G F Newman

Writings in relation to personal views

Newman has very strong and sometimes controversial views on a variety of subjects, and these are reflected in his choice of subjects for writing. He has little faith in conventional medicine, believing that alternative therapy is far more effective. He claims that doctors are not interested in prevention, and are too close to the interests of the major pharmaceutical companies in just releasing ever more powerful drugs. He does acknowledge the benefits of nursing though, and in The Nation's Health, a newly qualified doctor goes to work at an NHS hospital- with her training taking her through the hospital's various departments, her idealistic aspirations come under threat.

He is also not impressed by the police service. He joked that he would rather see community members wearing pink uniforms working to prevent disturbances in their own areas.

He is also a devout vegan, and when producing or directing television programmes insists that no meat at all is consumed on the sets. He says he has no problem with the act of eating flesh in itself, but it is the attitude that because one species is stronger or more sophisticated than another it has the right to kill it which he is strongly against. Therefore, if an animal died of natural causes and someone wanted to eat it he would have no problem with that.

Having no political allegiance to either left or right wings, he once considered starting his own party on his passionate issues, but realized that getting over 600 strong candidates who completely agreed with all his views would be too tough.

The Corrupted

Series 1, a 10 part radio drama, was the first part of an adaption of his Crime and Punishment novel. Broadcast on BBC Radio 4's afternoon play slot (2013). Series 2, a further 10 part radio drama, formed the second part, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 starting 19 January 2015. Series 3 began airing on Radio 4 on Monday 9 January 2017.

List of Episodes of 'The Corrupted'

The table lists Episodes of 'The Corrupted'.

Reception

The BBC's Feedback programme on 27/01/2017 included discussion on Series 3 of 'The Corrupted', including talking "to Radio 4's Commissioning Editor for Drama, Jeremy Howe, about why he felt the The Corrupted was worth 7 hours of airtime over just two weeks" and the assessment that "many loved it, though some were not so keen on the venal themes".

Describing the series as 'Fiction in a factual world', Feedback went on to note the suggestion in 'The Corrupted' storyline, that, after the character Joseph Oldman had deployed some of his wealth to bankroll the Conservative Party, Margaret Thatcher (ignorant of his gangster background) expressed interest in appointing him to the post of chancellor of the exchequer. It also discussed the murder of Airey Neave, which- although claimed by the INLA- by juxtaposition of themes in the series, it was implied, might have had some level of involvement of The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), or MI5, who might have desired to silence him to avoid exposure of others with influence.

The Nation's Health

The Nation's Health is a 4 episode series written by G.F.Newman, originally broadcast on the fledgling Channel 4 UK TV channel in 1983.

The series consists of four episodes that are, in order, titled: Acute, Decline, Chronic, and Collapse. In it we are faced with a maelstrom of political issues, illnesses, fatalities, personal greed and professional vanities. As may be clear from these titles, the series draws a relentlessly bleak view of the NHS in 1980s Britain.

While each episode stands alone, the hospital, characters, and some strands of the stories are common through the series. The series presents a view of the NHS through the eyes of Dr. Jessie Marvill (Vivienne Ritchie), a young doctor at a fictional inner city teaching hospital, St Clair’s, who at this stage of her life is trying to work out what career path to take within the NHS.

Reception

Sherryl Wilson writes: Although the series is a negative critique of the NHS staff in general, it does also offer a damning insight into the policies that were seen to be disabling the NHS.

In a BMJ abstract one can read: How “little relation to reality” these programmes bore to the NHS in the early 1980s is up for debate, but something in these programmes smacks of truth, raising questions that still need to be asked of the NHS and its staff. Sherryl Wilson draws a comparison with conclusions from the 2009 enquiry into Stafford Hospital. The BMJ abstract continues These programmes make fascinating if difficult watching, because they do not show the deference towards the medical profession and the NHS shown by previous British dramas such as Doctor Finlay’s Casebook, General Hospital, and Emergency—Ward 10. Their gritty influence on later British medical dramas, such as Casualty can be seen clearly.

Credits

See, for example, the credits at Screenonline.

For the Greater Good

A three-part Whitehall drama series, with the titles (Member, Mandarin, Minister) reflecting the perspectives of the three principal protagonists (a British Member of Parliament, a Whitehall Civil Servant, and a Government Minister, respectively).

Member

With the prisons seething, Aids apparently out of control, and the Government nowhere in the opinion polls, a Tory back-bencher has to make a crisis choice between ambition, conscience and a questionable private life.

Mandarin

A high-flying civil servant ('mandarin') discovers a conspiracy at the Home Office. She must choose between loyalty to her leader and leaking to the press.

Minister

Before the politicians can reform Britain's brutal prison system by privatisation, the tabloid press destroys their careers by publishing exposés of their sex lives.