MaryKir's Hugh Laurie Archive

South of Watford (1983-8)

South of Watford was a regional documentary program on London Weekend Television that looked at aspects of entertainment, art, and leisure in Southeast England. There were 6 series which aired between 7 Jan 1983 and 25 Mar 1988. Hugh presented the 4th and 5th series; other presenters included Ben Elton and John Lloyd.

The information I have about the series is from the ITN Archive (episode descriptions) and the BFI Film & TV Database (credits).

Ben Elton mentioned South of Watford and Hugh during a radio interview 13 Nov 2007:

0:37 excerpt from the Steve Wright radio show on BBC Radio 2
0.5MB MP3 file: SendSpacePro

Series 1 (1983)

This series may have had a variety of presenters. Episodes included:

• South of Watford (7 Jan)
• The Return of Ballroom Dancing (14 Jan)
• Kent Miners (21 Jan)
• Singles (28 Jan)
• The Isle of Dogs (4 Feb)
• Nobs (11 Feb)
• no title available (18 Feb)
• Ettore Sottass Memphis Group (25 Feb)
• London's Ailing Theaters (aka Musicals) (4 Mar)
• Sunday Football (11 Mar)
• New Punk (18 Mar)
• Young Fashion Designers (25 Mar)
• David Bowie/Milton Keynes (22 Jul)
• The Electronic Cottage (29 Jul)
• Tourists (5 Aug)
• Guns (12 Aug)
• Hell's Angels (19 Aug)

The ITN archive lists the July and August episodes as part of series 2.

Series 2 (1984)

It looks like Ben Elton presented all the episodes in this series, including:

• Itinerant Clubs (17 Feb)
• Funny Women (24 Feb)
• Pop Video (2 Mar)
• Derek Jarman & Exhibition (9 Mar)
• Carp Hunters - Walthamstow (16 Mar)
• Goodbye Whimp, Hallo Hunk (23 Mar)
• Pub Rock Revisited (30 Mar)
• Bangers and Smash (6 Apr)
• The King's Road (13 Apr)
• Gilbert and George (27 Apr)
• Putting Back the Style (4 May)
• Gender Benders (11 May)
• Foodies (18 May)
• Absolute Beginners (25 May)
• McCullins Whitechapel (1 Jun)
• Treasure Trap (8 Jun)
• Madness Camden (15 Jun)
• Gardens (22 Jun)
• Metal Music (29 Jun)
• Elton Finds a Cure (6 Jul)

Series 3 (1985)

Ben Elton also presented the episodes of series 3, including:

• Magic and Witchcraft (18 Jan)
• Frank Chickens (25 Jan)
• Steven Berkoff (1 Feb)
• Pubs (8 Feb)
• Party Party (8 Mar)
• Choo-choos (15 Mar)
• Bruce McLean (22 Mar)
• Houseboats (29 Mar)
• Skiing (5 Apr)

Series 4 (1986)

Hugh took over the presenting duties for series 4. And what a fun time he must have had :)

1. Filofax People (17 Jan 1986)

BFI lists an alternate title, "David Colisshen - The Man Behind Filofax" and describes the episode as a programme on the growth industry of the media in London, and the essential piece of equipment, the filofax.

2. Ashes to Ashes (24 Jan 1986)

BFI lists this as "The Golden Age of Cemeteries."

Hugh Laurie this week uncovers the Gothic charm of London's Victorian cemeteries - and the rather grisly fascination they hold for a growing number of people. The cemeteries - Kensal Green, Brompton, Abney Park, Norwood, Highgate - are still perhaps London's most under-used open spaces but in the last 10 years more and more Londoners have discovered their strange history, their beauty and the apparently unending stream of macabre stories they throw up.

3. Shops as Art (31 Jan 1986)

BFI lists this as "Modern Shops."

The new style shop (minimalist, intimidating, can it really be for me?) comes under Hugh Laurie's rather baffled scrutiny this week. Braving the old ladies in the January sales, he attempts to discover the origins, effects and implications of the design revolution that's sweeping the high street. The programme looks at the little Sloane Street shops like Joseph and Issay Miyake which began the giddy cycle of what the ex-US Ambassador, Walter Annenberg was once pleased to call the 'extensive processes of refurbishment'; moves onto the big multiples and how they've adapted the look and finally back to the new generation of little shops and their attempts to stay one step ahead of the game. Hugh talks to Hugh Davies, the genius behind Next; the creator of the beguiling concept, 'sensory shopping'; designer Rodney Fitch, whose business has grown fat on matt black; Peter York, wearing his marketing man hat, and a clutch of barmy women who run rather silly shops.

4. Eduardo Paolozzi (7 Feb 1986)

Eduardo Paolozzi has been described as the father figure of the pop art movement in Britain. When he began preparing his latest exhibition at the Museum of Mankind, Hugh Laurie and the SOW team went along to watch him at work. We see him at work in the stores, in a street market, a book shop, a toy shop and various skips picking up the images that catch his eye. The programme not only attempts to describe the man's strange working methods and his place in the history of modern British art, but also to sketch Paolozzi's London. Includes interviews with Eduardo Paolozzi, Prof. Chris Frayling, Roger De Grey, Malcolm McLeod, Dr. Rowan Watson and Fathers of Pop.

5. Sigue Sigue Sputnik (14 Feb 1986)

The programme looks at the new single by new band Sigue Sigue Sputnik, and the cunning and painstaking strategy of the group's leader and mastermind Tony James. The programme looks at how he achieved to find the faces, hook the record company, and plan the marketing and the inevitably outrageous promotion Other pop figures adding their opinions to this tale of pop in the 80's are Peter Powell, Paul Morley (the media man behind Frankie goes to Hollywood) and Steve Sutherland of Melody Maker. Includes interviews with; Tony James, Martin Degville, Neil, Paul Morley, Peter Powell, Steve Sutherland, Peter Paul, Dave Ambrose, Ray Still, Giorgio Moroder and Hugh Simmonds.

6. Theatre de Complicite (7 Mar 1986)

BFI lists this episode as "Comedia del Arte."

no description available

7. London as a Film Set (14 Mar 1986)

Over the next six months or so, a number of feature films will be released which don't just use London as a location, but feature it very strongly almost indeed as a central character. They include Julien Temple's much-talked about Absolute Beginners and the new Neil Jordan film, Mona Lisa. The makers of these and other films aim, amongst other films, to try to give London a fresh cinematic image, one that's very different from the city that's deeply embedded in the minds of movie audiences all over the world - a place of cobbled street, rough dockside pubs, swirling fogs and caped figures bellowing, 'This way Watson, This way'.

8. The New Georgians (21 Mar 1986)

Hugh Laurie dons a wig, frock-coat and beauty spot this week to attend a Georgian-style levee at the home of the artist and illustrator Glynn Boyd-Harte. This is the starting point for his investigation of the so called New Georgians, those whose love of 18th century and early 19th century architecture has overcome rapacious developers, indifferent bureaucrats, incompetent builders and preserved little gems of Georgiana all around London. These people have done their work in rather incongruous settings, like next to vegetable markets and railway stations, in places like King's Cross, Spitalfields and the nether end of Bloomsbury.

9. Jim Whiting (4 Apr 1986)

In a strange little house in the Archway Road lives a man and his 'lodgers', rather strange creatures with a life of their own - they bark, whack each other over the head, dangle from the ceiling, take tea in the garden. They are Jim Whiting's 'unnatural bodies' - mechanical and electronic sculptures which have made his name in the art world and latterly in pop and film circles. In the last year or so pop videos and the Sting film, The Bride, have brought Whiting's obsession with the human form, his mechanical skills and his sense of humour to a wider audience. In this weeks programme, Hugh Laurie accompanies Whiting on expeditions for raw materials for his moving figures - in scrapyards, warehouses - and the source of many ideas, the macabre medical history section of the Science Museum. Laurie watches Whiting at work on his latest exhibition and probes the root of his contrasting but linked obsessions - the human body and the machine.

10. Morris Minors (11 Apr 1986)

Hugh Laurie takes to the road this week to examine a motoring phenomenon, the discreet charm of the Morris Minor. Despite the fact that the last one trundled off the production line 15 years ago, the humble Moggy still has a special place in the hearts of many thousands of people, representing as it does the spirit of post-war Britain. But as well as having bags of personality, the car is also admired as a piece of consummate good design. All in all, the Morris Minor has become something of a cult object, for today's young people as well as those who drove it first in the 1950's. Laurie tells the story of this unique motor car, meeting in the process, many doting owners all united in their passion for the dumpy little car.

11. Alison Waley (18 Apr 1986)

In 1929 a young woman called Alison Waley arrived at Liverpool Street Station, her long journey from New Zealand finally over. She'd achieved her greatest ambition; within days she'd cut her roots with home, tearing up her return ticket and letters of introduction to eminent persons. She was on her own; she was free. She got herself a tiny room in Bloomsbury, an ill-paid job as a publisher's reader and 'set out to live', in the city of her dreams. Fifty seven years later, although she no longer bathes in the toilets of the British Museum, Alison Whaley is still living a wildly unconventional life.

12. Leigh Bowery (25 Apr 1986)

A few years ago, London Fashion Week was a small scale, almost amateurish affair. Now it's a multi-media event with journalists and buyers flying into London in their hundreds. London has become the fashion centre of the world for the young; and the key to this success is the incorporation into high fashion of the styles of the street. One of the most influential designers is this area has been Leigh Bowery, an Australian who's lived in London (a tower block in Stepney actually) for the last six years.

13. Jazz (2 May 1986)

In the last few years, London has become a jazz city, unique in the range of elements that make up a vibrant and increasingly popular scene. For quarter of a century, jazz had a rather poor reputation with the young; it was old hats' music, heavy and inpenetrable, overlaid with the rather snooty pretensions of the jazz establishment. But then hard bop - based on the driving black jazz of the 1940's - was rediscovered by one or two DJs in clubs, jazz musicians like Tommy Chase began to play it live and young audiences, weary of the apparently aimless meanderings of pop, found something fresh and exciting. This was music you could drink to, dance to, wear a good suit to ....

14. Ivor Cutler (9 May 1986)

South of Watford this week examines a cult success on London's fringe performance circuit, a man with a new album out this week from the hip independent label Rough Trade and an accompanying book from Methuen. He is a 63 year old Scotsman, who draws much of his inspiration form the Glasgow slums where he was brought up in the 1930's; he sings strange dirge-like ditties, accompanying himself only on a battered harmonica. The last person, one would have thought, to pack the crowds of young people who gather at places like Jongleurs in Battersea.

3:42 excerpt in which Hugh has tea and goes for a bike ride with Cutler. This is the only part with Hugh on screen other than more bike riding during the end credits.
15.1MB AVI: SendSpacePro
18.7MB MOV: SendSpacePro
12 screencaps

15. The Mutoid Waste Company (16 May 1986)

In the last programme of the series Hugh Laurie gets embroiled in the activities of the Mutoid Waste Company, one of the strangest but most entertaining communities in London. Mutoids are a bunch of urban gypsies whose philosophy and lifestyle have been influenced by flower power, Mad Max and Judge Dredd comics.

This program has been posted to YouTube (in 3 parts) by UnitedSystems. Thanks to Poeia for the heads-up. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

39 screencaps of Hugh

Series 5 (1986-7)

Hugh also presented the episodes of series 5.

1. Men and Magazines ( 7 Nov 1986)

Young men are tough nuts for the advertising industry to crack. The problem is they don't watch too much TV and they don't read general magazines, making it hard to flog them consumer goodies. So advertisers would love to see a general "lifestyle" magazine for men: a sort of macho 'Cosmo'. Publishers are also very aware of this - they know men are the doorway to rich pickings, if only they could find the key. So the publishing industry is watching with great interest the birth of 'Arena' on November 5th.

2. The Urbanites (14 Nov 1986)

BITE THIS! said the invitation to a recent exhibition of paintings and illustrations at the Tricycle Theatre. The artists were Yuval Zommer and Wiganovsky, Wigan for short. Collectively they are known as the Urbanites. And BITE THIS? - it's New York rapping slang for 'get a load of this' and that's the challenge that these two young artists - Yuval's 22, Wigan is 26 - are throwing to the art world. Since April, when they got together, they've produced a vast output of illustrations, paintings and murals (their most publicised at the Limelight Club) all reflecting their obsessive interest in young people and their pre-occupations in the mid 1980's. Theirs is a world of club culture - style, dress, fads and trends - and of being young urban young in the consuming Britain of Mrs Thatcher. This world they bring to their canvasses/murals with vitality and wit.

3. The Band of Joy (21 Nov 1986)

BFI lists this as "The Band of Holy Silence."

'The next truly great band to break out of the indie circuit' is the future predicted by the music press for one of the most unusual and inventive bands in London. Cheekily pinching their name from a Salvation Army Temperence Band, 'The Band of Holy Joy' have had critics comparing the spirit of their work to Brecht, Weill and even Jaques Brel. This seven piece band from the New Cross and Deptford area show a complete disregard for the conventions of modern pop. Their songs are bitter/sweet tales of urban life and draw heavily on the sights and sounds of the area. They make their music with a motley collection of instruments found in junk shops and street markets, like banjoes, toy accordians and trombones. 'Holy Joy' are free from the pretentions of so many bands whose sights are set on chart success and a spot in the sun (and the 'Sun'). As Hugh Laurie discovers, theirs is a world of Salvation Army meetings, pub singalongs, abandoned cemeteries and psychiatric hospitals. The songs performed are "The Aspidistra House", "Fishwives" and "One Child Died in Heaven."

4. Animation City (28 Nov 1986)

Ten years ago animation meant the Flintstones and regurgitated Disney Films every half term. A decade on, London has emerged as the centre of an animation boom, with the best ideas, the best technology, and the best artists. Now Disney comes to us, with Spielberg and Disney negotiating with a London based animation studio, and our young animators providing almost all of the worlds best pop promos, T.V. commercials and short films. The Art of Noise perform "The Peter Gunn Theme."

5. Michael Roberts (5 Dec 1986)

London is the heart of the British fashion industry. Riding on the back of British fashion week in mid-October (when we'll be finding out what anybody whose anybody will be wearing next summer), Hugh Laurie meets one of the most notorious and enigmatic figures in this field - Michael Roberts. By day Roberts works as Design Director for 'Vogue' and Fashion Director on 'Tatler' - his impact upon the British and European fashion scene is immense. He arrived fresh faced from art college in High Wycombe in the late 1960's and quickly found himself a niche as assistant to Molly Parkin on The Sunday Times. His skills as fashion illustrator and fashion writer were quickly recognised and, in no time at all, he was masterminding the 'Look' pages as fashion editor in his own right.

6. Bhangra Rock (16 Jan 1987)

It's hard to believe that London could harbour a thriving pop industry without the knowledge of the music press, the record companies, the retail chains, and most of the general public. Particularly when successful bands from this undiscovered music scene enjoy all the trappings of rock stardom - going on world tours, selling gold discs and packing in hysterical young fans at West End venues. Yet very few people outside the Asian community have encountered "Bhangra Rock" - slickly produced and energetic dance music which has combined the traditional folk rhythms of Northern India with the sophistications and showmanship of Western Pop. Susan Leong performs "Il Riait."

7. Bikers (23 Jan 1987)

BFI lists this as "Motor Cycling."

no description available

8. Chinese (30 Jan 1987)

no description available

9. Morgan Khan (6 Feb 1987)

In recent years the ghetto inspired American explosion in Hip Hop and Electro Music has been spreading like wildfire. It has now successfully crossed the Atlantic and is almost as big over here as it is on the street of New York. Together with Soul and Jazz, the black music scene has become big business. Street music and style have come a long way since the initial buzz and excitement generated by the breakdancing and bodypopping of the early 80's. The man who's done more than any other to foster and cash-in on the whole scene is the 28 year old black music entrepreneur, Morgan Khan. His 'Street Sounds' and 'Street Wave' record labels have made him a multi-millionaire.

10. Mime (13 Feb 1987)

Mention mime to most people and it conjours up pictures of Marcel Marceau with his whitened face and sad expression, trying to get out of an imaginary box. Some call it precious, elitist, even downright boring. But in this episode of South of Watford, we ask you to look again, as we explore the changing face of British mime. It's no longer the wordless world of the soloist. Today a whole new generation of artists have pushed back its traditional frontiers to create one of the most exciting and spontaneous areas of experimental theatre. If you open the box called mime, all sorts of unexpected people will tumble out, circus performers, comedians, gymnasts, dancers and even those who use words!

11. Rubbish (6 Mar 1987)

Rubbish dumps are like free jumble sale or free shops. People rummage through the garbage and help themselves. In fact, so many people are doing it, South of Watford decided to join in. Unlike trainspotting or stamp collecting, there is no club, no common link - the individuals who live off rubbish come from any walk of life. South of Watford has brought together some of the people who share this interest. Fresh from her recent court appearance, Britain's most famous madame Cynthia Payne tells of the client who insisted on having garbage thrown on him. While the investigative journalist Duncan Campbell describes aspects of our secret society that can be found in the right dustbins. We also meet historians, musicians, even the crew of a Royal Navy Submarine whose rubbish tells us about hidden aspects of London. The programme is based on the River Thames, whose most flourishing industry is waste as it travels downstream by barge to recover derelict marshland in Essex.

12. Shoes (13 Mar 1987)

Many a misguided soul may think that a SHOE is just something you stick your foot in and forget about but as South of Watford discovers for lots of people it's far more than that. It's a focus for fashion, an object to admire and the basis of many a curious relationship.

13. Battersea Power Station (20 Mar 1987)

Battersea Power Station is the most famous and most loved industrial building in the country. It's monumental presence has dominated the South London skyline for half a century - and its now under a preservation order, thanks largely to public pressure. Due to be transformed into a giant pleasure park for the 90's, this is the last opportunity of seeing Batersea in its present form before work on the transformation begins. South of Watford has been granted unique access to the site for what is probably the last chance to explore the history and mythology of this 'great romantic pile of bricks'.

14. Restaurants (27 Mar 1987)

London now has more restaurants than ever before, more and more people keen to take on the risk and try for the very high rewards bestowed by a successful restaurant. Eating has become the most popular form of entertainment in the capital. And what people are looking for isn't food, drink, calories, scran, fodder. They want to be entertained, in every sense; they want a meal experience .... Everybody agrees on that. Food is not the most important thing in a restaurant. Atmosphere whatever that is, is the top of the list. So how did this come about? How do you achieve it? We look at the history of the London restaurant scene from the days of the grand hotels to the dominance of the superstar/proprietor, and examine the likely future of restaurants and the trends that will underpin it.

15. Des Hogan (3 Apr 1987)

To some Des Hogan, an extraordinary Irish writer living in Catford, is the new James Joyce. To others, he's a rogue who can't write and should be sent to the madhouse. South of Watford Profiles this 36 year old writer of three novels and two collections of stories and finds that the man himself is as fascinating as the reactions he causes. Hogan's stories have always been about exile and isolation but this programme finds that he himself has always been on the run.

Series 6 (1988)

Series 6 was presented by John Lloyd and included:

• The Barbican (15 Jan)
• Hot Shots (22 Jan)
• Fleet Street (29 Jan)
• Design City (5 Feb)
• Frank Jakeman (12 Feb)
• Comics (19 Feb)
• The Cholmondeleys (11 Mar)
• Tale of Two Artists (18 Mar)
• Back to the Future (25 Mar)