The eleventh episode of a chat show presented by regional television personality Mike Neville that this week features him chatting with Jarrow born stage, film and television writer Alan Platter and Western Samoa international rugby player Pat Lam who is currently a backrow forward at Newcastle Falcons. Title: The Mike Neville Show To the applause of the studio audience presenter Mike Neville comes out on to the stage and introduces tonight’s programme describing his first guest as a...

The eleventh episode of a chat show presented by regional television personality Mike Neville that this week features him chatting with Jarrow born stage, film and television writer Alan Platter and Western Samoa international rugby player Pat Lam who is currently a backrow forward at Newcastle Falcons. Title: The Mike Neville Show To the applause of the studio audience presenter Mike Neville comes out on to the stage and introduces tonight’s programme describing his first guest as a writer who has known success in a variety of fields, over the past thirty-five years he has written stage plays, film scripts, novels and radio shows but is best remembered for his television work most famously The Beiderbecke Affair. A clip from the programme changes to its creator Alan Plater coming out into the stage and taking a seat beside Mike. Alan talks about the programmes, which Mike advises is the most requested drama for repeat viewing, and its two stars James Bolam and Barbara Flynn whom he hopes to work with again on a different project. He talks about his love of jazz describing it as a form of rebellion against a blissful childhood and about spending his holiday in Jarrow with his grandfather whom he had a great affection. He talks briefing about his attempts at becoming an architect and is asked about his writing which changed television in the 1960s. He talks about his work on Z-Cars as well as being involved with Sid Chaplin and Alex Glasgow in creating Close the Coalhouse Door. He talks about the Northeast culture and helping to teach fellow writers to learn the catchphrase ‘who are we, how did we get here, what should we do next’. He believes he has spent his working life exploring how each individual is different from everybody else. On being asked if we are in danger of losing the cultural identity in the Northeast, Alan believes the power of regional voices are as strong as ever. Taking the programme into a commercial break Mike states that after the break he will be chatting with Newcastle Falcon’s star Pat Lam. Title: The Mike Neville Show Returning from the break Mike Neville describes his next guest as someone who has travelled around the world to live and work in Newcastle and that this year has played a crucial role in Newcastle Falcon’s exciting title bid, before then he was acclaimed as one of Western Samoa’s leading rugby players. A clip of Pat Lam scoring a try for Western Samoa during the Rugby World Cup changes to him coming to sit next to Alan Plater. Pat talks with Mike about the excitement at Newcastle Falcons with three more matches that Premiership season and the belief in the players. He talks about his home on Western Samoa describing the island as a beautiful place. He talks about growing up in Auckland New Zealand and the culture of his extended family and how rugby is almost a religion. He talks about playing for the All Blacks as well as internationally for Western Samoa while at the same time holding down as job as a teacher. He provides details on the drug education programme he was part of which took him all over New Zealand, but because of family commitments almost quitting rugby following the 1995 World Cup. He is pleased now that rugby has gone professional as he’s paid to do something he loves. He is asked why he took the job at Newcastle Falcons and explains that he saw the club as an underdog like Samoa. He likes Newcastle and the Northeast as the people are so friendly but comparing Auckland to Newcastle he complains that his garden is much smaller than the ones in New Zealand. Alan is asked if he has ever been to New Zealand and he talks about a residency he had in Australia that including a visit to Rarotonga which he liked for its grace, dignity and cultural traditions. Bringing the programme to an end Mike thanks his guests as well as the studio audience and provides details on next week’s programme which will be the last in the current series closing on a special triple-bill being joined in the studio by filmmaker Lord David Puttnam, The Blues Band frontman Paul Jones and sports commentator Sid Waddell. Title: The Mike Neville Show Credit: Title Music Alan Clark Floor Manager Herbie Newton Vision Mixer Tony Barber Cameras Mike Parker Jimmy JIB Operator Ken Moulson Sound Mixer Charles Heath Lighting Director John Mason Production Co-ordinator Sarah Howie Production Manager Barbara Buglass Research Gaye Slater Designer Tim Trout Executive Producers Peter Mitchell, Malcolm Wright Producer Jo Mapplebeck Series Producer and Director Keith Cheetham Title: A Zenith North production for Tyne Tees Television. © Tyne Tees Television MCMXCVIII End title: A Tyne Tees Television programme for Channel 3 North East