Tales from the Front

[finbar]

Originally posted by Carolus Rex
Synopsis of the first period (pilote), Only the Young Die Good (1), of Good Guys Bad Guys:

When his stepfather receives death threats and the police are unwilling to do anything, ex-cop Elvis Maginnis must get involved.

Shorter, harder... The flowering 70s have given place to the colder second half of the 90s...

Carolus

Good grief again. That was - or became - the telemovie (90 minutes) pilot. Originally, it wasn't going to be an ongoing TV series, but 3 telemovies. I wrote the second of the telemovies. When they decided to turn it into a series, the first telemovie - above - became the pilot and my telemovie was cut in half and shown as two episodes - part 1 and part 2. It was called "One Point Eight Million Reasons To Change Your Name". You'll find it listed, probably on the same site where you found the above. It was a fun show. I remember we got fan emails from your part of the world - I just can't recall whether it was Sweden or Denmark.

[Alexander's Horse]

I loved Matlock.

[finbar]

The good thing about those shows - Matlock, Homicide, et al - was that the writers had to develop their own stories. So the writers learned how to plot and how to tell a story. They had to. These days, with so many serials around, writers no longer have to plot and tell their own stories. They're generated by committee. Thus, sadly, there are very few television writers in this country who can tell a story.

[Alexander's Horse]

Homicide and Division 4 were very good too.

I imagine Matlock could be seen as the inspiration of a lot of shows set in country towns, not just cop shows. It showed the potential. Bellbird would be another but I never watched it.

[finbar]

Bellbird came a few years before Matlock. Bellbird was pretty much the inspiration for A Country Practice many, many years later. The chap who created A Country Practice was the EP of Bellbird all those years earlier.

[Carolus Rex]

Originally posted by finbar

I remember we got fan emails from your part of the world - I just can't recall whether it was Sweden or Denmark.

To many people there's no difference!

It was only broadcasted for two seasons (at least according to the site I visited)... Seems Matlock Police was more popular?

Carolus

[Carolus Rex]

Oh, before I forget. Does Mono still rule?

Carolus

[finbar]

Originally posted by Carolus Rex


To many people there's no difference!

I've been to both. I know there's a difference. Oh, and friends of mine are choofing off to Norway for two weeks on Sunday.

It was only broadcasted for two seasons (at least according to the site I visited)... Seems Matlock Police was more popular?

Carolus

There were only two seasons of "Good Guys Bad Guys" - 26 episodes in all, two series of 13. The network here wanted more, but the distributors who sold it overseas had great trouble trying to put a label on it for marketing purposes. It didn't fit one particular genre, it was an off-beat mixture of comedy and drama. So, unfortunately, because our domestic market/audience here is so small, most of our TV series need overseas sales to recoup the costs. Thus, unfortunately, because the distributor said they couldn't recoup enough overseas, that was the end of it.

Matlock Police, OTOH, was made 30 years ago, when costs were a lot less, and the local networks could afford to carry the fiscal burden. It ran for about 7 years, with about 40 episodes made a year, so there were roughly 280 eps made.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Carolus Rex
Oh, before I forget. Does Mono still rule?

Carolus

My word it does! Even though my idol Phil Spector is in just a tad of bother at the moment - charged with murder - I will not hear a word against him! The nutter.

[Alexander's Horse]

He had provocation - she was hogging the spoon.

[atawa]

Originally posted by Carolus Rex
Oh, before I forget. Does Mono still rule?

Carolus

Well, depending on settings... er.. sorry, thought this was getting back on topic

[atawa]

Originally posted by finbar


First series I ever wrote. Many, many years ago.

You wrote that?

Loved that show

[atawa]

/me looking further back into the thread and can barely resist to go for the record

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by atawa
* atawa looking further back into the thread and can barely resist to go for the record

Hopefully someone wont post in the middle.

[Hydey]

I think they should make a new series of matlock police.

and follow it with a new series of solo one.

I know , "Hydey" has gone too far again