The Ploughman's Lunch

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FADE IN:

INT. BBC RADIO NEWSROOM - LATE MORNING

We are IN CLOSE as a story arrives on a press service

teleprinter. A Hand tears away the sheet. The CAMERA

TRACKS as we follow the story. It passes through the

copytaster's hands and it passes on down to the summaries

desk.

This is a time of steady activity. Journalists move about

the room to consult. Others are writing in longhand, and

several are dictating copy to typists, who are all women.

One or two people - NEWSREADERS - sit about doing nothing.

Much movement of paper.

Over the sound of typewriters and the murmur of dictating

voices we HEAR a WOMAN'S VOICE over the P.A. Announce,

"The Leader of the Opposition on five". A few journalists

pick up their headsets, but they do not stop writing. We

establish the atmosphere - laconic but efficient, and a

little down-at-heel.

At the summaries desk we find JAMES PENFIELD. He stands

to the side of a little behind a seated secretary, dictating

in a laconic deadpan voice from a sheet of scrawled

longhand.

JAMES:

Between fifty and sixty scrap metal

workers are..

The phone rings. James snatches it and answers without

breaking stride.

JAMES:

Hello. Newsroom.

The secretary waits, her face totally inexpressive.

JAMES:

Who? Paul Dean? He doesn't work

here anymore.

ANOTHER JOURNALIST

(calling over his

shoulder as he

passes)

Went to IRN.

JAMES:

No. No. Sorry. Try IRN.

He drops the receiver and continues. The secretary

reactivates.

JAMES:

..reported to have landed illegally

on the island of South Georgia in

the South Atlantic.

The Foreign Office reacted sceptically to reports that

Argentine Government was planning..

INT. NEWSROOM - LATE MORNING

James and a newsreader (one of those we saw earlier doing

nothing) stand together by the photocopier. Walking with

controlled haste and carrying the news sheets, they head

towards the studio. A clock behind them shows two minutes

to twelve.

INT. STUDIO - LATE MORNING

James and the newsreader sit at a table in the studio,

fairly close together. The newsreader settles himself

behind the microphone. James sits back, professionally

bored, rolling a stub of a pencil between his fingers.

Through a large loudspeaker we hear a Radio 4 programme

winding up. Theme music.

The newsreader has a plummy authoritative voice and is a

year or two younger than James. He stares down at the

news sheet.

From the Control Room a woman announces "One Minute".

JAMES:

How's Mary?

NEWSREADER:

(stung then

recovering)

Oh, she's well. Jolly well.

Thanks. Very well indeed.

From the Studio Controller's POV we SEE the Newsroom behind

James and the newsreader, who chat soundlessly.

MOMEN'S VOICE

Before the news at twelve o'clock,

there's just time to tell you about

Woman's Hour this afternoon.

Commander Freddy Bracknell will be

talking about his four years as a

German POW in Stalag Three, and

mountaineer John Clayton will be

reliving the thrills and perils of

Everest. Also, Polly Morrell will

be finding out from the historian

Prefessor John Gerty how the

governments of Eastern Europe

distort their recent past in history

books to suit their present policies

and allegiances. That's Freddy

Bracknell, John Clayton and John

Gerty, all on Woman's Hour just

after two o'clock this afternoon

The six pips. The sweep hand of

the clock. The red light.

NEWSREADER:

BBC News at twelve o'clock. There

is cautious optimism in Brussels

that formula may be reached to

break--

EXT. BRIXTON - LATE AFTERNOON

James hurries home through the din of rush hour Brixton.

INT. JAMES' FLAT - LATE AFTERNOON

James' flat is one floor of a large Victorian house. The

decent-sized rooms knocked together make a very large

bedsitting room. Bare boards, junk furniture, but elegant.

Heavy stereo stack, a lot of records, a lot of paperbacks.

In high spirits, James prepares to go out. He chooses a

shirt, begins to undress. The TV is on.

INT. JAMES' FLAT - NIGHT

An hour later. James is dressed to go out. The big room

is now in darkness except for the light by James' armchair.

He is talking on the phone to his friend Jeremy Hancock.

JAMES:

C'mon, you promised...tell her

you've got to finish a piece...I

know...I know, but it's my big

night...yes she's going to be

there...C'mon! All I want you to

do is introduce me to her. And

remember, build me up...good man.

INT. PUBLISHING HOUSE - NIGHT

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