[pressgang] Episode 7: How To Make A Killing - Part 1

[Vince Deehan]

PRESS GANG

Series 1

Episode 7 - How To Make A Killing - Part 1

Watched Friday March 4th

Apologies for being so late with my copy this week. Lynda would not have
approved, as the week is almost over and the deadline was approaching.

I have the day off work today so I started my day by finally catching up
with How To Make A Killing -Part 1. It’s a very interesting episode and the
first of several two-part stories for Press Gang.

The episode begins with someone, presumably Danny the photographer, taking
some very well composed and artful black and white shots of a school girl
drawing a chalk outline on the ground. The school girl is wearing what is
very recognisable to most UK viewers as a private school uniform. The two
clues are the colour of her blazer and the hat she is carrying. Private
(aka pay-feeing schools) usually have much brighter coloured school
uniforms. I always thought this made them a sitting target for abuse and
heckling from any state school children they may encounter on their way to
and from school. The hat is the other clue. I think it’s probably just for
the girls, but I have never seen a state school which had a hat as part of
the uniform. I still see schoolchildren today wearing these private school
uniforms. I wonder if they feel at all self conscious and horribly exposed.
I know I would.

I suspect the uniform is seen as a source of pride by their parents, but I
doubt many of the kids like being so easily spotted as ‘posh’ private
school kids. Can you tell from all this, that I went to a state school? I
did wonder if the actor Sadie Frost, who plays the ‘pavement artist’ Jenny,
refused to wear the hat. I’m pretty certain we never see her wearing it.
You just see her carrying it in her hand.

Great scene with Billy Homer and Chrissie, where he unleashes a torrent of
comments and jokes that seem designed to make her as uncomfortable as
possible. He really is impossible to patronise and likes to have the upper
hand. I admire that about him. He skirts very close to being quite
obnoxious, but somehow just goes as far to that line as possible and holds
back - even only a little. I wonder if this was very much like the real
personality of the actor who plays Billy, Andy Crowe. Did I read somewhere
that Andy Crowe had died? He made a big impression in Press Gang. There
were almost no disabled actors on T.V. back in 1989, maybe none at all.

He was really breaking new ground.

The scene at the train station when Kenny switches the briefcases is pretty
creepy and weird.

I like the way that Jenny reacts when Spike and Frazz start shouting at her
to get her attention.

She just turns away from them. I wonder if boys today would still behave
like this. I suspect yes? Maybe groups of teenage girls do the same to boys
they fancy, but want to tease and taunt them first. I literally have no
idea.

The scene when Kenny effectively goes on a date with Jenny at Czar’s Cafe
is excellent.

I know Lee Ross is a superb actor, but I did start to wonder if he was
genuinely shy and nervous

sitting across from the extremely attractive Sadie Frost. His blushing and
awkwardness is palpable. Maybe Lee was really feeling this way too. Sadie
Frost plays it so cool and confident.

The comments from the waitress Maria about Kenny and his penchant for
having a straw in his coke, are hilarious. Jenny says Kenny is like a teddy
bear. I agree. He really is so sweet and likeable.

Just looked up the ages of Lee Ross and Sadie Frost. Sadie was born in 1965
and Lee in 1971,

Meaning that in 1988 during filming that scene Lee was around 17 years old
and Sadie was  23 years old. No wonder he looks so shy sitting in front of
her. He was very much still a boy and she was an adult woman.

What was the point of Frazz sitting behind Kenny at the cafe? He wasn’t
recording the conversation, was he? I don’t think so. In hindsight, when
re-watching it you can kind of see it’s him as the scene starts.

I really enjoyed this episode and I look forward to watching the second
part next week.

Thanks for reading to the end.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Vince Deehan

https://youtu.be/_8PdTY1GvTc
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