Producer Credits

Bright Thoughts Company productions by the creative partnership of  Neil Anthony and Bryan Izzard, commissioned by Channel 4.

Comic & Dramatic Monologues

performances which celebrate the age of the British Music Hall
Notes:  Recorded and edited with TVI facilities (Television International).  Originally recorded as vignettes with star artists reciting comic and dramatic monologues which capture the spirit of an age in which the tradition of the British Music Hall was at its zenith.  

For transmission, the title of the mini-series was The Green Tie on the Little Yellow Dog.  ​The show was to be edited in three different ways, individual monologues as vignettes i.e. short 'filler’ programmes, also as 3 x 30 mins progs, and also 1 x 90 mins.

Recorded on location at the Foundling Museum, Brunswick Square, Bloomsbury.  The setting was a dinner party of friends at a posh London address with each star guest getting up to do their 'party piece' after dinner.  The monologues were mostly from 'The Book of Comic and Dramatic Monologues', compiled and edited by Michael Marshall:  ​ISBN 0-241-10670-2

Some of the scarcity value is, for example, Cilla Black doing Gracie Fields, Maureen Lipman as Joyce Grenfell, one of the last performances of Leonard Rossiter, the very last public performance of  a legend from that era, Arthur Askey, an early performance in the outstanding career of Julie Walters ('Educating Rita').  Other delights include some very special and rarely seen performances by Ronald Lacey ('Raiders of The Lost Ark'), Alec McCowen ('Mr Palfrey of Westminster'), Richard O'Callaghan ('Amadeus'), Dianne Langton, and Harrold Innocent.  An indefatigable Barry Cryer is our compere for the evening.
Commissioning Editor: Cecil Korer

Top C's & Tiaras

Notes:  Started with 2 x one hour specials for Channel 4 which introduced soprano Julia Migenes to the UK and which are currently missing in the British Film Institute Archive.  These were recorded at the Warwick Arts Trust in Pimlico (where Isadora Duncan once had a studio), on location and in Olympic and Odyssey sound-studios in London.

Top C's & Tiaras the series were all recorded (by Barcud production facilities) at Wrotham Park, Hertfordshire.  All shows were one hour transmission.  Burt Rhodes (music associate) and orchestra conducted by Harry Rabinowitz.  Resident singers included Marilyn Hill Smith (soprano), Peter Morrison (baritone) and guest stars Benjamin Luxon and others.  Our tenors included Hugh Hetherington, Ramon Remedios, Neil Jenkins, David Fieldsend, and our mezzo sopranos included Jean Bailey, Della Jones, Eirian James, and Linda Ormiston:
  • Ep 1 - ‘This Will Be My Shinning Hour’. (TX 29/04/84)
  • Ep 2 - 'The Best of All Possible Worlds'. (TX 06/05/84)
  • Ep 3 - 'One Night of Love'. (TX 13/05/84)
  • Ep 4 - 'Dance Little Lady'. (TX 20/05/84)
  • Ep 5 - 'Play To Me Gypsy'. (TX 27/05/84)
  • Ep 6 - 'When Vienna Sings'. (TX 03/06/84)

‘Julia!’, ‘Julia Live for ’85’, ‘Julia, Ben Luxon and Fifty Fingers’, and ‘Stuff Dreams are Made of’ were all sequal to Top C’s and recorded at Limehouse Studios (where Canary Wharf is and now sits One Canada Square in its place, and therefore makes them a rarity for anyone who may be interested in the short-lived Limehouse Studios.
Commissioning Editor: Cecil Korer

​Stage Door: one man shows

Notes:  Mainly based on theatre shows, some about a particular famous actor, each show one hour (most recorded and edited with TVI facilities (Television International):
  • 'Here's  a Funny Thing' - a stage play about the life of Max Miller, 'the cheeky chappie' starring John Bardon, Clare Kelly, written by R.W. Shakespeare.  Recorded at the Fortune Theatre, Russell Street, London. (TX 20/11/82)
  • 'Groucho In Toto' - a stage play based on the life of Groucho Marx, starring Jon Rumney, with Lyn Webster and James House, written by Alec Baron.  Recorded at the Shaw Theatre, Euston Road, London. (TX 11/12/82)
  • 'Macready!!!' - a stage play on the life and career of the great Edwardian actor William Macready, played by and written by Frank Barrie.  Recorded at the Fortune Theatre, Russell Street, London. (TX 25/08/83)
  • ‘The Other Side of London’ - starring Ron Moody about villainous characters of historical London including Fagin, with Jan Ravens and Vivienne Martins, written by Ron Moody and Ronnie Cass.  Recorded on location throughout London. (TX 31/12/83)
  • 'Hollywood Hits Chiswick' - a play written for TV about the life of W.C. Fields, starring Derek Newark, with Caroline Quentin, Steve Gardener, Elizabeth Counsell and Julie Le Grand, written by Mike Sharland.  Recorded on location, Chiswick, London. (TX 08/09/83)
  • ‘Pure Libby’ - by Libby Morris.  Recorded at the Shaw Theatre, Euston Road, London.  (TX 04/08/83)
Commissioning Editor: Cecil Korer

​Contemporary Music and Improvisation

  • 'Great Black Music' - the Art Ensemble of Chicago in studio and location in Chicago, Illinois. (TX 1983)
  • 'Crossing Bridges' - six notable guitarists of improvisation including Ron Geesin, Keith Rowe, Fred Frith, Hans Reichel, John Russell, Brian Godding, recorded in studio. (TX 06/08/83)
  • 'Hoarded Dreams' - a commissioned improvised work by jazz composer Graham Collier for the Bracknell Jazz Festival. (TX 06/03/85)
  • 'SleeveNotes' - a selection of clips from the music specials, presented by Peter Clayton. (TX 03/11/82)
Commissioning Editor: Andy Park ​

​Molière

Notes:  'Sganarelle', Molière farces performed by the American Repertory Theatre and recorded at the Duke of York's Theatre, St Martin's Lane, London.  Edited either as 1 x two hour programme and as four individual farces:
  • Le Médecin volant — The Flying Doctor
  • ​Sganarelle ou Le Cocu imaginaire — Sganarelle, or the Imaginary Cuckold
  • Le Mariage forcé — The Forced Marriage
  • Le Médecin malgré lui — The Doctor in Spite of Himself
Commissioning Editor: Mike Kustow

​‘Book Em & Risk It’ and ‘Interference’

Notes:  'Book Em and Risk It' was a pilot show (90 mins) recorded in the foyer of the Royal Festival Hall with Jim Barclay, Mark Arden & Steve Frost (The Oblivion Boys), Steve Dixon, Adrian Hedley, Arnold Brown, Jock McLog & McNikki, The Joeys, Andy de la Tour, and others.  Piano by Kenny Clayton.

'Interference' was the subsequent comedy series based on a concept of a pirate TV station with 'intro' and 'outro' links recorded in the continuity studio of Channel 4 by Fiona Richmond.  Six episodes of 'Interference' (6 x 30 mins) each from a different London 'pirate' location and which aimed to be topical of the news for that specific week.  Cast included Jim Barclay, Arnold Brown, Martin Beaumont, Ronnie Golden & The Dialtones, among others.
Commissioning Editor: Cecil Korer
Neil Anthony
"Neil Anthony started in the business as a dancer.  Writing and choreography were natural stepping stones to becoming a producer.  Since forming The Bright Thoughts Company in 1981 they have produced many shows, mainly in the music and entertainment areas."  
​(Goldcrest Films & Television)
Bryan Izzard
"Bryan Izzard has worked in television for many years as a producer director in the Light Entertainment areas.  He has worked on such Arts programmes as Aquarius and The South Bank Show and has held the post of Head of Entertainment at Scottish TV and Southern TV."  
(Goldcrest Films & Television)