This furious BBC letter about a misbehaving dog on the set of a 1980s TV drama is gold
Rewind to 1984 and the makers of Agatha Christie adaptation A Murder is Announced hired a Red Setter to take part in the BBC mini-series.
Except the Red Setter didn’t entirely live up to the expectations of the producers, prompting them to write this letter of complaint.
And there’s so much to enjoy we don’t know where to begin.
A BBC written archive treat for a dreary Tuesday – a memo about the disappointing work ethic of a red setter on the set of Miss Marple: A Murder is Announced. Poor Joan Sims was covered with liver pâté for longer than anyone should have to be. pic.twitter.com/5kNEQVoES7
— Mark Aldridge (@DrMarkAldridge) March 20, 2018
And just in case that’s tricky to read …
“I understand that the Red Setter we hired from you for my production of A Murder is Announced was not one of your regular stable. I think in your own interests you should know that it behaved very unsatisfactorily, failing to do what was required … necessitating a substantial number of re-takes.
“As you might imagine this caused considerable problems not least for the poor actress who had to lie on the wet ground smeared in chicken liver paste and other would-be canine enticements while the dog went blithely its own way.
“Two defences were offered a) Red Setters are distracted by chickens, b) the script described the animal as stupid, so that was what was supplied.
“As for the first defence the chickens are clearly in the script which was sent to you, and the second defence I think you will agree is not even worthy of being countered.
“I also asked our booker to query with you the travel days charged as I’m informed the animal came from Dorchester, which is only a few miles from the location.”
Seriously though, where to begin? Is it the chicken liver paste, the ‘other would-be canine enticements’, the distracting chickens, the ‘stupid dog’ excuse, or the final, devastating query about mileage?
Makes us want to watch it, just for the scenes with the dog.
This is amazing.
— Phillip Tipton (@mrphilliptipton) March 20, 2018
I know Mr Slaters secretary would have been using a typewriter, but the frequency of mistakes made in one short letter is not what you might expect from an office at a professional setting like the BBC surely.
— Brendon Taylor (@BrendonTaylor75) March 20, 2018
I think it reflected the fury and indignation at the situation!
— The Real Chin Shady (@cinzywincy) March 21, 2018
This is a carbon copy, which will always look worse than the original (which may have used correction fluid/tape) but yes, it seems to have been written in an annoyed hurry!
— Mark Aldridge (@DrMarkAldridge) March 21, 2018