Re: RARA-AVIS: The Singing Detective

Dave (birdlives@earthlink.net)
Mon, 14 Sep 1998 12:07:30 -0700 "The Singing Detective" is one of the classics of television, in the
U.S. or the U.K., and is generally viewed as Dennis Potter's greatest
work. I believe it's four or five hours long, and it has been broadcast
in the states a couple times. Yes, and it is available on video.

This is a must view, I believe. Not only is Potter one of the top
dramatic writers in any genre, but it's wonderfully directed as well.
Plus, it's completely autobiographical, with the lead character having
the same extreme case of psoriasis that Potter had. Potter died a couple
years ago, and apparently there's a macabre late interview with him
where's he's swigging liquid opium and smoking cigarettes, and talking
about death!

Hopefully it's not too close to the story you are writing -- however,
one of Potter's "signatures" was having people break out into song --
"Pennies From Heaven," etc. It's hard to do that now, without being
reminicent of Potter.

Dave

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