Home is where the fun is
Birds Of A Feather
HOME is where the heart is for the Birds Of A Feather this Christmas.
The passports were looked out for a festive break in Morocco last year.
But viewers’ feedback was such that Tracey, Dorien and Sharon are safely back in Chigwell for this week’s special.
“As much as they loved the Moroccan one, people preferred Birds in their own environment,” says Lesley Joseph, who plays Dorien. “I get that.”
And Linda Robson, Tracey in the long-running sitcom, reckons they enjoyed the return to old haunts as much as fans will.
“It’s like we’ve never been away,” says Linda.
“It’s just getting us to actually work when we’re too busy showing each other pictures of our grandchildren all the time.
“We still have lots of the same crew and it’s lovely being at Pinewood Studios. I sometimes pinch myself and think, ‘My God, we first did this in 1989’.”
Recording it was a less stressful experience for Lesley than 2016’s foreign affair.
She was also rehearsing for Strictly – a double booking that required her partner Anton Du Beke to fly out for practice – and she admits it was a bit “too much”.
This episode sees Tracey planning to downsize the house she shares with sister Sharon (Pauline Quirke) but everything goes wrong when they later manage to get locked in a crypt.
“One of the most popular episodes ever was when we got locked in a garage and couldn’t get out,” explains Lesley.
“We’ve always loved that and we said we’d love it if, somehow, we all get stuck somewhere again. So that’s what happens. We’re stuck in the crypt.”
The trio always have a festive lunch together and they have their own ideas about the storylines for a Yuletide special.
“We should do one based around Christmas dinner and what can go wrong with the turkey,” says Lesley. “Just 24 hours in the life of Birds.
“That would be a brilliant episode.
“What works best is the conversations between these three people, who love each other, but hate each other, on every level, all the time.”
The regular series ended in the late ’90s and made a return in 2014, with the Christmas special since becoming a regular staple.
But with each of the cast in demand for other things, finding the time to commit to a full series is still an issue.
“ITV would like one,” adds Linda. “It’s just at the moment all of us are doing different projects.”
By Bill Gibb
IT’S supposed to be a time for giving and Kevin Duala’s new series should be perfect for getting the festive spirit flowing.
The One Show presenter is hosting new BBC series Let’s Get A Good Thing Going.
Each episode – it’s on every weekday morning this week – visits a different village, town or district where individuals from the communities have ideas for making things better.
“We set up a venue and locals come along, making a donation for entry, to listen to the pitches from the four people’s champions,” said Kevin.
“The idea that gets the most votes gets the pot of money to put that project into place.
“Then we’ll go back and revisit to see how the plans have got on.”
One of the joys of the series, insists Kevin, is that it’s a win-win situation for the local area.
Not only do they benefit from the implementation of the winning pitch, but often other audience members, enthused by some of the other schemes, then offer goods, money or their time to bring those to fruition, too.
And Kevin, who lives in Brighton with his wife Steph and their three kids, says he was blown away by the ideas brought forward.
“There were initiatives such as helping people get back on the employment ladder or helping elderly people get to grips with the internet,” he explained.
“I can remember my mother-in-law having an absolute nightmare when she was trying to get her bus pass sorted