Fireworks at the Villa Lucia!

My Hero script writer Paul Mendelson's radio comedy Fireworks at the Villa Lucia!, starring Sammantha Bond, will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on New Year's Eve.

Described as an original Neapolitan radio comedy, the Radio Times selected Mendelson's story as a Pick of the Day for Christmas. "If you can only watch one TV show, listen to one radio programme or see one film on television each day this festive season, this is what you must tune in for."

When Pete (played by Philip Whitchurch, who played Tyler in My Hero), a jobbing TV scriptwriter who's jobbing less and less, goes on holiday to get away from the downward spiral of his career and breathe some fresh life into his marriage.

Finding himself booked into the same hotel in the Bay of Naples as a cult Hollywood director, who's on holiday to get away from movies and writers, Peter tries to pitch his cherished movie idea.

Knowing any director would run a mile from a struggling TV writer brandishing a dog-eared movie script, Pete hits on a ruse to "sell" his script – he'll intrigue the guy by pretending his fiction is the true story of how he and Julie (Bond) met.

Farcical misunderstandings ensue as Julie is forced to pass herself off as the script's main character – a fiery Venezuelan ex-soap star – with Pete masquerading as her psychoanalyst. And, as Julie gets into playing the role, she begins to re-write the script on the hoof giving the character a third split in her personality.

• Fireworks at the Villa Lucia! will be broadcast on Thursday 31st December on BBC Radio 4 at 2.15pm

My Hero director, producer John Stroud Dead at Just 54

We're very sorry to report that My Hero and producer and director John Stroud has died aged 54 of a brain tumour.

John, who was also co-founder of Big Bear Films with Marcus Mortimer and is probably best known for his work on My Hero, enjoyed a TV career that spanned 30 years, from joining Thames Television as a trainee to setting up the indie in 1996.

Both John and Marcus were keen to use their experience to hothouse new writers, as well as developing projects with more familiar talents and produced six seasons of My Hero, as well as the upcoming BBC circus-based comedy Big Top (due to screen later this year on BBC1) and The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook, a rare foray into factual fare. (John discovered The Hairy Bikers, brought them to Big Bear and co-produced and/or directed 21 episodes of The Hairy Bikers Cookbook and The Hairy Bikers Ride Again and a special for BBC 2).

A Cambridge Footlights contemporary of Griff Rhys Jones, Jimmy Mulville and Peter Fincham, Stroud’s first TV credits included Rainbow and The Sooty Show, where he notoriously secured an appearance by punk group UK Subs.

John, who is survived by a wife and two children, made his name with Channel 4 sketch show Who Dares Wins, he directed shows such as Spitting Image, Harry Enfield and Chums and the final episode of Minder.

While we were covering production of My Hero John was a wonderful supporter of this micro site, providing valuable background material and more to the making of the show. 

We're sure he will be much missed.

• You can read our 2005 interview with John here

Big Top Comes to BBC1

On its way to BBC 1 this autumn from Big Bear, makers of My Hero, is a new 'high concept' family comedy, Big Top.

It’s set in and around a travelling circus and isi about the performers and backstage staff that make up Circus Maestro. Each week a story is unfolded, erected, performed and taken down just like the big top itself. 

As you'd expect, the circus is fraught with problems, which the Ring Mistress (Lizzie, played by Amanda Holden) must overcome. What do you do when you’ve advertised a death-defying stunt which everyone has bought tickets to see, and the performer is just that little bit too injured? How do you manage a group of people who are so jealous of each other they are happy to sabotage their colleagues performances; or so dedicated as performers, that they are willing to sabotage their own survival? When the star acrobat is being chased by immigration, how do you hold on to him? Big Top's characters clash with a cacophony of egos and Lizzie must keep the whole thing going... somehow.

Big Top stars:

• Amanda Holden as Lizzie, The Ringmistress, keeping the show going against all odds;
• John Thomson and Sophie Thompson as Geoff and Helen, The Clowns, a husband and wife team. Geoff thinks he knows more about comedy than anyone, but hasn’t a funny bone in his body. Helen is his long suffering wife.
• Tony Robinson as Erasmus is the soundman and accountant. He is cynical, manipulative and callous and will do anything to make a quick buck. His attitude to the other performers borders on contempt.
• Ruth Madoc as Georgie and David the Dog. Georgie is the “Grande Dame” of Circus Maestro and now works with a dog, whom she often uses to get what she wants – “David’s not happy with the size of our caravan” - In truth she couldn’t care less about the dog.
• Bruce MacKinnon as Boyco, the East European Acrobat. Without Boyco, Circus Maestro would go down the pan. He is dazzlingly talented and incredibly naïve to the ways of the English World. As a result, everyone tries to take advantage of him.