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Last updated 6^th November 1999

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Neil Media Watch...last updated 19^th May 1999

The Magician's House

BBC1 Sunday, October 31 - December 5 1999

Many thanks to Jane Brace for the press release, and Robyn for the picture!

Following in the awe-inspiring tradition of C.S. Lewis, THE MAGICIAN'S HOUSE by award-winning writer William Corlett, will fill the classic BBC-1 Sunday teatime slot. This is a fantastical tale of magic, time travel, talking animals and a dazzling battle of good against evil.

Running from October 31 through to December, the six-part series is a UK-Canadian co- production, brought to the screen by leading British independent company Kudos and Canada's Forefront Productions. Adapted by Corlett from the first two books in his Magician's House quartet - The Steps in the Chimney and The Door in the Tree - it offers spectacular state-of-the-art special effects as it follows the astonishing adventures of three children spending their Christmas holiday at Golden Valley in the Welsh Borders - an area energised by powerful ley lines.

Spanning the 1590s to the 1990s, the timeless series will star a leading British acting trio - Ian Richardson as 400-year-old magician/alchemist Stephen Tyler; Sian Phillips as Meg, a reclusive animal crusader and Neil Pearson as Jack, a Nineties divorced Dad. British comedy stars also provide the voices of two of the animals - Stephen Fry as Jasper the Owl and Jennifer Saunders as the Rat - while Canadian actor Chris Redman plays the magician's rebel apprentice Morden; Toronto-based Kate Greenhouse plays Jack's pregnant lover Phoebe and Vancouver actress Katie Stuart is Jack's troubled daughter Mary. Young British actors Olivia Coles and Steven Webb play Mary's cousins, William and Alice Constant.

In a world where 16th century alchemy meets Nineties 'Gameboy', all kinds of issues are addressed - from the dysfunctional modern family to environmental crusades against badger baiting and the wholescale destruction of a natural wilderness. But despite the serious aspects, humour is never far away, with amusing asides from the animals.

Neil's innocent role in The Magician's House is light years away from that of the terrifyingly unhinged cult leader in Heaven on Earth. This time he plays a divorced modern-day dad, Jack Green, an affable optimist who is trying to maintain peace between the two people dearest to him - his pregnant Canadian lover Phoebe and Mary, the daughter of his marriage. His niece and nephew, Alice and William, have also come to spend Christmas with him at Golden House, the neglected manor that he and Phoebe hope to turn into an idyllic country inn. A bit of a bumbler, Jack, like Phoebe, will never be fully aware of the fantastical battle between good and evil being waged under his very nose.

Neil admits that filming The Magician's House was " a breath of fresh air ". " I've spent most of my career swearing, killing people or getting naked - I hardly do any of those things in this show," he says. He was envious not only of the children and their adventures, but also the older actors. " Everyone else has a much better time than I do. Ian Richardson gets to play a wizard; Sian Phillips gets to play a mad old tramp in the woods, the kids get to morph into animals and I get to wear a check shirt and say " Hey, stay away from there kids " a lot!". The most adventurous thing he gets to do is fall over in the woods and break his ankle. " I'm the voice of reason in this show and I'm not used to that. It comes as a nasty shock!"

But Neil concedes he was eager to be involved in the fantasy, intrigued by the filming location and quality of the scripts. "It's nice to hark back to childlike innocence - a time in your life when everything is possible because you don't have the rules of the world hanging over you. It's nice to get a passport to visit that once in a while. "

Neil says if a second series of The Magician's House goes ahead he has a request: " I want to morph. Even if it's just a wood louse. I'll morph into a piece of pond algae just as long as I can have a special effect!"

The Mystery of Men

BBC1 Monday 30 August

21:00 to 22:35

Neil's next TV project, The Mystery of Men, was the one he was working on when the clock ticked round to the big four-O. He co-stars with Warren Clarke and Nick Berry as men on the verge of middle-age, each with his own perfect plan for living life to the full.

"They decide to have a bet, putting their life insurance policies in trust, with the last one alive taking it all," Neil explains. "Then their wives find out about the bet and have ideas of their own."

It received a really stinking preview in TV Times. Details appear in all the listings mags.

Love Life status

But...OK! Magzine has since revealed that for the last month or two Neil has been back with Suzanne Doyle, Joy in DtDD. He has had an on-off affair going with her for years, ever since he left Siobhorn Redmond.

Neil, make up your mind for goodness sake. And stop pissing these poor women about.

Bostock's Cup

25th May, ITV 9pm-10.15pm

Currently/Recently Transmitting

• DtDD is being shown nightly on weekdays on the Paramount Comedy Channel, usually at 9pm.
• Between The Lines finished its run on UK Gold in Monday 8th June 1998, but recommenced this year. It is currently showing the third series Mon-Thurs after midnight.
• See You Friday was retransmitted in March/April on ITV2 (cable).
• Chelmsford 123 was intermittently retransmitted by UK Gold and/or UK Arena at any time they fancy. Check out your listings mag on a week by week basis.
• That's Love was retransmitted on Carlton Select on Thursdays at 8.30pm. Neil played the part of next door neighbour Gary in this tedious sitcom. Neil replaced the original Gary, so the early series don't have Neil in. Yes it was as bad as you all remember. Neil's hairstyle is awful in the early episodes.
• Fever Pitch is being broadcast on Sky as part of the Film Four series and was premiered on terrestrial.

Cruise directly to info on Neil's most successful projects....

Closer
• See You Friday
• Fever Pitch
• Drop the Dead Donkey
• Between The Lines
• Crossing The Floor
• Heaven on Earth

And the not-so successful ones :-)....

• Rhodes

Agent

Neil can be contacted through his agent:
ICM
Oxford House
Oxford Street
London W1N 0AX
tel: 0171 636 6565