), whose husband had recently died, to have their fortunes told by a drunken clairvoyant (Winifrede Shelley). Beattie’s daughter (Valerie Georgeson) saw that the clairvoyant was a fraud but pretended otherwise to her mother to not destroy her faith in the afterlife.
The 1974 episode ‘Girl’ featured the first lesbian kiss on British television. The kiss was shared between Alison Steadman and Myra Frances in a tale of Jackie and Chrissie – two female army officers at the end of their affair (pictured below).
Exemplifying the regional ethos of Second City Firsts, ‘Match of the Day’ (1974) was liberated from the constraints of the studio by being shot on film, making extensive use of flashbacks and voice-overs, as well as a variety of interior and exterior locations. The title has a double meaning, referring to the wedding that forms the basis of the story and to the obsession with football – in particular, Everton FC – of its central character, Chance (played by Neville Smith).
Chance narrates the events, which are shown in flashback, leading up to his sister’s wedding, as well as those that occur on the day of the wedding, including his attempts to chat up a woman at the reception while he is also trying to get the football scores.
The entertainment value of the drama is considerably enhanced by some lively dialogue and Liverpudlian humour, but it is also an accomplished piece of filmmaking by Stephen Frears, who went on to carve out a career as one of Britain’s leading film directors.
Future punk diva Toyah Willcox made her television debut in the episode ‘Glitter’ (1976).
The final episode, ‘Rotten’, was directed by Philip Saville, who used montage, superimposition, split screen and electronic effects to tell the story of Kevin (Alan Raymond), who lives a fantasy life inspired by The Beatles and, when he is a teenager, by punk rock.
Episodes
1973: The Medium | Mrs Pool’s Preserves | If a Man Answers | The Movers | King of the Castle | Patrons | That Time of Life 1974: Humbug, Finger or Thumb? | Girl | Bold Face: Condensed | The Actual Woman | Match of the Day | Lunch Duty || Pig Bin | Sunday Tea | Silence | Fight for Shelton Bar | Squire | Too Hot to Handle | The Festive Poacher 1975: Early to Bed | Swallows | Waiting at the Field Gate | The Permissive Society | The Frank Crank Story | Released || Club Havana | The Writing on the Wall | How It Is | On the Good Ship Yacki-Hicki-Doola | Thwum | The Healing 1976: Trotsky Is Dead | The Visitor | Do You Dig It? | Jack Flea’s Birthday Celebration | Black Bird Shout | Travelling Free || Summer Season | Knock for Knock | Glitter | Dreamboat | Percy and Kenneth 1977: Twelve Off the Belt | Postcards from Southsea | Daft Mam Blues | In the Dead Spell | Waifs and Strays | Fattening Frogs for Snakes 1978: The Back Page | Shall I See You Now? | The Lady Irene | Mucking Out | Rotten
You May Also Like
Churchill's People 1 9 7 5 (UK) 26 x 50 minute episodes Churchill's People was, without doubt, the turkey of…
Many fine British actors appeared in the series, including Alun Armstrong, Julie Walters, Richard Griffiths, Michael Gambon, Dinsdale Landen, Pete Postlethwaite, Michael Elphick, David Threlfall, Bob Peck, Brian Glover, Arthur English, Liz Smith, Max Wall, Phil Daniels and Ivor Roberts.
