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4.9 DVD Commentary
07-08-2010, 02:55 AM
Post: #1
4.9 DVD Commentary
Info from 4.9 DVD commentary [Andrew Woodhead, Miranda Raison, Nicola Walker, Julien Simpson - director]:

-PF has shorter hair in this ep -- NW approves.

-Ep shot in June -- very hot on grid set re PF sweating.

-Wardrobe lost Ruth's necklace for awhile during this ep -- NW upset and created continuity problems.

-Lipstick cam on helicopter -- how they got shots of what heli was flying over.

-Slo mo of Alex Roscoe walking away from heli at beginning of ep -- every actor's dream shot.

-Big debate over how loud to shout when Adam confronts Roscoe -- heli wasn't actually going at the time; actors very self-conscious.

-Harry getting angry at everyone in this ep.

-Adam -- ad libbed wave to Roscoe when he gets into heli.

-Good opening sequence for this ep.

-Prescience of ep re relations between US and Iran.

-Khurvin observation location was originally a "horrible shade of yellow" -- changed it to white in post production.

-Actor shot in obs room in this ep gets killed and then beat up in s5 (stunt register in UK has only 50-60 people -- use stunt people over and over).

-Harry Pearce -- the "big white hat" character of spooks.

-"Sacking" scene between Harry and Juliet -- largely improvised.

-Anna Chancellor doesn't watch any of her eps -- doesn't like to see herself onscreen. NW told AC she should watch -- "bloody brilliant character."

-Ruth in meeting room scene after H suspended -- is in grief.

-Miranda had several different hair styles in this ep -- they still hadn't figured out her character and kept playing with her hair.

-Group a little lost without Harry around.

-Different directors and DOP's light forgery suite differently -- in this ep, it's blue.

-Pic of Khurvin in terrorist training camp -- taken in Wales.

-The two Khurvin scenes where he's sitting at a desk with plans and missile schematics added after ep was shot because plot was getting too complicated -- needed to see him planning attack to remind audience of threat.

-Jo and Zaf -- after asking her in previous three eps to move in with him, they cut her saying "yes" in this ep.

-Best part of ep -- seeing Harry at home; we get to know the character a little better seeing him off the grid. PF had to improvise with dog because it wouldn't follow trainer's commands.

-Who looks after Scarlet when Harry's at work?

-If the group listened to Ruth, ep would last about 15 mins.

-Grid looks very blue and icy in this ep. No set "house style" for spooks.

-Characters in spooks tend to live in very expensive houses -- need bigger rooms in order to fit lights and cameras, crew, etc.

-Harry's neighborhood shop was a real place.

-Sequences of Harry practicing tradecraft very important for his character -- you finally get to see why he's the boss and how good he probably was as a field agent.

-Dog was great with PF, less so with the animal trainer.

-"Link analysis" -- a very advanced Google.

-Cashpoint in Paternoster Sq -- a fake put in by spooks crew. Some woman passing by kept trying to get money from it.

-Dog track -- great shots of racing. PF eating jelly deals (?) for first time -- didn't like them but decided he really needed to eat to stay in character (PF very method in his acting). Continuity problem -- cup in and out of PF's hand; unlike PF to make mistakes like that.

-Relationship between Harry and Adam has been developing through s5 -- beautiful in this ep.

-Harry with dog whistle -- couldn't get dogs to bark so had to get lots of shots of dogs and add sound effects.

-Star Trek references in ep -- USS Enterprise (US ship near Iran) and Cardassia Financial Services (planet in the United Federation of Planets). Rupert Walters (writer) a trekkie.

-Lots more humor in this ep than is usual.

-Rory (Colin) had to learn reams of technical lingo for this ep.

-Ruth falling in love with Harry.

-NW -- her favorite Harry legend, so far, is Giles Farmer.

-Raza getting up from bench to follow Pollard during surveillance -- looked quite cool until he walked into a bench and banged his knee; leg gave way and he started hopping.

-Pollard surveillance and breaking into office -- great spooks sequence; lots of split screen following all the action and grid personnel.

-Adam and Jo -- the two best looking cleaners in London.

-Shooting on bridge a disaster because so many tourists; kept looking directly into camera.

-Bus scene -- Ruth reading Jane Austen (NW thought she should be reading Mary Shelley). Camera focus always on Ruth -- Harry soft-edged. Ruth pissed when Harry talks about Adam.

-Harry figures out some piece of crucial info re Khurvin -- you read it in his face.

-Roscoe and Juliet meeting -- both wearing sunglasses (look very American); playing poker, can't see each other's eyes. When Roscoe removes his sunglasses, you know he's lost.

-Michael Gorman (John Sharian - American actor) -- first American character who has same level of knowledge as Harry and is brutally honest about what's really happening. A renegade, outside the system -- doesn't have an agenda. Not someone Harry could usually meet with but his present non-status gives him some leeway.

-" . . . happening on our doorstep, on our watch" -- whatever is being planned, Harry won't let it happen on his watch.

-Adam and Jo following Khurvin in car -- shot during the day and film processed to make it look like night.

-Khurvin's weapon was a real (deactivated) surface-to-air missile. Rented from weapons prop shop.

-Harry in Pollard's office -- sweet victory. Actor playing Pollard did a great job portraying the character without having said a word.

-NW -- actors frequently try to imagine what music will be used in scenes and then try to sing it.

-Harry frequents the dog track -- interesting character insight.

-2nd dog track scene totally improvised and ad libbed by PF and RPJ (including Harry cheering dog on). They were really betting on the races and James Dicker (Wes) kept winning. PF spent the day protecting Dicker -- no one could get near him.

-Teaser for 4.10 -- best teaser for any ep of spooks.

[This is a really good commentary -- well worth listening to if you have it.]

harry
"What is the truth?"
"Betrayal is a cancer. Let it eat your soul, not mine."
"Please tell me this isn't going where I think it's going."
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07-08-2010, 03:55 AM (This post was last modified: 07-08-2010 03:57 AM by JHyde.)
Post: #2
RE: 4.9 DVD Commentary
I love that two of my favourite scenes in this episode were largely improvised - that scene between Harry and Juliet is my favourite between those two characters over the seasons they work together and they're both so funny in it.

I had exactly the same thought about Adam and Jo being good looking cleaners!

The Michael Gorman character was a great addition to this script and that's another location that was a perfect choice - I think I've said elsewhere that I wonder if using this location gave them the idea to write the episode in season 5
Series season5 Spoiler: show
with the estuary blowing up. It looks spectacular.

I agree with NW that Shelley would have been a better choice. Austen is a bit too predictable.

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07-08-2010, 12:19 PM
Post: #3
RE: 4.9 DVD Commentary
Thanks lwhite. This commentary is great and one of the few I have actually listened to. I love it when NW does them. She is so funny and clearly loves playing Ruth.

You really just made me laugh though lwhite with your "jelly deals" comment. It's jellied eels. They used to be very popular in the UK but not so now a days. I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole so hats off to PF. A little pic of them. Big Grin

   

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07-08-2010, 02:50 PM
Post: #4
RE: 4.9 DVD Commentary
(07-08-2010 12:19 PM)Tea Lady Wrote:  You really just made me laugh though lwhite with your "jelly deals" comment. It's jellied eels. They used to be very popular in the UK but not so now a days. I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole so hats off to PF. A little pic of them. Big Grin

I was hoping someone would figure that out -- sometimes the Brit accents get in the way, especially when they're referring to things I'm not familiar with! Jellied eels, ewwww -- I think I was happier not knowing.Confused

You're in good company with Mrs. Giles Farmer, though, TL.Wink

harry
"What is the truth?"
"Betrayal is a cancer. Let it eat your soul, not mine."
"Please tell me this isn't going where I think it's going."
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07-08-2010, 03:43 PM
Post: #5
RE: 4.9 DVD Commentary
I too really enjoyed this commentary. NW has such a great laugh, you just want to laugh with her every time she starts. She cans herself when Harry does his dog cheering thing in his Yorkshire accent - really funny!
The other bit I find really funny is during the bus scene - when Harry starts talking about Adam NW goes "Harry! Adam schmadam..." And then MR says Harry is smelling Ruth's hair when he gets up and says thanks into her ear. Hee!

Bloody hell, jellied eels?! You mean it is real eel pieces in there, not just some weird name for something else?

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07-08-2010, 05:18 PM
Post: #6
RE: 4.9 DVD Commentary
It is a great commentry, NW was brilliant in it also. Has she done any of the other commentries other than 4.9 and 4.10?

It does make me laugh how strikingly attractive both Jo and Adam are, if I was working there and saw those two cleaners I would definately remember them! Probably not the best of things given the work they are doing.
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07-08-2010, 10:40 PM
Post: #7
RE: 4.9 DVD Commentary
Love the fact that PF got so protective of James Dicker, and the fact that James won the bets Big Grin

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08-08-2010, 10:10 PM
Post: #8
RE: 4.9 DVD Commentary
Great transcript of the commentary and I will never hear the words 'jellied eels' again without thinking of 'jelly deals'. Loved that!Smile
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19-08-2011, 02:19 AM
Post: #9
RE: 4.9 DVD Commentary
Watched this audio commentary last night. Esp loved the commentators reactions ro ruth showing her love for harry and the bus scene. NW clearly loves that scene and didnt want the director to 'ruin the moment which is the bus scene' by talking about why she put her hand down after PF mentions adam. lol she says she wasnt even aware of it at the time but its created masses of discussions on forum sites hehe...

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