determination'. These are the qualities - above all determination not to repeat the 1981 world championship iiasco. in which. linishing last. he was accused oi abject deleatism — which means that whatever race he is in. be it ‘wholly insigniticant‘ orthe Olympic iinal. Tom McKean will be in atthe death on the iinishing straight. See Sport Listings. (Stuart Bathgate)
SWEDRU BRASS BAND
There may not be seventy-six trombones in this brass band. butthere
-are masquerades and stiltwalkers. Swedru will be appearing as part oi Glasgow's International Streetbiz Festival - a month otiree open-air periormances—thatstarts thisiortnight. The band come irom Ghana, and their music and style illustrates several cultures iused together: local Airican ritual music. contemporary ‘highliie‘ music and the sound oithe colonial military band. For details at Swedru and other international street pertormers see Streetbiz Listings.
PHOTO THANKS TO SCOTLAND'S RUNNER
2 E
THE LIST
GUEST UST
A special Gucstlist report: Julic Morricc investigates Scotland‘s game-show ratings rivals.
Game shows are the sale bet in the gambleior television ratings. Universally popular and cheap to make. they are the television accountant's dream. With the pressure on to iind and keep high viewing iigures. some strange quirk oi late has brought Scotland to the lore oi game show manuiacture and two Scots into the glare at national publicity. One is tall. dark and Glaswegian. the other is a blond. pint-sized Edinburgher; both are sold as easy-going. iun-to-be-with guys. Paul Coia and Nicky Campbell have never met. but the battle may be on between the game show toy-boys.
Steady rain hasturned Reniield Street into a slippery nightmare oi scummy puddles and dodged umbrellas, but inside the Scottish Television studios the sun shines irom massed ranks oitloodlights onto a candy-coloured Magic Roundabout world and into strained. smiling laces.
which game shows are achieving at the moment. It lortune smiles, ten million people will watch Wheel at 8.30pm on Tuesdays. That should please Nicky Campbell. Edinburgh-born twenty-seven yearold. Radio One DJ. and now your host on Wheel oiFortune. ‘l've always wanted to be iamous. When I was youngeritwas asa iootballer or an actor. but
Paul Coia\ Nicky Campbe'l
theirpal. ora shoulderto lean on or someoneto iancy. lithey meet you in the street. or getyour autograph. that's something they'll talkabout to theirlriends and rememberior weeks or even years'.
Paul Coia is happy doing light entertainment: ‘A magazine show is atreat. because there are always new people. lhave avery
I‘vealwavswantedtomake lowboredomthreshold'.
some kindplmafll'. NiCl‘Y Future aspirations are notin Campbell IS a E the direction oi ‘serious' sell-nonlessed : television. rather he
exhibitionist. The ‘buzz' he I harbours a fantasy or
gets irom periorming torthe becoming a nonwood camera is. he believes. "18 actor. He does admire some same ior participants. ‘but current affairs
to a lesser extent'. and goes . pmmammes. however. and some way ‘0 "Flaming "'8 can imagine himsell as a
massm popu'a'iw 0' game sort oi renegade reporter
' shows. ‘Would you wantto , dashing on on dangerous
' be a contestant?'. he asks ; assignments, A son or
i "18- 'NO'. ladmil- 'Maybe Indiana Jones?. lsuggest. ! lhal'SWhY YO" 00"" ‘That‘s me'. he replies ‘the i understand the attraction'. i Indiana Jones Dune
he concludes. Resignedto television “may
my late. lwonderwhatkind Meanwhile. back anhe
oi image he tries to put game show. iantasy is writ
across. up there onthe bridge oi Wheel oi Fortune: ‘I‘m not trying to put overan
less large. The accessibility otgame shows is all-important. Theiririendly
image. This is "‘9" he glitterand the participation replies letchily. as I'd of ‘ordinary‘ people' make I tried to take something the magnetic world my 5 away "0'" him- 3 celebrity seem closer. lithe l '"lionlO'lheFame'as' tvstations get it rightthey Nicky Campbell '83" : willattractallagesoi
This is Wheel at Fortune. the bright new addition to the STV stable. brought irom America at an undisclosed price in the lace oi stiii competition irom other channels.
Wheel oi Fortune is importantto Scottish Television. It istheir chance to prove themselves in the light entertainment market and to grab some oi
approachable. perkytigure.
very good at putting people at ease. Over at 88C
: Scotland. Paul Coia is doing
the same job tor Catchword.
the quiz show which
surprised everyone by regularly attracting nearly 3 million viewers to daytime 88C2. ‘The essence oia good quiz show is thatyou can play it at home. You get involved with it. It's addictive'. Coia enjoys the
attentionthattelevisionhas
broughthim. and doesn't think it is spurious: ‘Forthe public you become important. People watch
viewerirom all overthe country. Coia and Campbell both have the necessary boy-next-door appeal. indeed Coia has already achieved a double spread in Woman magazine. but Nicky Campbell believes it is a bit at a risk to put a Scot at the helm at a nationwide show. As ‘a London Scot‘. however. he might not upset the palliative eitect so badly. ‘This is mass media“. hetold me. ‘Thisis importantto people. liit brings a smile to people's iaces. that's meaningiul‘.
In low moments. lbelieve
the extraordinary filings you on tv and thinkyou're he is right, ; lltt‘l NI: lulu l.\u_gu\l “$53