Ready When You Are Mr. McGill (2003) (TV)

Director:

Paul Seed

Writer:

Jack Rosenthal (writer)

Release Date:

2003 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An extra in a TV drama is finally given a line to say. He goes on to cause mounting chaos. |

Cast

Mike Hayley	...	Henry
Amanda Holden	...	Herself
Tom Courtenay	...	Joe McGill
Sandra Voe	...	Nancy McGill
Paul Butterworth	...	Milkman
Tamsin Greig	...	Lianne
Ben Whishaw	...	Bruno
Sally Phillips	...	Kelly
Bill Nighy	...	Phil Parish
Philip Davis	...	Denis
Sam Kelly	...	Edgar
Stewart Wright	...	Geoff
Paul Broughton	...	Tommy
Gemma Catlin	...	Alison
Claudie Blakley	...	Deirdre

Runtime:

Brazil:95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Netherlands:6

Filming Locations:

Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Universal Television

Quotes:

[after a disastrous morning, the producer asks the director how much of this morning's filming he has actually completed]
Roland: So you've shot *nothing* all morning?
Phil Parish: Not yet.
Roland: Nothing of Scene 23?
Phil Parish: Not yet.
Roland: None of it?
Phil Parish: Not yet.
Roland: You've shot the master shot? You must have.
Phil Parish: [to Kelly] Tell him "not yet". I can't say it again - my brain's trapped.
Roland: So what the hell have you been doing?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Remake of "Red Letter Day: Ready When You Are, Mr. McGill (#1.1)" (1976)

Soundtrack:

GOOD LOVE

Brilliant

Brilliant, better than the 1970's TV original version. Superb cast, particularly Tom Courtenay and Bill Nighy. The four way dialogue in the bus regarding a suggestion for a new TV series (twin brothers, Civil Engineers, building a bridge) ("What, no Doctors, policemen, shagging?") was superb, apart from crystallising what the viewing public wants. Whether Jack Rosenthal updated the story for 2003 I do not know but it had class written all over it. Shown on Sky Movies, and will therefore presumably be repeated. Don't miss it, and if it is ever released as a DVD buy or rent it.