Radio 1 DJ all set to reveal Pobol top ten soap legends
SOME of Wales’ most iconic and legendary characters were born and bred in one of the UK’s oldest and most loved soap operas, Pobol y Cwm.
As part of the S4C Legends season, the Cewri Cwmderi show will reveal which of the soap’s characters have created the biggest impression since Pobol y Cwm first hit the screen in October 1974.
Sharp-witted TV presenter and BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio Cymru DJ Huw Stephens will reveal which characters reached the top 10 of the all-time ‘Cwmderi Greats’ as voted by you the viewers.
With a village full of clips from the archive, and a street full of interviews with the series’ actors, Huw takes us on a trip of a lifetime on Thursday, November 2, on S4C.
We’ll have to wait until the programme to hear who came out on top, but in the meantime we asked 10 Pobol y Cwm related questions to Huw and discovered he’d love to star one day in Wales’ biggest home-grown soap. Who are your favourite Pobol characters over the years? I grew up following the exploits of bad boy Barry John and later “our Mark”, another bad lad. The Jones family were pretty special; Kath, Dyff, Stacey and Mark. I do just about remember another rogue too, Dic Deryn but, my most recent favourites are the girls at the salon! Pobol is now 43 years old, have you always watched it? Pobol y Cwm was a big part of the television experience in our family. I remember watching it in the evenings after school. Now I watch it on iPlayer!
If you had to join one family in the valley, which clan would it be?
Whichever family is running the Deri Arms at the time, I reckon. There would be enough to do; not too far to travel to work and I’d hear all the local gossip. If you could resurrect one dead character and take them for a pint in the old Deri Arms pub, who would it be and what song would you choose on the jukebox? I would bring Tush and Magi Post back to life for just one last pint in the Deri, or a coffee at Meic’s café.
I’d put a smile on their faces by playing a Tony and Aloma number on the jukebox to make them feel happy. If you were given the onerous task of choosing one character to kill off in the soap, who would it be and how would you plot their demise? It would have to be Garry Monk.
He is always stirring up trouble for everyone else in the valley and pushes people to the brink. Colin would end his days in a fist fight.
Can soaps create heroes who give important messages to society?
Yes, sure. Pobol characters have provided examples of what is good and bad in society to viewers over the years.
Storylines can often convey important messages about life to viewers. What do you think of the theme tune? It’s like a hot water bottle. Songwriter Endaf Emlyn wrote it, didn’t he?
This programme is part of the S4C Legends season, do you have a favourite Welsh legend?
Gelert’s story is special – and the village of Beddgelert is a very special place Do you dream of a cameo role in Pobol? You bet. I’m hoping to have a slot on the local radio station Cwm FM, after my days on Radio 1. And finally, what was it like to present the programme? Great. The soap has produced so many legends over the years.
Cewri Cwmderi is on S4C on Thursday, November at 8.25pm. English subtitles available.