Trekkie who boldly went
QUESTION In the Matt Berry comedy Toast Of London, the actress playing his agent in the pilot was replaced in the series. Has this happened in other shows?
STEVEN TOAST’S unhelpful agent Jane Plough (pronounced ‘Pluff’) was played by Fiona Mollison in the pilot, replaced by Doon Mackichan for the series.
Changes in casting between pilot and series are not uncommon.
Being Human was one of the best shows on BBC three, a station which is now only available online. It featured the trials and tribulations of George, a werewolf, and his flatmate Mitchell, a vampire, who discover their home is haunted by annie, the ghost of a former tenant.
the pilot starred Guy Flanagan as Mitchell, andrea Riseborough as annie and Russell tovey as George, as well as featuring adrian Lester as Herrick the vampire boss and Dominique Mcelligott as Lauren, a vampire convert.
With the exception of George, these parts were recast when the series went into full production, with aidan turner as Mitchell, Leonora Crichlow as annie, Jason Watkins as Herrick and annabel Scholey as Lauren.
another example was the Blackadder pilot, which was never aired, but is available online. the stupid servant Baldrick was played by Philip Fox, a stalwart of British tv, including Midsomer Murders, Casualty, Peak Practice and the Bill. He was replaced by tony Robinson, who made the role his own.
the pilot featured John Savident as the king, replaced by Brian Blessed for series one, and Robert Bathurst as Prince Harry instead of Robert east.
the tone of the pilot was in line with series two to four, with Rowan atkinson playing Blackadder as caustic and intelligent. In series one, he was more of a Mr Bean-like character.
In the two-part pilot of the the a-team, templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck was played by tim Dunigan. the producers felt he looked too young to play a vietnam vet and he was replaced by Dirk Benedict of Battlestar Galactica fame.
Tim Ferguson, Wolverhampton, W. Mids. THE most famous cast change between pilot and series occurred in Star trek. Jeffrey Hunter, star of westerns such as the Searchers and King of Kings, was cast to play Captain Christopher Pike of the USS enterprise in the pilot.
He declined to film the second pilot requested by the tv company NBC, deciding instead to concentrate on his film career.
William Shatner was cast to play the lead role as Captain James t. Kirk in a second Star trek pilot.
Multiple feature films, spin-offs and 54 years later, having boldly gone where no sci-fi show had gone before, Star trek is considered to be the most successful tv series of all time.
Carol Owen, Chorley, Lancs.
QUESTION Were trains on Glasgow’s circular subway painted only on the side visible to passengers?
THE Glasgow subway, which opened in 1896, forms a small circle in the centrewest of Glasgow. there are 15 stations, eight of which are north of the Clyde, which bisects it.
originally, the stations had a simple island platform serving both directions of travel. Consequently, carriages had doors on only one side.
In 1950, the plum coloured carriages were repainted red all over to protect against wear and tear, but the costly and time-consuming lining out and lettering was confined to the side in use. Between 1977 and 1980, the line underwent extensive modernisation and separate platforms were introduced at six of the busier stations.
the carriages were thus required to have doors and full livery on both sides.
Jim Ewan, Stirling.
QUESTION Why do so many male footballers wear what looks like a bra?
THIS is a harness that contains sensors to measure the players’ vital signs: heart rate, breathing, body temperature and blood pressure.
If a player is seen to be tiring, the club’s coaching team can make recommendations to the head coach about the timing of substitutions.
the data is sent via satellite and is displayed using specialist software on the coaching team’s laptops or tablets.
after the match, data can be analysed to help with decisions regarding the player’s fitness training and diet.
the harness incorporates a tracking device to allow coaches to track the player’s movements around the pitch, either in real time or after the match.
In a sport where even the smallest change in a player’s performance could make the difference between winning and losing, technology is playing an ever larger role.
Bob Dillon, Edinburgh.
QUESTION Why was the jawbone of an ass such a popular weapon in the Bible?
FURTHER to the earlier answer, which described how Samson used the jawbone of an ass to take vengeance on Israel’s enemy, the Philistines, there is a famous, though probably apocryphal, story about oscar Wilde.
the great writer was lecturing in the U.S. on the importance of aesthetics. He became increasingly irritated with his inattentive audience and called them ‘a bunch of Philistines’.
a voice in the back called out: ‘Yes, we are Philistines, and now I see why for the past hour you have been assaulting us with the jawbone of an ass.’
Edward Boles, Poole, Dorset.
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