The Boat That Rocked

Rodney 6 Comments

Pirate-1
Pump Up The Volume is about to hit the water in The Boat That Rocked. We get wind of this Pirate Radio drama thanks to the professionals at Variety:

Kenneth Branagh, Rhys Ifans and January Jones have climbed aboard “The Boat That Rocked,” a Working Title production for Universal that Richard Curtis wrote and will direct. Branagh and Ifans play deejays for a pirate radio show in England during the 1970s. Jones, best known for her starring turn as repressed housewife Betty Draper in “Mad Men,” plays an American woman who visits the deejays on the boat and falls for her boyfriend’s pal (Ifans).

Everyone and their sister can have a means to broadcast with the internet age upon us. But before such conveniences existed, people broke the law in order to put what they loved out there for other fans to enjoy. People used ingenuity to set up small radio broadcasting stations in order to reach a small group of people in an isolated area. These freedom fighters and champions of free speech were the robin hood of the airwaves.

A pirate radio station on a boat is delightfully appropriate. I assume the water would be as good a place as any in which to broadcast, and when you are able to move the boat to different areas along the coast – you have a traveling radio program! This sounds like a cool idea for a film and I will certainly keep tabs on this one. Filming for this project begins March 3rd in London and we will be sure to keep you up to speed.

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6 thoughts on “The Boat That Rocked”

  1. A fellow named Hans Knot has a blog and e-letter that follows the extensive history of ‘offshore’ pirate radio. If you email him, he can
    answer questions and put you on his mailing list.

    Hans Knot

    Happy New Year,
    John

  3. Just seen the trailer in the cinema (James Bond – QOS was the main film) looks and sound great.

    As someone who grew up with the offfshore station this will tickle my memories. I realise that history and events will be played with for poetic licence, but with such a strong cast it will re-ignite an interest in these heady days of clear blue skys, long hot summers and the pioneers of British all day music radio.

    Will show how bland todays radio has become.

    Bring it on! May 2009

  6. Pirate radio stations started in the UK in the early 1960’s with the most famous Radio Caroline. Soon there were over eight ships located around the British coast. Why were they on ships? Well, the BBC had a monopoly at the time and independent radio was not around. The stations were on ships so that they could be located beyond the legal 3 mile territorial coastal limits – out of British jurisdiction. They were then free to play what they liked, when they liked. In 1967 the British Government brought in the Marine Broadcasting Offences Bill which made it illegal for British citizens to work on such stations and British companies to advertise. All the stations closed down the day before the legislation came in… except for Radio Caroline. She went on to vroadcast for many years on the high seas. Anchors breaking, groundings on sandbanks, feuds and jamming by the British Government made it an exciting time to listen to such stations.

    The DJs would be on board for weeks or months at a time and the old ship of Caroline finally sank in the 1970s but a new ship with a 300 foot tall mast returned and broadcast for many years. Ultimately it surrendered to bad weather, grounded on a sandbank and fimally limped into a port where it was arrested and sealed. It still is here and used by the station which is now legal and can be found on the internet and satellite.

    Exciting times which – hopefully – should be reflected in the movie. Hope that this was of interest

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