Jayd Johnson: filming 'Field of Blood' second series

Lights, camera, action - in Glenburn
The cast of a hit BBC television show picked a location in Paisley to film part of their second series.
Field of Blood star Jayd Johnson headed for Skye Crescent, in Glenburn, where the production spent a full day on set.
And Chewin’ The Fat actor, Ford Kiernan, was also in town as part of the all-star cast.
The thrilling crime drama, written by award winning author Denise Mina, centres on the ferociously male-dominated world of 1980s newspaper journalism.

The new series takes Paddy Meehan (Johnson), who is now a fully-fledged newspaper reporter, through the changing face of journalism, set against the backdrop of the brutal miner’s strike.
The cast and crew spent the day in Glenburn and many locals chanced their arm to try and get some ‘extra’ work.
George Costello, from Glenburn, revealed how he approached the production team in the hope of landing a last-minute starring role.
He said: “My philosophy is that if you don’t ask, you don’t get – although on this occasion I didn’t get!
“It was just quite exciting to see a film unit in my neck of the woods and especially Field of Blood. I absolutely loved the first series.
“I went over and asked if they were looking for any extras but I was told that they had brought them all with them.”
But in a real coup for the production, former Coronation Street star, Katherine Kelly (who played Becky McDonald), will join Johnson, Kiernan and David Morrissey, as Maloney, the new editor-in-chief of the paper.
Although she wasn’t required for the Glenburn scenes, Katherine told the Paisley Daily Express: “I’m delighted to join the cast of Field Of Blood: The Dead Hour.
“I think Davy Kane’s scripts are fantastic, as is his vision for the show. Maloney is a ferociously ambitious character and I’m excited to play such a ruthless, yet complicated, woman.
“I’m really looking forward to filming in the west of Scotland with a top class cast and crew.”
Christopher Aird, BBC Scotland Head of Drama and Executive Producer, added: “Field Of Blood: The Dead Hour will see the return of the brilliant characters and stories that made the first series so authentically thrilling.
“This second series builds on the success of the first and I’m very excited we have Katherine Kelly, one of the best young actresses in the country, in our cast.”
The drama, which is set to transmit on BBC Scotland in 2013, also stars Amy Manson (Misfits) and Michael Nardone (River City).
Source: Paisley Daily Express

Jayd Johnson and Ford Kiernan: 'Field of Blood' second series

Former Corrie favourite Katherine Kelly is to star alongside David Morrissey, Jayd Johnson and Ford Kiernan in the second series of BBC Scotland’s acclaimed crime drama Field of Blood: the Dead Hour.

Taking place in the early 1980s, Field of Blood tells the story of a young copy-girl named Paddy Meehan (Jayd Johnson) working in a Glasgow newspaper office, whose attempts to become a fully-fledged journalist end up embroiling her in criminal investigations.

Kelly will star in the new series as the newspaper’s ambitious editor-in-chief Maloney, who intends to bring the periodical into the modern age, much to the chagrin of current editor Murray Devlin (David Morrissey).

Kelly said: "I’m delighted to join the cast of Field Of Blood: The Dead Hour.
"Maloney is a ferociously ambitious character and I'm excited to play such a ruthless, yet complicated, woman. I'm really looking forward to filming in Glasgow with a top class cast and crew."

Following on from the award-winning drama’s first 2011 miniseries, Field of Blood: the Dead Hour sees Paddy and reporter George McVie (Ford Kiernan) investigating an apparently innocuous call about a disturbance in an affluent part of Glasgow, which leads them to uncover police corruption, a government conspiracy and a cold-blooded murder.

Field of Blood is adapted from Denise Mina's bestselling novels about Patricia "Paddy" Meehan by Taggart scriptwriter David Kane.

Filming on the new series got under way in Glasgow this week. Field of Blood: the Dead Hour will be broadcast on the BBC in 2013.

Source: Radio Times

Scottish drama

Why Scottish television drama goes beyond Rebus and Taggart
Source: The List (Issue 705)
Date: 1 November 2012
Written by: Miles Fielder

Peter Capaldi in The Field of Blood

Recent TV drama includes Lip Service, Single Father, Waterloo Road and The Field of Blood

A look at recent Scottish television drama reveals far more than police shows – whether it’s lesbian life in Glasgow, the travails of comprehensive teachers or the pressures on a desperate dad …

Not so very long ago, Scottish television drama was dominated by Rebus and Taggart. The audience-conquering popularity of STV’s Edinburgh and Glasgow cops was such that you could be forgiven for thinking Scotland hosted or produced little but crime dramas for the small screen. In more recent years, with the retirement of Inspector Rebus, and Taggart settled into the background as one of the UK’s longest-running television shows, television drama made in Scotland has become more diversified, arguably providing viewers with a broader reflection of life north of the border.

Last year’s The Field of Blood, a two-part thriller set in a Glasgow newsroom in the 1980s, adapted by Denise Mina from her own novel and starring Peter Capaldi, was the perfect example of quality home-grown drama. It was nominated for three BAFTA Scotland awards with Jayd Johnson winning best television actress for her role as Paddy Meehan. Earlier this year, series two of Lip Service, the show about a group of lesbians living in Glasgow starring Laura Fraser, was screened on BBC Three. Fraser also appeared alongside David Tennant, who, post-Doctor Who, returned home to make the four-part drama about a dad cracking up, Single Father. He was nominated for two acting awards for his performance. More recently, BBC One’s series about teachers in a challenging comprehensive school environment, Waterloo Road, has relocated from Rochdale to Greenock. And more recently still, Douglas Henshall has been announced as Detective Jimmy Perez, star of the BBC One two-part crime drama, Shetland, to be filmed you know where.

OK, so Scottish television does give good cop. But it is also giving us a lot more than that.

Clip from BBC Drama 'Field of Blood'


David Tennant - 'Single Father' trailer


'Lip Service' - Series 2 Launch Trailer - BBC Three


'Waterloo Road' - Series 8 Trailer - BBC One


Source: The List

Jayd Johnson: Fields of Blood sequel?

Jayd Johnson is soon to begin filming the follow-up to Fields of Blood, according to The Rutherglen Reformer.

Read more here

Field of Blood airs in New Zealand

Denise Mina's Field of Blood to screen on Vibe next week

Thursdays at 9.30pm from 5 April on Vibe (SKY TV) (New Zealand)

Paddy Meehan is a new kind of heroine. A young, female, feisty and funny trainee reporter, she often oversteps the mark between reporting crimes and solving them - while sometimes becoming part of the crime along the way.

Paddy has always had ambitions to be an investigative reporter. But in the male dominated world of Scottish newspapers in 1982, no-one will take her seriously.  Not only is she young and female, she's not as thin and glamorous as her rival trainee journalist. And her close-knit family can't understand why she doesn't want to just settle down and marry the boy next door.

Then a big murder case breaks, and a member of Paddy's family is implicated. Paddy has to make a choice – does she follow the case, and risk being seen to betray her family, or does she turn her back on the career she's been longing for?

This suspenseful two-part crime drama is based on the first of Denise Mina's Paddy Meehan novels, and stars the cream of British acting talent including David Morrissey (State of Play), Peter Capaldi (Torchwood: Children of Earth) and introducing Jayd Johnson as Paddy Meehan.

“A taut and pacy murder mystery… it’s terrific” - The Guardian, UK

“…in the same drawer as Downton or Mad Men” - The Independent, UK

Source: Booksellers

Rising star Jayd Johnson on leaving River City for the bright lights of Hollywood

Actress Jayd Johnson is used to being in the news. She starred with Gerard Butler in Dear Frankie when she was just 11 and spent six years in soap River City as Nicki Cullen.

Playing a feisty young reporter in BBC Scotland drama The Field Of Blood, however, she has written headlines of her own.

Jayd, 20, was the star of the show in the critically acclaimed adaptation of crime writer Denise Mina's book - despite a cast which included David Morrissey, Peter Capaldi, Jonas Armstrong and Ford Kiernan.

Now she is off to London to capitalise on the network screening of the critically acclaimed drama, which will be repeated in Scotland.

Jayd was studying at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Art (AADA) in New York when she was hand-picked for the role.

She said: "I was into the second month of my second year in New York when I left - they said I could defer and go back any time.

"But now I want to keep working. I have made my mind up and I'm heading down to London in two weeks time.

"I have tried to coincide going down with the network screening of The Field Of Blood. I have a few meetings set up and here's hoping something happens from it."

Her role is Paddy Meehan, a copy girl who is determined to become an investigative journalist for the Glasgow Daily News despite the 1982 backdrop where smoking, drinking and casual sexism are rife.

She gets her chance to prove herself when a 10-year-old boy is accused of murder and she sets out to find the real killer.

The Field Of Blood is one of a trilogy of books featuring Paddy Meehan and Jayd is hoping she will get the chance to reprise the role.

She said: "A lot of people have been asking if they are going to make more and a lot of were disappointed it was only two parts and there wasn't more. There are more books, the storylines are out there.

"Everyone is hoping it does well and gets good ratings. That will be when a decision about others is made."

Whether she continues in the role or not, Jayd is grateful she was persuaded to take it in the first place. She was reluctant to give up her course at the AADA, whose former students include Spencer Tracy, Grace Kelly, Robert Redford and Kim Cattrall.

But writer-director David Kane, who created Sea of Souls, had seen her in River City and was convinced she was the perfect fit for Paddy.

She said: "The casting director kept in touch and asked if I would I read the scripts and consider coming back for an audition. I said no again because I wanted to graduate.

Finally Jayd was persuaded to read the script.

She said: "Then they started telling me who was going to be in it and I was sold."

Her research for the role watching a documentary about a 1980s newsroom, watching All The President's Men "about 40 times" and reading Denise Mina's book, which initially spooked her.

She counts herself lucky she could turn to her established co-stars to help draw out the performance of her life.

She said: "It was more exciting than intimidating. The first day I was on set with Peter Capaldi, who has won an Oscar, I was in total awe of him but he couldn't have done more for me.

"They were some of the easiest scenes I had to do because he was good, it all came naturally.

"Ford Kiernan also gave me a lot of advice about the other side of the industry.

"He is actually my hero. I am such a big fan of Still Game. Every time he was on set, I could hardly keep a straight face because he is so funny naturally.

"Denise Mina was so helpful to me as well and she really liked it which meant a lot to me."

Having been in New York, London feels close to home and her family, parents Connie and Johnny, sister Jordana and brother John Paul. And, having worked in the industry since she was 11, she is aware she may have to bide her time before work comes up.

She said: "After The Field of Blood I was really quiet for a few months but I realise this is the way it could be for a while so I am happy to go down and get a bar job or be a waitress and pay my dues."

The Field Of Blood: BBC1, Monday, 10.15pm

Source: Daily Record