ITV Screenplay - Talent (1979) (Part 1)

Part 1 of 2 of the ITV play by Victoria Wood. Two young friends travel up north to enter a talent contest at a seedy nightclub hoping to find fame. For Julie, she is desperate to make it big in order to escape her marriage and the everyday drudgery of her life. She is accompanied by her best friend Maureen, as much for support as for hopes that her own talents may be spotted. But both soon discover that there are downsides in trying to get their break, as well as the more seedier side of the fame game...

Starring Julie Walters, Victoria Wood, Bill Waddington, Nat Jackley, Peter Ellis, Kevin Lloyd, Sue Glover and Andrew Dodge. This is one of the videos I was fortunate enough to save from Mick's Nostalgia Channel before it disappeared, so you have him to thank for this. This was written by Victoria Wood, who not only scripted it but stars in it and composed the songs too. It was featured in the short lived anthology series ITV Screenplay and was broadcast on August 5th 1979. It is an interesting look at the attempts of aspiring talent trying to make it big, as well as showcasing that predatory behaviour and "casting couch" attitudes have been prevalent for years, despite attempts from showbusiness to plead ignorance of the fact. It is also fascinating to see such big stars making their early break, including future The Bill stars Peter Ellis (Superintendant Brownlow) and Kevin Lloyd (Tosh Lines), plus Coronation Street's very own Percy Sugden (aka Bill Waddington), a little more cheery here than he would be on the Cobbles just 4 years later.