Eureka!: Supersize Goes...
- Published: 18 June 2008 14:00
- Last Updated: 19 June 2008 09:47
- Reader Responses
Supersize Goes... series producer Alannah Richardson on reviving history through long lunches.
Where did the idea for the original show come from?
Janice Hadlow and Mark Bell asked Daisy Goodwin for ideas for BBC4's Edwardian season. They discussed the huge amount of food the Edwardians consumed and Daisy came up with the name on the spot. It was one of the fastest commissions she's had.
What made it stand out?
It's an unusual marriage of history, comedy and food. Daisy suggested pairing Giles Coren and Sue Perkins, thinking they were opposites who could complement each other, while providing different perspectives on food and gender roles.
How did the format evolve?
We wanted to make each film as different as possible and to weave more history into the commentary. We worked at defining Sue and Giles' roles, having them act as husband and wife or brother and sister, and Sue got stuck into more research on the woman's role.
How much of a challenge was it to find and cook the right food and drink?
Finding the bits of an animal that are usually discarded put pressure on costs and some animals people used to eat are now protected species. The Victorians used to kill anything, including barn owls, and people ate hedgehogs in the Second World War. Other animals were substituted, such as squirrels.
What challenges did it pose for Sue and Giles?
Off-screen, Sue's virtually a vegetarian but was game to eat anything. The only thing they both baulked at was a calf's eye. The bigger problem was getting pissed. This was factual programming, not drama, so we couldn't substitute apple juice for wine. We'd be filming with a week's worth of hangovers - and for the Elizabethan edition, beer for breakfast.
What other times would you like to visit?
Medieval would be great; a Stone Age edition would be mad. If we get the budget, I'd love to do Rome, where we'd have to film Sue and Giles using a self-explanatory vomitarium.
