TV Quick Magazine – December 2002

The set where Stapleton’s study scenes were filmed couldn’t be more spooky. The Victorian farmhouse, surrounded by trees at the end of a long, driveway, is scary enough by day, but by night it’s positively terrifying.

The interior is cold and damp. A door creaks open to reveal a ghoulish collection of bones, fossils and stuffed animals – and nestling among them is the actor Richard E Grant.

The creepy surroundings became home from home for Richard, who plays eccentric archaeologist Stapleton. He invited TVQuick to have a rummage around and revealed how the macabre artifacts helped bring the character to life.

“Being surrounded by this stuff is quite helpful. It means you don’t have to imagine what Stapleton’s life was like,” says Richard. “Some Victorians were obsessed with collecting plants and animals and Stapleton is one of them. He’s genial and all smiles most of the time, but there is more to him.”

Sherlock Holmes is without a doubt Britain’s most famous fictional detective and made his first celluloid appearance in a silent film in 1908, but Richard doesn’t know much about him.

“Before doing The Hound of The Baskervilles I didn’t know any of the Sherlock Holmes stories. I only know of him because of Baker Street tube station.

“I grew up in Africa and read voraciously, but Sir Conan Doyle’s books just passed me by.

“Reading Agatha Christie books was my last foray into detective fiction, so I couldn’t say I’m a fan.”

Last time Richard, 45, was seen in a BBC drama he played Englishman Sir Percy Blakeney in the title role in The Scarlet Pimpernel, and recently appeared in the hit film Gosford Park.

Richard lives in London with his wife Joan, a voice coach, and their daughter Olivia, and keeps busy when he’s between jobs. “I write a lot and read. I never just loll about my house wondering what to do”’ he says.

And despite an established career, he still worries about the next job. “I know from speaking to older actors you do get troughs when there’s no employment, but that’s part of the job really.”

Saturday 14th December 2002

REG apparently presented one of the first awards, but it’s not known at this stage which award it was or even who it was presented to? The response from one REGiment member after seeing Richard dressed to the nines in a tuxedo was “PHWOAR!!!”

"Outline An Orchid" Auction – September 2002

With the help of David Bellamy, the President of the Wildlife Trusts, the Dorset Wildlife Trust has recently asked famous people if they could "Outline an Orchid" (the logo of the Dorset Wildlife Trust).

The response has been wonderful and The Dorset Wildlife Trust now has over 220 drawings to auction between October this year and spring of 2003. This makes it the biggest auction of its type ever.

The range of contributors is remarkable, from musicians, artists, poets, actors, writers, TV personalities and sports stars. All in all they cover the very best of popular culture today. Here is a selection of some of them with a list of all the people who have so generously supported this worthwhile charity with their time and skill. Thanks go to them all.

Thanks are also due to the sponsors of this auction whose provision of raw materials has kept the cost down considerably. So thank you to Abbey Life for sponsoring our postage and to Hobbycraft of Ferndown, Daler Rowney and Winsor & Newton for sponsoring all the watercolour paper we used.

More information on the auction itself, and how to bid for the original drawings, will be added to this site as soon as it is available.

Les Bunce
Auction Organiser.

NOTE:- Auction realized a final bid of £111.01 GBP for Richard’s submission.

Click here to read another article.

British talent dominated the top awards for international television in New York a couple of weeks ago.

Four of the seven International Emmys were taken by Britain, including BBC2’s, The Kumars at No 42, for an episode with guests Richard E. Grant and Michael Parkinson alongside regular stars Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal.

The comedy about a TV chat show from the team behind Goodness, Gracious Me, shared the Emmy for Popular Arts with Channel 4’s Faking It, with burger vendor Ed attempting to master culinary skills with the help of chef Gordon Ramsay.

This year’s International Emmys are the 30th to be presented by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and were handed out by stars including Joan Collins, Angela Lansbury and Mia Farrow.

It’s also rumored that the same people who gave us Friends and Frasier on US television have negotiated to adapt the show structure of the Kumars at No. 42 with its creator, and are planning to create a US version of the show changing the concept slightly to a Mexican/American family with the surname “Ortega.” We will have to see if it goes beyond the development stages and results in as good a show as The Kumars.

Sue W. informs me that REG appears in the latest issue of Britain’s “Woman’s Own” Magazine – so all of you UK-ers rush to your Newsagents now and pick up a copy. For everyone else you can read the article here.

Sue also said that she saw the SP DVD set in HMV – so apparently it is not a Woolworths exclusive? However, nowhere on the DVDs did It say that it contained the extras that the tapes have included on them. Perhaps if someone purchases the British DVDs they can let us know? The Kumars at No. 42 tape & DVD were also available at all the shops.

For U.S. Regimentals – Linda B. has sent in a list of upcoming REG movies for December. She describes it as “The most REG films I’ve ever seen scheduled for broadcast in a given month on cable stations that are NOT premium channels (which I don’t subscribe to!!).”

Anyway, get those VCR’s primed cause here they are….

A Christmas Carol – Sunday December 15, 9:00 P.M. and Monday. December 23 8:00 P.M. on TNT

Hudson Hawk – Friday December 13, 3:00 P.M. and Saturday December 14 11:00 A.M. on Comedy Central

The Scarlet Pimpernel/A Good Name – Tuesday December 31 1:00 P.M. on Bravo

The Scarlet Pimpernel – Tuesday December 31 3:00 P.M. on Bravo

The Scarlet Pimpernel/Friends and Enemies – Tuesday December. 31 5:00 P.M. on Bravo

Warlock – Saturday December 28 11:00 P.M. on Sci Fi

For those with BBC America – The Match is on Saturday December 14th at 10 P.M. and Sunday December. 15th at 2:00 A.M. and Ab Fab (Hospital episode) is on Tuesday December 31st at 4:00 P.M.

For those with Independent Film Channel – Twelfth Night is on December 6th, 12th, 16th & 17th at various times.

For those with Encore Regular – The Little Vampire is on December. 13th, 16th, 22nd & 25th at various times.

Something for everyone there! Thanks guys.