Talking Heads

This could be interesting. Speculation that they may be using the existing Eastenders sets.

Filming begins today - in an "unprecedented way" - on new productions of Alan Bennett’s classic TV monologues #TalkingHeads, reimagined by #NicholasHytner with a stellar cast for @BBCOne https://t.co/4CoFimd7GR https://t.co/yA9G0vN6BP pic.twitter.com/mTTHfZX5kY

— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) April 28, 2020

I wonder how long that's been in production? Looks like a great cast, anyway. I was probably too young to enjoy the originals, although I do remember being amused by Alan Bennett's ripe-for-impersonation delivery.



I'd have thought they could record at home for that extra bit of realism. Depends who they're playing, I suppose. That, at least, would fit with "unprecedented", which recording on an existing set wouldn't.

Is it the originals re-recorded then?

No reason to use the EastEnders set - I'd have thought the idea of commissioning these were that they could be made from home.

I imagine if they want it to look somewhat decent for a drama, a studio set with restrictions probably is the way forward.

There's only so much Zoom or webcam footage that viewers can take,

The line "Filming is taking place at BBC Elstree Studios using existing sets" did make me think it might be the EastEnders sets.



The originals plus two new ones Bennett wrote last year.

I've never understood why there's never been a beat perfect parody of the original series. It's perfect for that sort of pot-shot taking, picking out the clunky nature of parts of the script along side the masterful use of the English language that Bennett often swung between, in his work.

I'm sure Spitting Image had a go at it once, and it ended with a sheep falling on the storytellers head.

But I could be misremembering, as they also liked to launch an unprovoked attacks on the opening minutes of Tales Of The Unexpected where Rohl Dahl set up the storyline for the viewers from a not very convincing set, that was supposed to be his front room.

Anyone who saw Inside No9's take on Talking Heads starring Maxine Peake earlier this year will know she's ideal. Her performance had me willing that this would happen!

It's ten of the originals plus two new ones. A Cream Cracker Under the Settee was probably the most iconic of the originals, and that is one of the ones that is not being remade. I suppose it wouldn't chime well with the current lockdown and would seem to depressing.

That one's so associated with the late Thora Hird that anyone remaking it would be unfavourably compared.

Well, if it is, that's a shoe-in for Sarah Lancashire I'd have thought.