Sunday 20 December 2015

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.




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