Other titles:
Gold
Anthony Hayward
Andre Deutsch
London
1997
128 pp.
ISBN 0 233 99048 8
£12.99
Keywords Drama, Television
LCSH Television programs ‐ Great Britain. Television plays, English
The TV pedigree of Anthony Hayward now extends to a score of books. It is natural that he should have moved from general titles such as Who’s Who in Television and The Who’s Who of Soap Opera to more specifics such as the present books.
Emmerdale is truly a companion, chronicling the events, year by year, of a quarter‐century in the TV fictional village (originally named Beckindale). The summary of each year’s events is followed by two sections (“Passing through” and “Off screen”) that give additional information on the year in question, with special reference to new and transient characters.
Gold is also the title for the new TV series that started life as Band of Gold. There were two series under the original title and, so far, there has been one of Gold. (Judging by the ratings, there will surely be another.)
The first two series concerned a small group of Bradford‐based prostitutes, but the new series follows the life of only two, Rose and Carol. Gold, the book, tells the story‐lines episode by episode. (For me this is a considerable plus, because, after three series, I find myself hazy about who is who and who did what.)
There are two introductory chapters on the programmes and their creator, Kay Mellor. The last chapter details the process by which the prostitute characters were researched and invented, and gives a vivid account of the real lifestyle on which these women were based. This section also puts flesh on these fictional characters, tells how they were dressed and made up (made over, perhaps) to create a realistic “world” of pimpery and prostitution.
Of the two books, Emmerdale is the more satisfactorily organised, with an index to characters that covers both text and photo references. Gold would have profited from such an index. Emmerdale also has handy lists of births, deaths, and marriages, besides a chapter on today’s cast, and another labelled “Cast from the past”.
Non‐specialist libraries, as well as those specialising in media studies, would find both books worth a place on reference shelves. With the viewing figures these shows attract, there must be many people who will want to consult the books.
Both volumes, by the way, are attractively produced and strongly bound ‐ not always the case with books of popular appeal, many of which seem to be put together on the cheap.
