SEPTEMBER
2005
>
ITV's
'50 Greatest Shows' - The Results (Posted
14/09/05)
ITV screened the countdown of it's Top 50 TV shows on
Saturday 10th September 2005 (results based on votes by the
public), in which Cracker came 12th - a little disappointing given
some of the dubious entries that made the final top 10 - but
respectable all the same. Christopher Eccleston was interviewed
about the series in which he spoke about "Jimmy McGovern's
scripts" and the programme's ability to be unpredictable
(citing the early killing off of his character DCI Bilborough as
an example) as to why the series was so good. Jimmy
McGovern's "Hillsborough" docu-drama also came in the
top 50, charting at No.24.
To view the full top 50 click
HERE
MAY
2005
>
ITV's
'50 Greatest Shows' - Vote (Posted
11/05/05)
ITV,
the channel on which Cracker was originally aired back in 1993 in
the UK, celebrates it's 50th anniversary this year with a
countdown of it's '50 Greatest Shows' and Cracker is, quite
rightfully, one of the shows nominated. Viewers will be
able to vote for their favourites and see the results in a three
hour long final countdown to be shown on ITV in September.
For
more information about how to vote for Cracker in ITV's '50
Greatest Shows' click HERE
JANUARY
2005
>
ITV3
Screening Cracker - The Entire Series (Posted
07/01/05)
Fans
in the UK will be pleased to know that ITV3 is now screening the
entire series. Episodes will be screened every Wednesday night at
10.00pm and begin on Wednesday 5th January 2005 with the first
episode of "The Mad Woman In The Attic".
MARCH
2004
>
Cracker
Is Coming Back! (Posted
30/03/04)
After
a lengthy eight year absence, Cracker is finally making it's way
back to our television screens. Robbie Coltrane will be reprising
his role as Dr.Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald in a planned
2005 special one-off episode with series creator Jimmy McGovern
writing the script!
For
more details on the return of Cracker click here
OCTOBER
2003
>
Region
1 DVD Release
Those
outside of the UK and Europe will now be pleased to know that the
1st Series of Cracker was released in Region 1 format on October
14th 2003, with the 2nd Series due out on February 24th 2004. No
news as yet of a release date for the 3rd Series but I am sure it
can't be that far off now. Still, like the Region 2 format, there
are sadly no extra's or deleted scenes etc.
>
Channel
4 - The '100' Greatest Scariest Moments
Another
Top 100 list was screened on Channel 4 recently, this time the
"100 Greatest Scary Moments" of film and television, and
to even my surprise Cracker made it onto the list at No.87th.
The
scene in question was the confrontation between Fitz and Albie in
'To Be A Somebody' when Fitz returns into the interview room
carrying the bomb Albie had addressed to Jimmy Beck. Scary? I'm
not sure about that, but definitely suspenseful. This is what Channel 4 had to say about the selected scene that
made the Top 100:
"No.87
- Granada's Cracker starred Robbie Coltrane as Fitz, the maverick
wise-cracking, hard-drinking, gambling forensic psychologist. To
Be A Somebody sowed the seeds for writer Jimmy McGovern's
unforgettable dramatisation of the Hillsborough tragedy. Robert
Carlyle played a terrifying Scouse psychopath, Albie, who snaps
after the death of his father. He exacts revenge for the
Hillsborough disaster in his own twisted way, killing both a
shopkeeper and police officer Christopher Eccleston, in one of the
most shocking scenes shown on UK television. But the scene with
real nail-biting tension had Albie face to face with Cracker, who
is holding the unexploded parcel bomb that Albie sent to the
police. The building is cleared until it's just the two of them.
Tick tock, tick tock.."
MARCH
2003
>
Coltrane
admits he would play Fitz again
The following brief article made
it's way onto the internet recently, taken from a
recent Teletext interview with Coltrane:
Robbie
Coltrane has confirmed he wants to make a one-off special of
Cracker. He turned down a fourth series of the criminal psychology
show in the mid 90's, for which he won a Bafta, but the actor says
he would consider reprising his role of Dr Edward "Fitz"
FItzgerald if the script was written by Jimmy McGovern. Coltrane
is spending the next six months filming Harry Potter and the
Prisoner of Azkaban, before starting work on the fourth Potter
film. He told Teletext "What we wanted to do was a film,
that's what we all agreed at the last cast party. But a one-off
would be great. My career has always been by chance and I have
been terribly lucky, especially when you see the list of people
who were up to play Fitz. I didn't have a game plan".
That
actually sounds pretty promising from Coltrane, but as usual it
all comes down to one sole factor - Jimmy McGovern. Unless he
writes the script then sadly I can't see it happening.
>
Cracker
is released on DVD
Yes
the full series is finally going to be available to buy - release
date 12th May 2003 - Region 2 Only. For more information click
here
FEBRUARY
2002
In
a recent web chat on 29/01/02 with 'Virgin' Robbie Coltrane finally
had something to say about the possibility of there ever being
another Cracker story. At least there is now the possibility, however
small, that a new story could still happen. You can read the full
transcript of this interview at Virgin
Chat.
"Cracker
was three years and that was that. I always said we would do a
one-off if we got a really wonderful storyline, one that was in
keeping with the psychology of Cracker. If somebody came up with a
fantastic story that was completely convincing as a Cracker story
I think we'd always be happy to do one more. But not for economic
reasons."
SEPTEMBER
2001
>
DVD
Release Of Cracker?
After
receiving several e-mails over the last few months asking me if I
know of a DVD release for Cracker I decided recently to contact
Granada Media to see if they had any plans to release the full
series on DVD. I was told that there was no plans at present but
it was something they were planning to look at in the future, and
to contact them towards the end of the year for any further news -
which I shall be doing, as I like the many other people who have
contacted me, would love it to finally be released on DVD. As soon
as I find out anything I will be sure to post it here.
>
Is
Fitz Really Harder Than Tony Soprano?
Well,
according to Channel 4's recent Top Ten TV Hardmen of all time he
is! Fitz was voted in at 9th place, just ahead of Tony Soprano. I
was suprised that Fitz was included in a top 10 that also featured
the likes of The Equalizer, The Professionals and erm, BA Baracus
from the A-Team! I suppose as hard men go Fitz is mentally tough -
but he's never been known as physically hard (except maybe when he
head-butted Jimmy Beck). But it was fun to see him in the list all
the same, and it was backed up by comments from producer Gub Neal,
Barbara Flynn, Geraldine Somerville and Coltrane himself.
MAY
2001
>
The
36th Greatest TV Character of All Time
Channel
4 recently screened it's Top 100 TV Characters and Robbie
Coltrane's Fitz was in at No.36, as voted by the british public.
Of course, I am completely biased and personally felt he should
have been a lot higher - but 36 was good enough! The show showed
some brief clips (mainly from 'To Say I Love You') complete with
comments from the shows producer Gub Neal and TV writer Russell T
Davies. For the full top 100 visit the Channel
4 Top 100 Website
SEPTEMBER
2000
>
The
39th Greatest British TV Show
The
British Film Institute recently published their Top 100 British TV
Shows of all time, in which Cracker came in at 39th place,
respectable when you consider the list featured all genres of TV
and from the list it appeared to be the highest placed crime
series. It was also voted as the 9th best british drama
series/serial made. Further information is available about the
list at the BFI
Website but
this is what they had to say about the show:
"Exploiting
the critical distance offered by a non-police hero, McGovern's
furious writing railed at religion, the media, mob mentality and
the police force itself. In the hard-drinking, compulsive
gambling, bitterly cynical, chronically reckless but nevertheless
brilliant psychologist Fitz, McGovern took the archetype of the
flawed hero to new extremes. Particularly impressive were two
stories dealing respectively with a child murder, and a psychopath
(a terrifying Carlyle) exacting revenge for the Hillsborough
disaster, which contained the germ for McGovern's later single
drama on the subject."
The
Unofficial Guide To Cracker 1999-2006
(http://www.crackertv.co.uk)
