Television / Web

, ,

The Real Cabaret

, ,

I presented another documentary for BBC4 entitled The Real Cabaret.  In it I interviewed some of the people who'd been involved with the movie and original musical (Liza, John Kander, Joe Masteroff) but also went to Berlin to find out about the real cabaret artistes of the time, and what fates befell them. I also visit the actual flat Christopher Isherwood lived which was where he had the inspiration to write Goodbye to Berlin, the book that Cabaret is based on.

,

Riverworld

,

Riverworld is based on the series of book by Phillip Jose Farmer.  I returned to Vancouver to shoot a cameo in this mini-series for my old friends at The Sci-fi Channel, RHI and Reunion Pictures. (I had previously worked on Tin Man with them).

 I play the Judas Caretaker, an alien (natch), who seems as confused about what is going on in Riverworld as everyone else!! Actually he knows more than he's letting on but as the whole thing is a sort of allegory for the afterlife and reincarnation, no-one really says what they really mean.  When it comes out, you'll understand.

, ,

Scotland on Screen

, ,

I was asked by the BBC to host a documentary that goes to various parts of Scotland where movies have been shot, and examines how they have represented the areas and also how the locals feel about the films today.
We went to Mull for I Know Where I'm Going, to Glencoe for Braveheart, Cumbernauld for Gregory's Girl (where I toured round the locations with director Bill Forsyth), to Kircudbrightshire for Wicker Man and to Edinburgh for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

, ,

My Brilliant Britain

, ,

I was asked to make a half hour documentary for the UK channel Blighty about the thing I thought was most brilliant about Britain. I chose Scottish humour, and so went on a madcap journey round my homeland interviewing people (including my mum) about what are the ingredients of Scottish humour, how we use it and how it defines us in the world.  Below is the actual film that was broadcast, but first here's a little film I made with my flip video during the shoot.

,

Web Therapy

,

Last Christmas I discovered Web Therapy, the internet series about an online therapist starring Lisa Kudrow, and I watched the whole season in one hilarious, satisfying gulp.  I love Lisa. She is a total genius, a really innovative and fearless performer.
We worked together on Romy and Michele's High School Reunion back in 1996 and have kept in touch so I emailed her to tell her how amazing I thought Web Therapy was.  She wrote back and said they were doing a second season and would I like to be in it? 
So about 6 weeks later I was in LA looking into a camera with Lisa's face projected onto it, trying my best to remain in character as her hilarious creation, Fiona Wallace, made me want to crack up, not to mention having to listen to Don Roos and Dan Bucatinsky, her co-creators, crack up in my earpiece.  It was a great day. 
Victor Garber and Dan Bucatinsky also appear in the episodes, in which I play a Scottish mogul, Austen Clarke, who becomes smitten with Dr Wallace.