It’s the 4th of July so we had to do something cool for US Independence Day. So, of course, Stuart Mulrain sat down with audiomeister Dirk Maggs to remember Independence Day UK. Caution: contains envy-inducing photos of Dirk sitting in fighter planes…
In 1996, Independence Day became the smash hit blockbuster of the summer, spawning the usual array of tie-in TV specials, toys, books, magazines and games. Perhaps the most interesting tie-in though is the BBC Radio audio movie Independence Day UK, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 1 on Sunday 4th August 1996 and depicted the events of the alien invasion from the view point of the UK.
The audio movie starred Radio 1 DJ’s Nicky Campbell & Mark Goodier and astronomer Sir Patrick Moore as themselves, along with a cast that included Colin Baker, Toyah Willcox, Simon Treves, Peter Serafinowicz and Toby Longworth as RAF Pilots and William Hootkins as Orson Welles.
Sure, there’s a movie sequel out now called Independence Day: Resurgence. Of course, it’s missing a lot of weird over-the-top charm that made the first movie fun. Thankfully, there’s a better option out there.
Independence Day UK is an hour-long radio play that aired on BBC Radio 1 in 1996, about a month after the original movie premiered in the US. It was meant as a way to promote the film in the UK, and combined the events of Independence Day with Orson Welles’ The War of Worlds. It’s very weird. (All the involved names are doubtless much more familiar to the UK than to anyone else. I apologize in advance for being incurably American)
Independence Day UK has actual BBC broadcasters playing themselves. Well, themselves as they would be if there was a giant alien invasion. So the first half of the play is “UFO Watch,” with actual British presenters Nicky Campbell and Mark Goodier. Oh, and the astronomer Patrick Moore, who had the very strange task of trying to introduce anything remotely scientific into an Independence Day property.
• Continue reading at io9. Further info on Independence Day UK at toyahwillcox.com.
There are transcripts of a few recent Toyah radio and TV interviews now online at The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive, including Sky High Radio, BBC Radio Wiltshire and Needle Time from Vintage TV. Click below to get reading.
Available Now! Listen to the People’s History Of Pop, presented by Toyah, online at BBC iPlayer.
Stories include a fan of the Beatles who as a teenager collected as much memorabilia as she could – only to lose it all in a house fire.
A Madonna superfan, who’s even turned her downstairs loo into a shrine of the queen of pop. We’ll hear about the brilliance of David Bowie, playing to just 2000 people at Birmingham’s Que Club. And hear how a Smiths fan from Solihull has come to own a piece of Morrissey’s shirt.
Toyah is guesting on Ian Riches’ show on Sky High Radio this Wednesday – Toyah Willcox plays live acoustically and is interviewed on SkyHigh Radio. Wednesday 20th January 2016 at 8pm on www.skyhighradio.co.uk.
Toyah guests on BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends this weekend.
Hosted by Clive Anderson, the lively mix of conversation, music and comedy will include Toyah, Joe Brown, John O’Farrell and music from The Zombies and an acoustic song from Toyah herself.
BBC Radio 4: Loose Ends:
Saturday 7th November: 6.15pm
Clive Anderson and Scottee are joined by Joe Brown, Mackenzie Crook, Toyah Willcox, John O’Farrell and the Zombies for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy.
Toyah was Sue Davies “Mystery” guest this morning on her BBC Radio Wiltshire show.
Toyah chatted about playing Trowbridge Arts Festival(closing the festival tonight), the Acoustic, Up Close & Personal show, imagery and how it helped start her career, the realities of the entertainment industry, memories of living in Wiltshire, and more. There was also a brief burst of I Want To Be Free and the acoustic version of It’s A Mystery.
• The interview begins at approximately 1hr 46ms into the show and runs for around 12 minutes, including music. Listen at BBC iPlayer for the next month
Browse the full collection of BBC Radio 4’s Great Lives, including the, recently aired, final episode of Series 37 with Toyah paying tribute to the incredible Katharine Hepburn. Many of the episodes are still available to listen to online via iPlayer, and some are downloadable as podcasts.
A reminder that there’s another chance to hear the four-part audio drama Peter Pan, with Toyah in the lead role and also starring Ron Moody, June Whitfield and Roy Hudd, all this week on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
There are four airings of each of the episodes. Full details here. This was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1995 so these latest could be considered the 20th Anniversary repeats. (Thanks to Anthony for the ‘Radio Times’ clipping below)
A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of J. M. Barrie’s tale of childhood adventure starring Toyah Willcox as Peter Pan and Ron Moody as Captain Hook. These audio editions, especially dramatised for BBC Radio, are of timeless stories that have enchanted generations of readers both young and old – See Peter Pan at The Official Toyah Instagram.
The latest edition of BBC Radio 4’s Great Lives is now available to listen to at BBC iPlayer or download as an mp3. It also airs again on BBC Radio 4 on Friday at 11pm.
The programme includes Toyah discussing Katharine Hepburn.
Dubbed an ‘oddity’ and ‘box office poison’, she liked to goad the press and public with her eccentric behaviour and unconventional love life. Her career in Hollywood spanned six decades, during which she starred alongside other Hollywood greats, including James Stewart, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart and Spencer Tracy.
The four time Oscar award winning actress Katharine Hepburn is this week’s Great Life. She is championed by singer and actress Toyah Willcox. The expert is Dr Mark Glancy – Reader in Film History, at Queen Mary, University of London. The presenter is Matthew Parris. The producer is Perminder Khatkar.
Dubbed an ‘oddity’ and ‘box office poison’, she liked to goad the press and public with her eccentric behaviour and unconventional love life. Her career in Hollywood spanned six decades, during which she starred alongside other Hollywood greats, including James Stewart, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart and Spencer Tracy.
The four time Oscar award winning actress Katharine Hepburn is this week’s Great Life. She is championed by singer and actress Toyah Willcox. The expert is Dr Mark Glancy – Reader in Film History, at Queen Mary, University of London. The presenter is Matthew Parris. The producer is Perminder Khatkar.
BBC Radio 4: Tuesday 29th September: 4.30pm/Friday 2nd October: 11pm
Great Lives, Series 37 – Episode 9 of 9
Toyah discusses, the inspirational, Katharine Hepburn in an upcoming edition of BBC Radio 4’s Great Lives.
Great Lives: BBC Radio 4 Tue 29th Sep: 4.30pm/Friday 2nd Oct: 11pm
Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives, presented by Matthew Parris. Toyah Willcox champions the life of Katharine Hepburn, who she met and worked with.
Toyah guested on Dermot O’Leary’s BBC Radio Two show yesterday.
Toyah can be heard from approximately 47m 30s into the show, chatting about Aaaaaaaah!, being on tour, and recalling 1983 and featuring in Smash Hits etc – comparing/remembering her responses to a retro interview then and now. The interview lasts for around nine minutes, which includes a play of I Want To Be Free.
There’s a busy weekend ahead – Tonight there is the Aaaaaaaah! screening + Cast Q&A at Picture House Central in Piccadilly, London. Tomorrow afternoon Toyah guests on Dermot O’Leary’s BBC Radio Two show, and on Sunday plays an Acoustic, Up Close & Personal gig at Cottingham Folk Festival (scheduled to be onstage at 3pm at The Civic Hall)
Toyah will be guesting on Dermot O’Leary’s Saturday afternoon show on BBC Radio Two in a couple of weeks.
Dermot O’Leary: BBC Radio Two
Saturday 5th September: 3pm
Dermot hosts Saturday Sessions from Richard Hawley and Editors and chats to Nigel Kennedy and Toyah Willcox.
Toyah guested on Kat Orman’s show on ‘BBC Radio Oxford’ yesterday. The interview is available to listen to at BBC iPlayer, and will be for the next month.
Toyah Willcox and the Wallingford superhome: Kat meets Mike Bicknell from Wallingford. Ten years ago Mike, who was a keen runner, almost lost his leg in a road accident. Plus Kat finds out about a house in Wallingford that has qualified for “Superhome” status and talks to one of the headlines acts from this weekend’s Fairport’s Cropredy Convention Toyah Willcox.
• Toyah’s interview, which took place backstage at Cropredy on Saturday, begins at approximately 46m 30s into the programme and runs for around 9 minutes (plus a play of I Want To Be Free). Toyah talks about her early life and school days, rebellious teenage years, what influenced her imagery: “I wanted to be completely different, almost genderless“, visiting Oxford, Aaaaaaaah!, and her set at Cropredy.
Toyah guested on Andy Potter’s BBC Radio Derby show this afternoon.
Toyah and hedgehog mapping: We hear from People’s Trust for Endangered Species which wants to map sightings of hedgehogs across the country.
Toyah’s interview ran for approximately six minutes and she chatted about playing at the forthcoming Flashback Festival in Worksop, Notts, as well as the difference in set list choices for such a concert and the diversity of her live audience in 2015. There was also some Teletubbies talk.
• Listen to Toyah’s interview via iPlayer at BBC Radio Derby. The full show is also available here.
Last week Toyah guested on Tracks Of My Years on Ken Bruce’s BBC Radio Two show – Here’s a catch-up of some extra related newsy bits…
• Official Toyah: Toyah Selects The ‘Tracks Of My Years’: Toyah has selected the Tracks of My Years for BBC Radio 2’s Ken Bruce Show which airs all of this week – Visit toyahwillcox.com…
• The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive: Read a full transcript of Toyah’s Tracks Of My Years week – including all her song choices and chat – at Lärwi’s site…
• Ken Bruce @ Twitter: Ken tweeted: “toyahofficial is choosing the #Tracksofmyyears all week with @realkenbruce starting with T Rex and Kate Bush…“.
• Tasmin Archer @ Twitter: Tasmin tweeted: “Toyah Willcox picks the Tracks of My Years,with songs from David Bowie & Tasmin Archer“.
• BBC Radio 2 Facebook: A listener posted: “Glad I listened to Toyah Willcox yesterday explain the meaning of Nights in White Satin. For the past 30 odd years I’ve been clueless as to its meaning…!”
• Shadow.com: Want to see what people say about Lana Del Rey? – Not sure if this is a Lana Del Rey website but they mentioned Toyah choosing Videogames on Ken’s show.
• Listen Again: The full week of programmes are available at BBC iPlayer until the end of July.
• Tracks Of My Years @ Dreamscape: Browse all of our news here…
