Welcome to part two of our deep dive into the influential 1970 MGM concert documentary, Elvis That's The Way It Is. Host George Fairbrother is joined  by Gary Wells, whose website, https://soulrideblog.com/,  Your Home for Vintage Leisure, is loved by thousands of readers in over 100 countries.

It's the summer of 1970, and Elvis is riding an exhilarating wave of renewed commercial and artistic success. Having escaped his declining movie career and returned to live performance and non-soundtrack work in the studio, he is once again making some great music, topping the charts, and is already the number one live act in Las Vegas. From a number of different perspectives, Elvis That’s the Way It Is documents the leadup to Elvis’ third season at the International Hotel, and also takes us into the showroom for the first few performances. Director Denis Sanders said, “What we're trying to do is capture Elvis the entertainer, from the point of view of the fans, the hotel, the city, the audience.”

The movie came about at a time of huge upheaval in the world of entertainment. George and Gary discuss some of the fascinating people that made this unique era what it was, and discover the artists and crew that created a remarkable cinematic moment in time.

There's a companion newsletter to these episodes with some additional insights, links and suggested reading, viewing and listening at our website;
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/01/22/elvis-thats-the-way-it-is-parts-i-and-ii/


Original podcast theme music thanks to Gainesville; 
 https://gainesville-band.de/

Elvis That's The Way It Is - Part 2

12/12 - John speaks to Beltane benefactor, Fay Derrick, regarding nudity at future festivals and is amazed by her response. With the TV remote on the blink, John enjoys showing Zlata some local landmarks before discovering he has rats in his ceiling…

Written by and starring Andrew Mackintosh as John Stotter and co-starring Natalie Roles as Abigail Wesley.

The series is produced by Oliver Crocker; co-produced by Glen Allen, Rob Cook, Tessa Crocker, Tracie King, Paul Morris, Triona Palmer, Laura Pini-Fay, Lee Pointer, Valerie Roles, Yulia Thurlow and Andrew Ruff; and executive produced by David Croft, Andrew Diack, George Fairbrother, Edward Kellett, Bryony Kelly, Sophie Pyecroft, Amanda Rotheram, Kay Scoble and Michael Seely.

Letter from Helvetica is brought to you in association with georgefairbrother.com shop.saturdaymorningpress.co.uk and synthservice.com

If you'd like to hear more adventures of John and Abby, please support us on https://ko-fi.com/letterfromhelvetica

Chapter 12: A Hard Day's Night

In Part 2 of this epic Podcast with Paul Marquess, the man who was tasked with revamping "The Bill" in the Noughties shares his memories of the late great Bernie Nolan (Sgt. Sheelagh Murphy) and securing guest stars like Lynda Bellingham and Lysette Anthony. Natalie also asks Paul about the famous gay kiss storyline! 

Paul also discusses the ups and downs of his TV career, including his groundbreaking Channel 5 improvised drama series "Suspects", the mistakes he feels he made on "MIT" and how he corrected them for his new BBC murder series "London Kills". 

There's plenty more "The Bill" chat to come in Part 3 and we hope you are enjoying this rare opportunity to get to know Paul Marquess!

The Bill Podcast is brought to you in association with georgefairbrother.com shop.saturdaymorningpress.co.uk cityfiction.co.uk and vanguardcomics.co.uk

The Bill Podcast 127: Paul Marquess (Executive Producer) Part 2

It's the finale of this stunning trilogy of Podcasts with Paul Marquess!

I hope you'll agree that Natalie asked all the big questions throughout this interview and that for his part, Paul answered honestly and showed a lot of genuine affection for the programme. Thank you very much Paul for coming on the Podcast and to Natalie for making it all possible.

The Bill Podcast is brought to you in proud association with georgefairbrother.com shop.saturdaymorningpress.co.uk vanguardcomics.co.uk and introducing gibconsultancy.co.uk 

This podcast kicks off with Natalie reading a promo for "Catching a Killer", the latest book from our new sponsor GIB Consultancy - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Catching-Killer-Straightforward-Investigation-Present/dp/1802360638

The Bill Podcast 128: Paul Marquess (Executive Producer) Part 3

Natalie Roles narrates this promo for our friend and sponsor George Fairbrother's latest novel "Lost in Solway"

Solway is a tough industrial city somewhere on England's North Sea coast. The Great Depression laid waste to its proud engineering and shipbuilding heritage, creating poverty on a Dickensian scale, but the onset of World War Two offered the dying city a lifeline; moribund industry was resurrected for the war effort and thousands went back to work.

But now the city faces a new threat, this time from above; docks, factories and military installations are prime targets for German bombers, turning long winter nights into hours of relentless, soul-destroying terror.

Movie-obsessed Sylvia Bullock and easy-going Sidney Williams grew up together in the working-class terraced streets around Old Forge Lane. As young adults, they are now on the frontline, working the late shift on the buses, and facing dangers as real and immediate as many of their friends and family fighting overseas.

One foggy night in the bleak January of 1943, with storm clouds and enemy bombers in the skies above them, life-and-death decisions confront many of Solway’s home front heroes and villains. That night, Sylvia and Sidney are brutally propelled into a strange and incomprehensible world, easily as terrifying and uncertain as the one they had left behind.

"...The tale spans two different centuries, characterized by distinct circumstances. The author vividly describes every scenario and builds all the characters brilliantly. It is a story that every ardent fan of historical fiction will enjoy. You will get as close as you can to a community adapting to times packed with uncertainty and stress due to war; from bomb shelters to nightmares visiting war veterans and black marketeers..." (Online Book Club)

"...This was a great read especially if you could relate to the era and location. The descriptions were spot on. I liked the author’s style and enjoyed reliving the history, albeit it depressing. I purchased the e-book and because it was so good went and purchased the paperback for my library..." (Goodreads)

Order from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Solway-George-Fairbrother-ebook/dp/B09B73X68Q 

Find out more:
https://www.georgefairbrother.com/lost-in-solway

"Lost In Solway" from George Fairbrother (Sponsor Promo)

Please note: a video version of this podcast is available to watch for free on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/posts/future-of-bill-109785528

In this hour-long special, Oliver introduces the new presenting family, who each reveal their first special guest interviewees.

The Bill Podcast is brought to you in proud association with georgefairbrother.com shop.saturdaymorningpress.co.uk vanguardcomics.co.uk and gibconsultancy.co.uk

This edition of The Bill Podcast is dedicated to our friend, executive producer and long-time supporter Tom Sherrington. Rest in peace mate.

The Bill Podcast 129: The Future

Christmas Special 1/2

T'was the night before Christmas...

Written by and starring Andrew Mackintosh as John Stotter and co-starring Natalie Roles as Abigail Wesley.

The series is produced by Oliver Crocker; co-produced by Rob Cook, Glenn Cooney and Bryony Kelly, and executive produced by George Fairbrother, Kay Scoble and Michael Seely. With thanks to Charlotte Fletcher.

Letter from Helvetica is brought to you in association with georgefairbrother.com shop.saturdaymorningpress.co.uk and kayscoble.com

We will see you again on New Years Day with Chapter 14: Unwelcome Guests

Chapter 13: Pigs In Blankets

Christmas Special 2/2

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ease your way into 2025 with the latest adventures of John and Abby.

Written by and starring Andrew Mackintosh as John Stotter and co-starring Natalie Roles as Abigail Wesley.

The series is produced by Oliver Crocker; co-produced by Rob Cook, Glenn Cooney and Bryony Kelly, and executive produced by George Fairbrother, Kay Scoble and Michael Seely. With thanks to Charlotte Fletcher.

Letter from Helvetica is brought to you in association with georgefairbrother.com shop.saturdaymorningpress.co.uk and kayscoble.com

May we wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year.

Chapter 14: Unwelcome Guests

The Bill Obbocast is a new monthly spin-off series, available for ALL patrons, where presenter Patrick Stratford and a special guest from the Patreon community share their observations about a chosen aspect of "The Bill".

The first hour-long edition features our sponsor and executive producer George Fairbrother as he joins Patrick to discuss the iconic character DS Ted Roach, with a focus on his spectacular exit in "Punch Drunk" and a cracking discussion about police corruption. George also shares some gold about the broadcasting history of "The Bill" in Australia on the ABC.

The Billaton legend Sarah Went introduces this first edition, the opening five minutes of which are presented here as an extended preview. Unlock the full interview as a Rookie patrons for just £2.99 and enjoy hundreds of "The Bill" reaction videos, plus sample releases of "The Evidence Room 1999" and much more - patreon.com/thebillpodcast 

George Fairbrother is an acclaimed author and the presenter of the DEC4 Podcast - https://dec4podcast.com/ You can find out more about George's books, including the Armstrong & Burton Book Series and the Lost in Solway stories on https://www.georgefairbrother.com/ 

The Bill Podcast is brought to you in proud association with georgefairbrother.com shop.saturdaymorningpress.co.uk vanguardcomics.co.uk and gibconsultancy.co.uk

The Bill Obbocast 01: Ted Roach Special - Extended Clip

For this month's obbo, Patrick is joined by fellow presenter and Reaching a Verdict author Edward Kellett!

Between them, this talented pair of TV history detectives select their combined Top 10 comedy episodes from the half-hour era. Will you agree with their choices?

Edward's phenomenal Reaching a Verdict: Reviewing The Bill books can be ordered from devonfirebooks.com The upcoming fourth edition can also be pre-ordered now!

The Bill Podcast is brought to you in proud association with georgefairbrother.com shop.saturdaymorningpress.co.uk vanguardcomics.co.uk gibconsultancy.co.uk and mcr-seo.com

The Bill Obbocast 04: Top 10 Half-Hour Funnies (Clip)

Rob Cook makes his presenting debut and brings us an MIT special with series regular Richard Hope (DS Barry Purvis)

One of this country's most successful character actors discusses his new role in #Giant opposite John Lithgow! At the time of the interview, Giant was about to open at the Royal Court and following a successful run the play has now transferred to the West End for a limited run at the Harold Pinter Theatre - https://www.haroldpintertheatre.co.uk/shows/giant

Rob also takes Richard back in time as he shares highlights of his career, from working with Sir Laurence Olivier to Anthony Hopkins, before he shares his memories of #TheBill spin-off #MIT

In Part 2, Richard will be sharing his memories of sweeping June Ackland off her feet as headmaster Rod Jessop. If you can't wait until then, unlock both episodes as video podcasts, along with over 250 hours of exclusive content - patreon.com/thebillpodcast 

The Bill Podcast is brought to you in proud association with georgefairbrother.com shop.saturdaymorningpress.co.uk vanguardcomics.co.uk gibconsultancy.co.uk and mcr-seo.com

The Bill Podcast 137: Richard Hope (Part 1)

A very warm welcome to the DEC4 Podcast catalogue on SoundCloud. We take a deep dive into classic entertainment and culture, with an emphasis on the United Kingdom, US and Australia - talking film and television, social history, nostalgia, and a little rock and roll. Produced and presented by George Fairbrother, who is joined by regular contributors and special guests. 

There are additional clips, extras and shorts to be found on YouTube Podcasts, Substack, selected social media and other major platforms. Extensive background on each main episode, research notes, links and suggestions for further reading, viewing and listening can be found at our podcast website. 


Special thanks to our contributors and supporters, including Gary Wells, Oliver Crocker, Steve Collins, and Detlef Wolff and @Gainesville-band. 

George Fairbrother is the author of the Armstrong and Burton and Lost in Solway series. His interests include working-class and cultural history, classic rock music, post-war British cinema and television, and Hollywood in the studio era. He is also an executive producer of @thebillpodcast, and of the scripted audio series @LetterfromHelvetica.

Elvis That's The Way It Is - Part 2

DEC4 Podcast by George Fairbrother

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