Michael J Bird

News from the Michael J Bird Website 466 subscribers January 2012 Read the Biography of Michael J Bird (follow link for details)
THE APHRODITE INHERITANCE - A SEQUEL ? I was interested to receive an e-mail just before Christmas informing me of the impending publication of a book - a sequel to The Aphrodite Inheritance. Remarkably the writer, Martin Haine, has not actually seen the TV series. He was inspired just by reading Michael Bird’s adaptation, which he says “kept on drawing me back and, after reading it for the fourth time, I felt that a sequel had to be written.” Martin says: “I have “borrowed” two of MJB’s characters, David Collier and police inspector Giorgios Mitsides [NOTE: Michael Bird inexplicably changed the name of the policeman from “Dimas” in the script to “Mitsides” in the novelisation - DR]. I have placed events in my book ten years after Aphrodite Inheritance ended and hope that my offering will stand alone as a story in its own right”. Martin kindly sent me a proof copy of the book, which is called “Aphrodite’s Guardian”. I offered him a copy of the TV series but he declined saying: “A year ago I would have jumped at the chance with a big “thank you”, but now I’m not so sure. When you read a book you are able to visualise the characters and they (should) become “real” to you. When you write a book you blow life - your own life - into those characters that you have created and they become a part of you ... there is a truism “never meet your idols”, and I fear it will be the same for me if I now watch the The Aphrodite Inheritance. Maybe it's better I watch Alexander Bastedo as one of the Champions, rather than have my illusion of Helene destroyed." The book will be priced at Ł11.99 and if you would like to hear more or are interested in obtaining a copy Martin can be contacted by e-mail at mh.web@virgin.net	THE DARK SIDE OF THE SUN Website visitor Sarah Tilley has produced a very professional looking DVD box cover for The Dark Side of the Sun, which I have added to the relevant page on the website. THE OUTSIDER Thanks to a tip off from Werner Schmitz I 'won' on e-Bay a copy of the UK's "WEEKEND" magazine dated 28th September 1983 with a cover feature about Michael Bird's series The Outsider and interview with series co-star Carol Royle. I have uploaded a scan to The Outsider pages on the website.
THE APHRODITE INHERITANCE - FILMING On the subject of The Aphrodite Inheritance - Philip Clarke, who has been doing an excellent job tracking down and photographing the Cyprus locations used in the filming of the series, has now plotted the principal sites on a map of the island. I have scanned the map and uploaded a copy to The Aphrodite Inheritance section of the website. And finally, on the Aphrodite front, I am delighted to say that my good friend Werner Schmitz of the Media gems website has put me in contact with Peter Chapman, who was lead cameraman on the series. Peter is really keen to help and has already sent me some behind the scenes photographs of fellow crew members from the filming of the series, which I have added to the “crew” page in the Aphrodite section of the website, and some recollections of working on the series which I am enjoying reading. I will share them with you on the website in the coming weeks.
WHO PAYS THE FERRYMAN? UK DVD RELEASE Reports continue of the impending UK release of Who Pays the Ferryman? on DVD, apparently scheduled for 20th February. Website visitor Michael Olding gets the prize for spotting the most expensive. Michael says “My latest copy of Razamataz tells me that "this much loved 1977 BBC drama series" will be available ... in black and white at a cost of Ł38. 99." [No idea where they get the "black and white" from!!] Play.com is advertising it for Ł28.99 alongside the Dutch release at Ł7.51. I can’t think why anyone would pay Ł28.99 when the subtitles on the Dutch release can be switched off leaving the English soundtrack so it is exactly the same as watching an English release.