17. Censorship, what crosses the line is Shades Of Bad

Censorship is a huge issue, in Television it is often called Compliance. The rules are unclear, the guidelines confusing and the standards sometimes convenient.

Some things are obvious, graphic sex is out, graphic violence is out ... or are they obvious, and as the song says, Time, Time Changes Everything.....

So there was a time when 'artists kissing' was out, 'same sex artists kissing' was out, 'nudity' was unacceptable yet now all of those things are accepted. The line gets pushed, many many times rightly, sometimes with agendas. Often we see nude men and women in perfume commercials, just turned away. The rules are flaunted.

First and foremost the audience should be informed so they understand what they are watching, and with a title like Shades Of Bad, they should except bad. Hey, subscribe now. To be honest, we don't think our show SHADES OF BAD is bad, but it sometimes makes us think.

My career has been a constant one of clashing with sensors and compliance heads. I have spent 30 plus years as a director who specialises in action and choreography of the much violence for major broadcasters. The broadcast soaps know how far they can push, they know they want the headlines, and they know how many formal warnings they can accept a year. It is a bit like radio stations banning songs, sometimes it is the best thing for a song to be banned. Relax, Don't Do It.

We have got to episode 36 of Shades Of Bad and we have restricted it to be viewed by over 18 only, mainly because Wilma pulls a knife although she never uses it. The title says Shades Of Bad, the picture has her with a knife, the audience is told clearly. Trouble is afoot, don't watch if offended. Personally I find the predicament is more disturbing than the knife, so over 18 is fine. By the way I play the man leaving.... not that you see me.

Just having a weapon can be a problem. It is my understanding that you still cannot, within the UK have a poster where the gun points out to the crowd/ viewer/ audience ... did you know that. Look at all the cinema posters. You can hand a gun point sideways at a head but not out at the public.

In television the handling of a knife is always a problem, and one cannot hold it to the throat face or eye... unless that has changed.

Sure we can argue some of the most distributed of children's films are both violent and disturbing, none perhaps more so that a baby deer having it's mother killed. But animation and style of violence can change acceptance. Look at Tarantino's wonderful films and see the extreme of violence and of blood and how it becomes surreal and accepted by censors. I contrast that with issues like I had on my movie Devil's Gate which was about abuse in the home, and although it was never show the film was said to be so disturbing in it's performances from the wonderful Laura Fraser and the frightening Tom Bell, that the censors felt they had to give the end away, the huge reveal by stating on the poster, this film refers to and insinuates ...... blah blah. Devil's Gate was one of my many directorial outings where is was not violent but disturbing. Whilst I had less sex and abuse than one might consider was in Eastern Promises my film on sex trafficking again found me talking seriously to the sensors; Freight was deeply disturbing.

That brings me back to Shades OF Bad, it is a compilation of so many un made movie scripts lying on our shelves and does knock acceptable white collar crime and the acceptance of so much seen on the news or done in business. I just put it all in the female character of Doris Shades in a kitchen and it becomes unacceptable. Episode nine where she claims she has a child locked in the cellar is surreal, but if you try and take the show seriously it is horrid. However the direction and performances are such that lead by the title one should expect that nothing is real.

We thought long and hard about the effect of episode 9 on the audience so as well as the title we ran a notice on the front advising viewer caution and that it was not for young children. However, it should not be marked as over 18 for much of our audience is a mix of two groups; young students and a middled age group.... we would have thought middle aged women as it is a series about 3 rather odd women, but the group is fairly even, both women and men. We also hid the show and ran a program advertising that it was a little more sinister than the others.

Let us go back, Doris is a woman scorned and pledges to get her own back on her husband by killing him. That is just war of words. But she means it, it is real. A woman who wants revenge. It is a great premise to start a surreal series.

Doris Shades fails to kill her husband, fails to kill the mother in law and then sets the older women who begat the cheating husband to work in a brothel she runs from home. We avoided the footballer jokes and so much we could have done, but will Doris ever forgive her best friend and neighbour Wilma who was that woman and whom she continually persecutes? By episode 16 the brothel is in full swing and so much is discovered about Doris and the no remorse attitude she has to life like the suburban banks she has as neighbours who go off to the city each day to commit crimes that are never punished. (that is episode 2 of the 21 minute broadcast lengths)

The politics of the show are clear and hopefully amusing, but although Doris effectively sets up a business as a drug dealer, a brothel runner, and a serial killer from home, we never see sex, drug taking or violence. The common place visual of someone snorting a line of coke has no place in Shades Of Bad, we have other agendas.

So Doris Shades, a good lady turned bad, where do we find references. Breaking Bad saw a good teacher turn bad, it was not a show that one would say was for over 18 only, but one that might not at this period in time make day time viewing without a warning although on Netflix you can watch at any time. There is more violence, shooting and weapon work on any of the police series found on television during the day.

So we reach episode 36. Now we have gone over 18. This is because Wilma pulls a knife on Doris and although she doesn't use it, we felt a self restriction was wise. Why? This is because YouTube do not have the same format of censorship; they have an off and on button, 'the over 18 or not'. We can't go, over 14 or 15 but we can help the viewer make a choice. If you are a viewer, and you have watched previous episodes then episode 36 will be understandable. If you are not up to date with the show I suggest you start at the fantastical almost Shakespearian wedding in the kitchen; episode 31 and use the click next buttons to run on.
'Is he a gangster?'
'No just a local councillor'.

....  beyond their over 18 they have viewer guidelines which we do not break. There will be a fight between the two women, but my guide line was keep it funny like Bridget Jones and excellent piece of work by the late Peter Brayham.

Again, sure video games are worse, much product on YouTube is worse, but we all have to have lines. Whilst we are on episode 36 and you may say the first dead body has been a long time coming, and one is coming, the broadcast length edits of the show mean this is still early on in the series.

Doris is now to be head hunted, she is introduced into greater crime and we will take the audience into areas that will cause concern and shock. Whilst there will be no sex and little violence the line will be danced around.

The author - Meet Stuart St Paul as he talks to James Whale.

16. Spin Off Shows - the character of Doris Shades builds as stars join as guests.

As we speed into 2016, Doris Shades now has two spin off series to Shades Of Bad, each have their own playlists on the TV Channel SHADES OF BAD TV, which is now on 5 platforms and with over 11,000 views in just 6 months on YouTube alone; ASK DORIS and DORIS VISITS. Having spent 26 years as a creative head of department on Emmerdale I realise how long it takes to build such a platform and fill it with product.

The veiwing numbers are a study in themselves, and sure if we made an abusive Christmas record we would get a larger viral response, but social media is changing as fast as methods and habits of viewing, so we are building a product base in a style for a third phase of social media use and future watching habits. The plan maybe risky but it is aimed at longevity. Shades Of Bad is designed to be edited into broadcast lengths and the first will be tested on YouTube soon.

We love it when we get great reviews so please tell us when you see something in print. Here is the Comedy Cake review.  We also enjoy being on the radio, here is a link to the James Whale Radio Show which has a very informative interview.  Here is a link to the USA We Love Soaps review.

As well as the spin off series and diversions to the main web soap Shades Of Bad, there is a great love for compilations, but one can only have a compilation if you have a wealth of product. Shades Of Bad has 35 episodes up (Jan 2016) and has not missed a week. Some of our episodes are fantastic works while one or two fall short and that is something else a series has to learn from. With a tiny crew of people who all have other lives and other filming and personality commitments the scheduling and the shot reservoir is something that has to be manned and watched. Now dealing with our biggest star yet, though we say

that every time we move up a notch, just finding the time when we can all meet to shoot is hard. Derek Redmond is a world star, athlete and olympian, so him joining the series for episodes just prior to the Rio Olympics is one of the many planning goals we try and achieve. Future planning is way in front of that and the day Shades Of Bad cannot improve is probably the day is takes a rest from filming.

The spin off series are there to build on, they are there to be added to in this timeless medium of download media and changing viewing habits. As we return from Courchevel where we shot the latest travel show, the ski lift map was an app and your position was tracked on your phone. The world is changing fast and we can only build ready for it.

The first is a PLAYLIST where Doris Shades fixes stuff. ASK DORIS. The first three very

different films made in 2015 to start the Ask Doris playlist is of fixing stuff. It is an experiment in itself and one we will continue and have plans for these films take time, they are by design and nature all very different and deliberately not obvious but are there to help people with problems, but are also amusing and short enough to be watchable media.
ASK DORIS, she can do anything, and does, is a good line. Obviously not true but the idea is to encourage, to look for answers and save money before being ripped off. That, as a message is in line with much of the underlining political message in Shades Of Bad.

It started when Doris mends her Health Rider exorciser. Then the second was by design when the Vacuum broke. The third, closer to home is how to hide a body microphone which the actors had problems with until they discovered this method from experimentation. Now getting good sound means post dubbing and they hated that.

The second spin off PLAYLIST is a travel site, simple and informal. It has t's own style and DORIS VISITS. The travel show should have been started years ago, we have talked about it at length as we genuinely travel. 2014 we were in Hungary, Slovenia and Austria working for HBO on the major show Strike Back, and if only we had shot some travel footage. 2015 we were on a world tour as celebrity guests for a cruise operator and travelled China,

Vietnam and Cambodia across to the Mediterranean up to Venice.  It was a cruise to Norway that we shot the first drama episodes of Shades Of Bad abroad. The Behind The Scenes Video shows glimpses of the filming and Norway and Barcelona. Now the playlist sits for itself as a list of travel films with many more planned this year. However the best laid plans are often changed and who knows where our stars and crew will be taken.

We also have other playlists on the Shades Of Bad TV channel which take you off to our previous films. The Bula Quo playlist is an example. We do have material to pull a new series together on that adventure in FIJI but again, time is our enemy.

We think we have nailed a format that the audience understands is our style. Shades Of Bad TV is beginning to have a style. In 2016 we should tackle the subscription to the channel. It is a misleading word as it implies details and fees, but all we ask is a subscription on YouTube which is no more than a follow. Then you get an email overtime we post a new video. Please subscribe to the channel and watch us grow.

We hope you find something in our blogs which is of interest.

Author biog here.

15. VOTING for the big awards ....where are Jennifer Lawrence, Lily Tomlin and Seth Rogen?

T'was the night before nominations and all through the house ...... yes Christmas has been and gone, but the flood of films and marketing that started late November has not stopped. The night before the short list is announced I traditionally look at the pile of films I have not got to see and ask 'what have I missed?' Last night I binged watched although it was too late to vote. I was glad I missed 45 Years and sad I had not found A Bigger Splash ..... it happens.

Today, Friday 8th January it intensifies...... the shortlist of BAFTA FILM AWARD nominations is announced and the critics will criticise and us with the vote will look at the shorten list and watch again.

My favourites were Spotlight, The Big Short, Bridge Of Spies, The Martian, The Revenant, Steve Jobs, Beasts Of No Nation and Mad Max. They got most of my votes; were they in there? Yes.

So who at Shades Of Bad, a little home made web series gets to vote on the big stage and why?

Shades Of Bad, the weekly web series is made by two families ... wow that sounds like the start of Romeo and Juliet; so much in life is poetic. Both families have a voting member.

The Blackledge family; Young Buster directs Shades Of Bad (like us on Facebook please) as readers will know, but at around 20 years old (maybe 22, must ask) he does not have the stripes to vote in the awards. His father Mark Blackledge is a voting member in the 'composer chapter' and he offers the music in Shades and the post production. His inventive work on the pig farmer episode shows his confidence and skills. Mark who has worked on endless numbers movies and TV whether credited or not, has just started

a full on TV series for the Cartoon Network. His time will be precious and Shades Of Bad will have the begging bowl out for his time and may have to use previous music cues and mix in FCPX.

The St Paul family is Doris (actress Jean Heard) who also co-owns INDYUK that has made many films from The Scarlet Tunic, Devil's Gate, Freight and Bula Quo all without one cent of public or Lottery money. Stuart St Paul is the voting member there in the 'director chapel' and again Shades is far from his first morning call but is using many of his old scripts that have been hiding on shelves for years.

Four people is the total crew on Shades Of Bad, Stuart writes, Buster films, Mark post produces,  Jean Heard manages the show, the schedule and call times and also costumes and make up as well as art direction and props - then she plays Doris. FOUR PEOPLE! So where do all these award categories come from... and which ones do they never award...
The BAFTA AWARDS are huge and bigger now because they are just before the Oscars and hence there a huge influence. That influence has changed the, dare I say, somewhat old fashioned TV and very British lead voting the BAFTA's may have had many years ago, into what is now a award major force. There are awards every week of the year for film, TV and web, maybe every day of the year there is an award ceremony somewhere, but BAFTA is now a world leader.

Shades Of Bad crew try to influence it's two long time established chapel member voters like the bulk of marketing, but Mark and Stuart (me) both have film running in their veins and opinions enough.

Shades Of Bad though, to be honest, is one of the many (or few) incubators that is internally funded and from where tomorrow's stars are nurtured. Buster's first film is now in development and you will hear more about that. An ex olympian and TV celebrity is cutting his teeth as an actor.

So as Stuart and Mark are both long established vote holders here is a quick one line on how it works; in the prelim rounds they only get to vote for their 'chapters' plus Best Film, director and actors. After this morning they have a reduce field of films to consider (the nominees) but they vote in all categories. The run up to the close of the large list is manic with voters being invited to receptions and wined and dined, stars turning up to answer questions as touched upon in our previous blog. Old movie stars, new web stars......

Just as the public are wowed by the big names, the voters are too because we know that the system filters the good product by the best talent being offered and capable of choosing the best opportunities, hence delivering as whole the best films. Voting members meet, they know each other and are friends, and at Christmas they circulate. It is a perfect voting period but congested. There are films that they agree on and films like Steve Jobs which seem to dived people.

This mornings results to reduce the huge list to five nominations in each catagory are the work of these thousand or so industry veterans speaking out on films, and one can interpret the short list in many ways. Interpreting the list and what the critics say is always interesting. Film makers and the film 'experts' often differ.

I am not surprised that the only nod for Tarantino's Hateful 8 is for script, his three plus hours has proved too long and maybe too formulaic and predictable to be supported in bulk and maybe he will be disappointed. I offered one vote for Hateful 8 but mine went to Jennifer Jason Leigh as best supporting actress. It appears the rest of us were also split in a film we loved, admired and then equally did not.

Another interesting analysis is when the writer is nominated but not the director, as in Steve Jobs. Boyle did a great job but Sorkin gets the nod for the script which kind of singles him out as the real creator, rightly or wrongly. Personally I am a huge Sorkin fan and loved the movie and performances but I had wine with others over Christmas who did not agree with me about the film. Fassbender still nudges the best actor for me and I always like Kate Winslet whom I worked with a on Hideous Kinky.

Films do split people and there are two front runners at BAFTA this year in Bridge Of Spies and Carol both with nine nominations. I loved Spielberg's film and felt he was back at his best but Carol left me cold and looking at my second screen. Worth a special mention for Bridge Of Spies is colleague Mark Rylance whom I worked with on Grass Arena in the days when the BBC made Screen 1 and 2's and called them plays and did not take Lottery money as well as their other public funds to make television they call film.

Bridge of Spies
Best Film: Kristie Macosko Krieger, Marc Platt, Steven Spielberg 
Director: Steven Spielberg
Original Screenplay: Matthew Charman, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen 
Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance
Original Music: Thomas Newman
Cinematography: Janusz Kamiński
Editing: Michael Kahn
Production Design: Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo
Sound: Drew Kunin, Richard Hymns, Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom 

I did not vote for Charlotte Ramplin in 45 Years whom some commentators felt was omitted from the best actress short list. The television film angered me for the money thrown at it by multiple free money funds whose lawyers and executives help add up to budgets that are hard to justify as an independent or in modern film sales. 45 Years like Shades Of Bad it is often two people in a kitchen, but they had millions not a crew of three total and a budget of zero. The true oversights from Best Actress was without a doubt; Jennifer Lawrence in Joy who was amazing, but sadly the film was not the best and my guess is not enough people had time to view it and an amazing performance from Lily Tomlin in Grandma which I can only image was not viewed by enough people as you do have to choose. There is always a danger that on a bad first scene or 5 minutes you swap to another film on the huge pile and a clunky unnecessary first scene in Grandma may have put off some people. Stay with it, it is a good movie.
None of us avoid the smaller films but I watched A Bigger Splash at 1am this morning and loved it, too late. Ralf Fiennes deserved note for a bold and unusual performance but when I look at my five votes I am not sure he would have squeezed anyone out.
Not only does the home team vote perhaps help British films a little on the east of the Atlantic but one might consider there could be a need to rubber stamp funding choices with a tick by voting for films that have had investment choices, and as you may see from the titles some films have more executive and funding bodies than crew. It will be interesting to see how many of these UK funded films find their way into the Oscar lists, again, just analyising as you would hope politicians do... but having watched The Big Short it is unlikely.

My favourite film was Spotlight which sadly only got three category nominations, but then when taking on the church one can expect it to be avoided by a significant section of voters. At a wine and cheese party over Christmas I was with a fellow BAFTA voter who said he loved Spotlight and it had his vote but his wife refused to watch it. The point of the film is you should watch it and it is brilliant. Fantastic snappy script.

Spotlight
Best Film: Steve Golin, Blye Pagon Faust, Nicole Rocklin, Michael Sugar 
Original Screenplay: Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer
Supporting Actor: Mark Ruffalo 

It is a sign of the times that an action film has got into the shortlist. There was a time when commercial films appeared to be shunned by BAFTA voters and large action movies still seem to be. The hugely important category of Stunts is till ignored by BAFTA yet there are sections for just about every other department and tea maker. Still as the industry says, the actors do all their own stunts and the directors direct all their own films ... having said that the scene everyone seems to talk about on The Revenant is Di Caprio's fight with the bear and I wonder who really put that together. So to see Mad Max in there is a turning point in film voting appreciation, and with seven nominations. But note, no nomination for the stunt coordinator ... go ask yourself what the film is made of!!!

Mad Max: Fury Road
Cinematography: John Seale
Editing: Margaret Sixel
Production Design: Colin Gibson, Lisa Thompson
Costume Design: Jenny Beaven
Make Up & Hair: Lesley Vanderwalt, Damian Martin
Sound: Scott Hecker, Chris Jenkins, Mark Mangini, Ben Osmo, Gregg Rudloff, David White 
Special Visual Effects: Andrew Jackson, Dan Oliver, Tom Wood, Andy Williams 

Star Wars also gets in there which when put into perspective is amazing because they never sent screeners to the voters, so only those who got to screenings would have voted. As the screenings we all over the busy Christmas period one has to say the film must be as good as everyone seems to say it is.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Original Music: John Williams
Production Design: Rick Carter, Darren Gilford, Lee Sandales
Sound: David Acord, Andy Nelson, Christopher Scarabosio, Matthew Wood, Stuart Wilson Special Visual Effects: Chris Corbould, Roger Guyett, Paul Kavanagh, Neal Scanlan 

I loved The Big Short, the way the film makers just throw it at you, that this was some kind of major fraud for which no one has been arrested and even someone in a bubble bath with no banking knowledge can explain how stupidly corrupt this was. I loved it. There should be a film about the alleged frauds in some film making as the cases make the tax courts on a regular basis now.

The Big Short
Best Film: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Brad Pitt 
Director: Adam McKay
Adapted Screenplay: Adam McKay, Charles Randolph 
Supporting Actor: Christian Bale
Editing: Hank Corwin 

I did like the movie Steve Jobbs and it's honesty about how they designed a product that doesn't work too well with anything outside the brand... sorry I got sidetracked. But as much as I love Idris Elba who will now get my vote as best supporting actor for his amazing performance in Beasts Of No Nation, I would have preferred to have been challenged with the choice of voting for him or Seth Rogen who I think is a huge star continually proving how broad his spectrum is. For me he has stepped into the shoes of the much missed and multi talented Robin Williams.

Steve Jobs
Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin 
Leading Actor: Michael Fassbender 
Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet 

Brooklyn for me was great piece of TV but not a film, and it appeared to have been shot hand held then stabilised as the wall paper seemed to have turrets. Stabilisation of the most important part of a picture (person) has the effect of making the background dance and I was annoyed that 5 major funders and teams of execs seemed to have made that choice in post and not while shooting. The film obviously did not grab me beyond being a good old fashioned BBC Screen 1.
Similarly I have mixed feelings on the Danish Girl. I like it, and Redmayne was amazing, but I am not sure I felt he was stretched or it was equal to the other five I had as Best Actor.

I can't list everything, but take it from me, we have missed out on Jennifer Lawrence in Joy, Seth Rogen in Steve Jobbs and A Bigger Splash plus a missing award section for stunt coordinator again when Mad Max gets 7 nominations and DiCaprio's fight with the bear is a talking point.
There are TV films whose corporate and lottery funding muscle have perhaps lifted them higher than they may achieve in LA in a few months time, but I could be wrong.

For the full list.  Visit the BAFTA site for a full list of films and their nominations.

Also remember that their is a film festival every week of the year somewhere, and the lower leagues is where tomorrows stars are found. Shades Of Bad, the web series where we fund a new young director to learn and shine can be voted for in the world web series chart each week. It has rarely been out of the top ten. Please vote for Buster's Shades Of Bad.

And for a no budget web soap that hits the US / World top ten each week with no crew, no Lottery, and no money ... check out this weeks episode. Shot in RAW 2k and fully scored, which not all television can do with all the funding they get... The awards, a time to balance one against the other.

Maybe you can vote for Shades Of Bad... here. You get a vote... 

14. Christmas Day - what was in our stocking?

 Merry Christmas from all at SHADES OF BAD

click line not picture to play our message

Jean, Lynn, Donna, Ricky, Buster, Mark & Stuart.

Two Christmas presents to ourself here at Shades Of Bad, an L series Cannon 17mm to 40mm zoom, and a LCDVF which is an eye piece you fit to the back of our BMPCC. The 17mm lens was used first shot on the 30th December. 

As a film company we own a number of Red Dragons and a Scarlet we have never upgraded, which hires the best of the whole family.

When we decided to start Shades Of Bad and shoot in a real kitchen, the space was so small we could neither use a crew or a big camera. After much discussion with many DoP's I know and trust we decided on the Black Magic. We shoot everything 2k raw and master at that level two, often boldly reframing and zooming and since watching Brooklyn we have less fear of using the stabilisation feature in FPX. The wallpaper behind Julie Walters had turrets.

I have been very pleased with it, but since shooting the Doris Visits shows we have suffered with not being able to see the rear screen in extreme sun light. The are a set of films from Doris Visits Bequia to Key West where you can see why these wonderful places gave us the problem. Our 28mm to 80mm zoom also listed the wide visits we could shoot because we use an active Metabones to the EFS camera lens whole, which converts to the better EF lens and gives us more light stops.

That means that the lowest we can go, 28mm is actually about 35mm as the metabones conversion is still about 1.35 times the zoom size. The 17mm will mean I have about a 24mm lens. Great. For those tech types you might also like to know that some of our very light lens gave us stop problems in the bright light because the metabones just made them unusable. We added a full set of NDs ages ago and use at least 8ND in sunlight the camera and metabones are so good together.

We are going to do some films on how we shoot Shades Of Bad and Doris Visits but as always there is a queue. We lost the edit suit for three weeks and I got it back yesterday and threw Doris Visits the Norwegian Fjords in there for a first cut but know that next week we shoot with our new star and all our focus will be on that and first cuts of the work with him. Who he is you will have to search for, it is revealed in one of the James Whale radio interviews, which you can find by searching the my blog on James episode which is now released.

Next year I can promise a release of a mega episode, the first 5 cut into a ten minute piece and they look terrific as a longer version. More Doris Visits with trips planned to the Three Valleys, Russia and Denmark, the Canary Islands towards the end of the year and March see is back in the Caribbean. There is a muted but not booked yet trip to Dubai.

In between, our new star head hunts Doris for higher crime, and she will take over the world.

So merry Christmas from us, I am just about to turn the turkey off to let it rest, visit some friends for drinks then enjoy the day ... I hope you do too. Tomorrow Boxing Day, apart from being the release of the James Whale episode, I shall be watching Watford play Chelsea with great interest.

Seasons Greetings to all....

13. SSP talks with James Whale. Nearly 100 successful media industry years between them.

 The classic James Whale Episode is number 32 of Shades Of Bad (below) where he plays detective Inspector James Whale.

As well as interesting pictures, videos and links to my blogs, a new video interview (below) and two radio interviews are also part of the James Whale episode.

James Whale is a broadcasting legend, he is an outspoken broadcaster who has been on the radio somewhere for over 45years and currently presents the Breakfast Show on BBC Radio Essex as well as an independent show that is circulated both on the web and to many many radio stations around the world. He had his own late night TV show for many years on ITV and is now often seen with other guests on the Sunday morning TV chat shows and others.

Like many broadcasters James trained as an actor, but in 1969 did a broadcasting coarse and I guess you could say that changed his career. But not so many years ago James was told he had little time to live because he had what was thought to be a huge inoperable kidney cancer.   That changed his life.  After being encouraged to come out of a shell he hid in for a while, by a good friend Luke Goss, he and his wife decided to travel, enjoy and spend both money and time together. He then survived and his life changed again. James now runs a kidney cancer charity which I draw him to discuss in the video interview we did in Doris Shades garden.

James and I met in 1978. I was at the BBC, sitting on the bench at Radio 1 waiting for the show it was becoming obvious I would not get any time soon. I had spent some time on air at Radio London but the offer of moving north for the Metro Radio Breakfast Show took little time to consider. James did the evening show, my show finished as the staff and day time guys walked the corridors so in many ways we were the two independents. In 1979 I left the north to take over Steve Wright's show at Radio Orwell when he went to Radio 1, so I was getting closer until I was offered a job as a TV DJ which is covered in the video. But James and I have remained friends and I have appeared on his TV show, now he has appeared on mine. Shades Of Bad.
Here is the behind the scenes interview.

Between us, James and I have nearly 100 years in the media industry, often

being pioneers and certainly covering some ground when you look at the two cv's together. As friends we have stayed in touch and I always support his charity as we did with the premiere of the Status Quo romp movie Bula Quo at the Odeon in Leicester Square. James appears as Detective Inspector James Whale in episode 32 the episode of Shades Of Bad and straight after the wedding. He arrives to arrest; why and what happens afterwards starts to shock. Hey, it is Shades Of Bad, the infectious very dark series. If you are not up to date I suggest you catch up, or jump in at about episode 23 and get the run in to why the police knock on Doris's door.



Having James on the show has not been a secret as we did a behind the scenes video some time ago revealing his shoot day as well as Doris being sent abroad to Norway and Barcelona.  James also spoke with me then or about 30 minutes on his radio show about many things past and present and if you have not heard it it is worth a listen. My interview starts about 30 minutes in.

Those foreign shoots, Norway and Barcelona, were not for the travel spin off series DORIS VISITS that we now have although we might well try and cut the Norway footage if the outtakes work as a travel video. James came in and instantly became part of the team in a professional manner, and he a Jean who plays Doris spent time working on the content of the episode.

Episode 32 is out.

James and I again spoke on his radio show, and this Christmas week show of the James Whale show is where I reveal who we are currently filming with; the new star of Shades Of Bad. The new star I have said is our answer to Idris Elba, an actor we have discovered who is already a star in many areas. If you wish to know who it is you will have to listen to Jame's show.

So, James turns the old year into a new one and we start to look forward. Our three trainee serial killers do have to deal with dead bodies in 2016 and Doris is head hunted by our new star for greater crimes and it is him that sends her to Norway. The UK side of three of those episodes we shoot after Christmas. Then we travel to the Three Valleys with an open book on shooting new episodes of Doris Vists, a relaxed exploring approach to a travel show. If you have not watched any of those yet they will make you want to travel. Have a look at Key West of the beautiful island of Bequia.

Jean now has her own travel blogs so if you prefer to read, here is her blog on the Miami visit.

In closing, take a moment to listen to the two James Whale internet radio shows while you are doing things around the house, and some other episodes that do not focus on Shades Of Bad. James does make you think and he sometimes makes you angry. The sign of a great broadcaster.

The Video Behind The Scenes Interview.

And in closing can I ask you go to the chart site and vote for us, Shades Of Bad.

James Whale Episode but watch the wedding first, the one before.

12. The Christmas calendar: From Matt Damon to Status Quo at the 02, Seth Rogen etc..

It is easy for the diary to fill with dates over Christmas without being invited to multiple cinema screenings each and every night some with huge stars attending, mixing, mingling and doing questions and answers after the film. - Or in Tarantino's case for Hateful 8, before and after the 3 hour plus movie. He was fun and it was great to hear Kurt Russell because he is quite amazing in the picture, though my vote for best supporting actor still sits with Seth Rogan who shocked me in how good he was in Steve Jobs. That was a night to remember because as a writer I was honoured to be in the same room as Aaron Sorkin as well as Seth and the other cast. However, my favourite film is still Spotlight amongst a good crop of movies. The BAFTA votes have become important as they position results just prior to the Oscars and the influence is taken seriously.

From all the many film screenings vying for our votes with wine receptions, to balls, to dance functions there is another event which has been annual for many years: to visit Status Quo, normally at the 02. The arena was packed with a faithful audience dancing and singing their hearts out. The band were on good form. I have been watching them again since we re-met in 2005 on Coronation Street and I proposed making a film together.

Rick then fell ill, we then changed the script to be far less action, changed Vinnie Jones for my daughter Laura Aikman as the film became less hard, violent and more Radio 2 family fun, party in the park. The script and schedule were polished over Christmas 2011 for approval. We left for Fiji as 2012 started. As we head to 2016 I am pleased that The Job Jot has been re-commissioned for her and her love interest in the show Russell Tovey.


I was at the O2 with Jean, who now plays Doris Shades in Shades Of Bad for which she won best actress this year.

In Bula Quo she played Reiko Best the TV news anchor. Also at the Quo concert was our daughter Laura Aikman and partner Matt Kennard who were also both in Fiji with us in Bula Quo, Laura played Caroline and Matt played the reporter, Dave.

Caroline is my favourite Quo song and one I can remember playing as a radio DJ way back when, so making the girl character Caroline meant we could look at a new Caroline song .... The film Bula Quo is still available worldwide and we are just closing a sales deal with Metrodome for it's TV sales as well as the (possible) sequel Namaste Quo which is still muted to film 2017 or 2018. The Fijian mash up brought a Hawaiian / Fijian feel to the classical score with acoustic versions of some of their great hits including Down Down and Whatever You Want. That spurned the Acoustic period. The plan for Namaste Quo is to fuse with Bollywood and introduce sitar rock fusion. You should always have dreams to stretch the future even when some feel safer in the past and that will be fun if it ever happens. It was fun writing the first script, touring India and doing the recce! I watched the concert last night thinking I can see two really hot rock chics playing electric violins and singing backing vocals adding to that line up. We will see, they sometimes listen to my crazy ideas.

I first met Quo and many of the old record industry people in the backstage 02 bar when I was a radio DJ back in the 1970's and spent a time working at EMI in marketing and promotion. It meant another

night of festive fun was with the Knordoff Robbins boxing night at
the Hilton. Jean (Doris) has never been to a boxing night, but her friend Grace Kennedy was there with her partner Nigel Angel the media lawyer and they chatted and talked with other celebs like John Conteh and Ian Wright rather than watching the fights. I should just say here that another night this Christmas week is a gig with the Mick Flinn Band, he the lead singer of the Mixtures who had a hit with The Pushbike Song etc .. and his wife Donna Flinn (who plays Elsie in Shades Of Bad) will no doubt sing. As they both joined The New Seekers (I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing etc) for many years with original band members Marty Kristain and Paul Leyton, I expect to see them there. When as a DJ on Metro Radio in 1978 with James Whale (who appears in Shades Of Bad on Boxing Day) I introduced The New Seekers on stage at the Tyneside Summer Exhibition. I later met Mick at parties where myself, Colin Cook and Davey Jones of the Monkees would site on the work surface in the kitchen, probably as that brought us up to the same height as the others... almost.

A second boxing night appears in the calendar this week at the Troxy in Limehouse, when one of the lads who grew up with my (our) son Luke Aikman and daughter Laura Aikman, a Mr Ryan DaRocha is 'white collar boxing'. This is where members of the public train and have a three round bought (organised Fight Club). He is a tough rugby player who has been in training so I wish him luck at Bethnal Green on the 17th, but Jean (Doris) has said she cannot watch that though she did get John Conteh to sign his a set of gloves as good luck.

We managed to shoot 5 episodes with our new star Derek Redmond over the Christmas period, then went to Courchevel to shoot another travel movie with Doris for the series Doris Visits.

 Episode 30 to 35 are now live, episode 32 stars James Whale.

In between we have Christmas and Laura's birthday but no more filming though the edit suit is chocker clogged with work that will never be completed, and then there is the tax returns to file before the end of January. Sorry, this turned into a little reminisce, but then you do at Christmas....

Here is our Christmas message ... merry Christmas -  Happy Holidays

11. Old Movie Stars, New Web Stars, Rio Olympics and Doris takes over the world in SHADES OF BAD 2016

Old stars and news stars, Rio Olympics... .... read on...

Episode 29 went up in December, a little early and we sighed relief.... but we loaded the wrong one. To be fair Buster is doing it while working nearly 16 hour days on a feature film so he can be excused and as we pulled Lynn who plays Wilma away from her Christmas Stage Show to film the left hand angles of our Christmas card, she watched the newly posted episode 29 in her car on the way to the shoot and said .... 'there's no music!'

Shades Of Bad is certainly credited for the full score and the title music and that is down to Mark Blackledge a long time collaborator. We first met when I was to shoot a musical version of Macbeth which started and had the art and production teams working in Liverpool, then stopped when the tax financier found a deal he could trust a little bit more. We went on to shoot Devil's Gate and have since done a few projects including the Status Quo rock film Bula Quo. So, whilst I love getting composers reels it is unlikely I will change. Mark is a genius. Seen here Bula Quo stars Jon Lovitz and my real life daughter Laura Aikman. Great behind the scenes material on YouTube playlist on the Shades Of Bad Channel all worth watching!  That is also meant to be done as a web series, we just need time.

Episode 29 is loaded with music..... Episode 32 is now up with James Whale, Christmas is behind us.

So the left hand side of the christmas greeting is shot, see the picture !  The right hand side of our Shades Of Bad Christmas card gets shot next week which is the only day our new star can join us. He will stand between Doris (played by Jean Heard) and Elsie (played by Donna Flinn). But we won't have Reg and Wilma. He is tall and dark and we can now reveal having shot 5 episodes with him, and he is great, that it is Derek Redmond.

His episodes will be out just before the Rio Olympics.... I can see availability challenging us next year, but it will be worth it. The Christmas card will be out about the 16th so watch out Idris, we have discovered a developing talent from a well known world sports star. I will alter this blog when the film goes live and the secret is released ... this is going to be a fun start to 2016. I can now report, our Idris was unwell and did not make the shoot, so we changed the script and shot it with the invisible man... you will get to see him next year.

The run up to Christmas has been great, with Doris having a great idea in episode 27, pick it up there and run with it to Christmas. She has started a 'service' for the elderly, to ensure their sexual needs are met, and calls a radio station. I play the DJ, but a real DJ joins us in episode 32, which reminds me I have an interview to cut to go with that. James Whale, the James Whale plays Detective Inspector James Whale and comes to arrest someone, well you will see on Boxing Day. James and I were both on the same radio station in 1978, Metro Radio in Newcastle. I was then transferred to take over Steve Wright's show at Orwell when he went to Radio 1, where I had come from a year earlier but never got off the bench ... long story.

We have been re-editing in the edit suit, we have cut episodes 1 to 5 together, and 5 to 10 together, and at just over 10 minutes each they make a perfect ITV ? Commercial TV half hour and we have 150 minutes shot (not all edited) and the rest where Doris does take over the world is shooting next. All good attacks on the world are sauced from a kitchen!!!  As well, Shades Of Bad has travel films in the edit, you must see the one on the beautiful island of Bequia and share it, this island is wonderful. There are series episodes in the edit, Behind The Scenes and the Christmas Card. Plus we have old movies to revisit and recut as web series, so please subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel if you do nothing else today. But, I see our first pressure hitting home hard next year as I have to go skiing, and that means more travel films!

If you are wondering what to get someone for Christmas as a little stocking filler, there is still time to get the Shades OF Bad book, WHO DIES TODAY from Amazon.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays from me, Stuart St Paul, and the cast and other two crew members.... click here for our Christmas message film....

Check out our Christmas blog