The Gentle Touch

Gascoyne.

I've told you, my brother's mate's dad played the love interest in The Gentle Touch.

Hang on, say that again.

Sorry, sorry.

Ant-Man.

Ant-Man's dad was Bernard Holly.

look him up bernard holly i think he was in various things such as zed cars but he played he played uh i believe he's dead now but he played um jill gascoigne's love interest in the gentle touch

fucking hell

[upbeat music] My special guest today is Nick Phillips, a prolific television director who, as well as 20 hard-hitting episodes of The Bill, his many directing credits include Brookside, Casualty, Coronation Street, EastEnders, and the sitcoms Barbara, Birds of a Feather, Desmond's, Goodnight Sweetheart, and My Family.

[upbeat music] Working in the screen trade since 1968, Nick got his drama directing debut on LWT's The Gentle Touch, the first police procedural with a leading female detective, DI Maggie Forbes, played by the late great Jill Gascoine.

I interviewed Nick last year to capture his memories of working on The Gentle Touch for Best of British Magazine.

Nick shared so much great material that I couldn't squeeze it all into the article, but he very kindly gave his blessing for this extended podcast in which he shares some astonishing stories from his television career as a whole and I hope gives you a real flavor of the role of the director, especially working in multi-camera television alongside some fellow Sun Hill luminaries.

[upbeat music]

Yeah.

Okay.

Talk me through The Gentle Touch being your first drama directing gig.