2.5 DVD commentary

[lwhite53]

[Editorial comment -- If you have this commentary, it's well worth listening to.]

Info from 2.5 dvd commentary:
-Commentators: Nicola Walker, Rory MacGregor, Hugh Simon, Howard Brenton.
-Tom and Vicky -- beginning of realization that she's absolutely insane.
-Ruth's terrorist report at beginning -- hand double, 2nd Asst Director.
-Colin definitely wants Sam to go on barge trip -- fancies his chances with her.
-NW: Keeley Hawes can cry on a moment's notice. NW can't make herself cry so they bring in a special gizmo that blows "menthol stuff" into her eyes to gets the tears flowing.
-This ep shot in sequence (never done). HS: "remember thinking we're never, never going to get to the end of this fortnight . . . this is like crossing the Sahara desert."
-Ep shot chronologically, like doing a play. Had to do it that way because the grid had to be gradually dismantled.
-The trick in the writing was to get the shift from "exercise" to "real event" right (for the characters). Audience was always going to know it wasn't real because this was only ep 5 of 10 eps.
-Ruth is obsessed with dirty bombs.
-In real life, MI5 can lock down sections. Still credibility problem with using mobile phones or not (cannot do so in Thames House).
-Colin's line "Downing Street scrambler" -- tongue twister, RM couldn't get it out right. 7 takes to get the scene right.
-EERIE, Turnstile, moving royal family -- all real. Producers anxious to make sure all technical and logistical references were authentic.
-Keeley Hawes spent two weeks in earphones for the ep.
-Emergency protective clothing -- great look to get everyone into them, but they couldn't act with them on.
-RM too tall to be in shots with others so they make him sit most of the time.
-NW: "I remember that being very difficult, how to react to the concept of VX gas. You didn't want to do that scary, scary acting . . . and Peter Firth being the first one to say, 'Do nothing, do nothing.' The world is over, do nothing."
-Had to change the formula for VX gas (on screen in conf room scene). Got the real formula off the internet but weren't allowed to actually put it on the screen.
-Tom sending Stephanie out to die -- scene nicked from "On the Beach" (sailor going out to fish after San Francisco irradiated by nuclear explosion).
-Phrase in old war movies "this is not a drill" -- whole ep is a variation on that phrase.
-We find out more about thse characters in the 30 secs after they realize the event is "real" than in the 1 1/2 seasons to date; Ruth has a cat, Malcolm has a garden, Zoe's father, Danny's mother in gospel choir, etc. This much personal info never revealed again, en masse.
-PF in this ep -- an actor, acting that he's acting. NW: "He's Marlon Brando in the scene when he's affected by the VX gas, similar to "Apocalyse Now" with the poetry.
-HS -- actors we so close to the ep while doing it that they couldn't discern if it would work dramatically (for the audience). The map scene was what convinced them that it would fly.
-Mark and Bridget -- disrupters; worked to question and try to undermine every one of Tom's decisions.
-Ruth had the last word in declaring martial law, "Fiddle on."
-Actors all starting to fall apart by the end of shooting -- had not left grid for two weeks. Didn't see much daylight during the shooting of the ep (end of Feb).
-Weapons locker at back of forgery suite -- didn't exist until Brenton wrote this ep.
-Ruth -- analyst with nothing to analyse -- existential crisis.
-Tom spends whole ep clinging to process and procedure -- only thing he has.
-2 min scene with Mark and Bridget trying to leave grid -- took 2 days to shoot.
-First time we've seen guns on the grid.
-Actors at end being told to get into "party" mood -- really hard to overcome adrenaline rush from shooting scene.
-Tom's "outside world" problem at end -- how to deal with reality after what he's just been through.
-Tom feels betrayed by Harry; Zoe also. Before this, H has always been straight with them.


Note: There is no 2.6 commentary.

[YourFutureMuse]

This is the first time I have ever watched a commentary of anything ever and I loved it

I liked how Howard Brenton managed to confuse himself with his own storyline ( with the parliament square scenes ) and Nicola Walker is really funny too

[Tea Lady]

Me too YFM, my first time and I was in stitches !

I loved NW on the tape. She said she couldnt say the words "British Cities" and it took 10 takes. Also HS calling that moment in Harry's office when Harry is suffering from the VX as Harry's "Apocolypse Now" moment. Great.

The funniest moment I thought was when they were talking about Malcolm's line "I saw Harry go to the loo." They all cracked up and HS said thanks Howard, I get all the great lines. The commentary is worth watching just for this moment.

Thanks lwhite53.

[lwhite53]

Brenton was funny -- talking about why they couldn't do a shot of P Square (too expensive, never empty, etc) and then realizing that they never would have done the shot anyway because the whole exercise wasn't real. Got himself all tied in knots!

Yes, Tea Lady -- the commentaries with actors are definitely much more fun than those with just the writers and directors/producers. The actors are a riot!