[Afamilyatwar-list] Tie-Ins

[Scott Filderman]

Mr. Finch—
I truly appreciate your lovely reply. I was simply seeking clarification about books that used your characters but for which you likely received no income (which is usually the case for such tie-ins). Writers rarely are paid anywhere near what they should receive, and the fact that media writers, such as yourself, who bring such insight to so many are so underpaid is always a cruel fact of human economics.
Mediocrity typically wins. 
At any rate, I am about to plunge into SAM, after finishing rewatching the final half dozen AFAW episodes. You had such remarkable people with whom to work, all of the principals giving 200%. The production was in a state of grace.
I remember reading about Rod Serling, who created very different kinds of excellent TV dramas—Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Twilight Zone—and gnashing his teeth because he had to jam dozens of half-hour episodes into exactly 1 week of rehearsal and final shooting. You had so much more time than our typically manic American studios permitted. He died at 50 from extreme stress and cigarettes.

Your work is a testament to what gifted people may achieve. 


On Saturday, June 2, 2018, 7:33 AM, john at johnfinch.com wrote:

On 01.06.2018 21:08, Scott Filderman via Afamilyatwar-list wrote:
> A Family at War 1970–Kathleen Baker (Mayflower; reprints 1971, 1972,
> Grafton Books 1989)
> To the Turn of the Tide 1971–Jonathan Powell (Mayflower; reprints
> 1971, 1972; Grafton Books 1989)
> Towards Victory 1972–Roy Russell (Mayflower; reprints 1972; Granada
> Books 1989)
> 
> All these titles were being published during John Finch’s time at
> Granada, producing AFAW and Sam. Given the dates of their first
> appearance, let alone reprints, shouldn’t Mr. Finch have known about
> them? Roy Russell is credited with 2 AFAW episodes and several other
> items, according to the Internet Movie Database. Kathleen Baker must
> have been Kathleen Potter as the latter name does not come up in
> searches; it reverts to Kathleen Baker. Jonathan Leslie Powell is
> credited as a British television producer and author who was
> department head of Media Arts at University of London. These are
> hardly “scurrilous” types. Am I on the brink of libel???
> 
> Colditz had a board game; I don’t believe AFAW went down that rabbit
> hole!

Hi Scott,  I don't recall anyone describing the ghost writers of the 
FAMILY AT WAR books as "scurrilous types", so I must have missed 
something.  I would naturally have preferred to write the books myself, 
having created the concept of the series; the characters and stories, as 
well as some fairly hefty editing to maintain the accuracy and style,  
buT time did not allow given the very tight schedule of a long running 
serial which I had conceived as a television novel. One of these 
'ghosted' books did not carry either my name or the names of the many 
who were involved, and I put in a strong objection to this.

No one in the group has ever described my fairly robust output as a form 
of money grubbing, but occasional writers of anonymous emails have and I 
have so far chosen to ignore these.  The Writer's Guild recently 
declared that their records put average annual earnings of a writer at 
£12,000 per annum.  I did rather better than this,  but there were long 
periods when my work was not in demand due to changes in management of 
various drama production companies. To put the record straight,  coming 
to the end of a long writing life,I have just lived through the 
unhappiest twelve months with the death of my wife of 62 years, and 
almost all of my former colleagues who were close friends.  My total 
published output for the past year was a small book of poetry.  The 
death of my agent left me without contacts to get my autobiography 
published, or various plays and drama formats accepted.

The one bright spark which survives is the genuine interest of people 
like yourself in my past work for which I am extremely grateful so 
please do keep it coming.  I am hopeful that SAM. which I always 
considered my best work in what they now call The Golden Years, will be 
repeated and will be found of equal value.  Many thanks to you all for 
justifying all Richard's hard work over the years.  JOHN FINCH



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