Memorable TV

UK TV - UFO to URBAN GOTHIC

UFO 

ATV/Century 21 / 26x60m-e / 1970

Creators: Gerry & Sylvia Anderson / Music: Barry Gray / Script Editor: Tony Barwick / Special Effects: Derek Meddings / Producer: Reg Hill / Executive Producer: Gerry Anderson

Scifi drama series. In the 1980's the Earth is beset by alien forces, a secret government agency is set up, using as its headquarters a thriving film studio, to combat the alien menace. This series marked Gerry Andersons first real foray into TV live action after his puppet years. A proposed second season later mutated into Space:1999.

With:- ED BISHOP as Cmdr Ed Straker / GEORGE SEWELL as Col Alec Freeman / GABRIELLE DRAKE as Lt Gay Ellis / WANDA VENTHAM as Col Virginia Lake / PETER GORDENO as Capt Peter Karlin / MICHAEL BILLINGTON as Col Paul Foster / GRANT TAYLOR as General Henderson

BBC1 / 7x30m-e / 1968 15 July - 26 August Mondays 7.30pm black and white

Writer/Producer: Richard Waring / Book: P.G. Wodehouse / Director: Joan Kemp-Welch  

Period comedy drama serial. Stanley Featherstone Ukridge cons his way through the 1930's.

With:- ANTON RODGERS as  Ukridge / JULIAN HOLLOWAY as Corky / MARIAN SPENCER as Aunt Julia

ULTIMATE FORCE

ITV1 / 5x90m, 11x60m / started 16 September 2002 / 9:00pm

Producer: Peter Norris

Action drama series. Exploits of a crack SAS squad code-named Red Troop led by Henno Garvie. The first two series (barring the opener) were 60 minutes - this became 90 minutes for the third series which lost a number of the regulars from the first two series but gained the first female SAS recruit.

cast
ROSS KEMP as Henno Garvie / MILES ANDERSON as Colonel Dempsey / JAMIE DRAVEN as Jamie Dow (to series 2) / SENDIL RAMAMURTHY as Alex Leonard (to series 2) / TOMY CURRAN as Pete Twamley (to series 2) / DANNY SAPANI as Ricky Mann ( to series 2) / ALEX REID as Caroline Walshe (to series 2) / ELLIOT COWAN as Jem Poynton (to series 2) / JAMIE BAMBER as Lt Dotsy Doheny (To series 2) / CHRISTOPHER FOX as Louis Hoffman / HEATHER PEACE as Becca Gallagher (from series 3) / LOUIS DECOSTA JOHNSON as Dave Woolston / LIAM GARRIGAN as Ed Dwyer / HANNAH YELLAND as Kathy Crampton

Channel 4 / 6x60m-e / 1998

Writer/Director: Joe Aherne / Producer: Bill Shapter 

Fantasy thriller serial. A detective sergeant finds himself tangling with modern day vampires.

With:- JACK DAVENPORT as Michael / SUSANNAH HARKER as Angie / IDRIS ELBA as Vaughan / PHILIP QUAST as Pearse / STEPHEN MOYER as Jack / COLETTE BROWN as Kirsty / FIONA DOLMAN as Frances / RONNIE LETHAM as Pollard / MARC BOLTON as Carter / JOHN ASHTON as DS Ferman / LARA J. WEST as Sue 

UNCLE ADOLF

ITV1 / 1x120m / 3 January 2005

Writer: Nigel Williams / Director: Nicholas Renton / Producer: Mark Pybus

Wartime drama about Adolf Hitler focussing mainly on his obsession for his grown-up niece Geli Raubel and his efforts to totally control her and not allow her to have any emotional relationships with men other than himself which eventually leads her to take her own life.

cast
KEN STOTT as Adolf Hitler / ELAINE CASSIDY as Geri Raubel / CHRISTINE TREMARCO as Eva Braun / DANNY WEBB as Joseph Goebbels / PETER WIGHT as Henrich Hoffman / ROBERT PUGH as Gregor Strasser

UNCLE FRED FLITS BY

BBC1 'A Comedy Playhouse production' 1x25m-e / 1967 16 June - Friday 7.35pm  

Writer/Producer/Director: Michael Mills / Story: P.G. Wodehouse 

Comedy. The exploits of the Earl of Ickenham(a typical Wodehouse creation.)

Ickenham(Uncle Fred)...................... WILFRED HYDE WHITE

Connie Parker................................. AVIS BUNNAGE

Pongo Twistleton............................ JONATHAN CECIL

Julia Parker.................................... JANINA FAYE

Wilberforce Robinson..................... GEORGE PENSOTTI

UNCLE SILAS

ITV / 1x120m-e / 2001

Book: H.E. Bates

Period drama series. In the early 1900's a 10 year old boy goes to stay with his Great Uncle Silas in the country and soon finds himself caught up in his Uncle's tall stories and adventure telling. The role of Silas was to have been played by Oliver Reed before his untimely death.

With:- ALBERT FINNEY as Silas / CHARLOTTE RAMPLING

BBC1 'Comedy Playhouse' / 1x30m-e / 1971 8 April - Thursday 7.45pm

Writer: Rene Basilico / Producer: Douglas Argent 

Comedy. Kenyan Uncle Tulip arrives in England to look after his neice and nephew and is shocked to discover how English they've become.

Uncle Tulip.................................... RENU SETNA

Uncle Ranjit.................................. FRANK OLEGARIO

Dr Johnson................................... GEOFFREY LUMSDEN

Charlie......................................... MADHAV SHARMA

Anna........................................... YASMIN 

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

ITV1 / 1x120m / 20 January 2003 / 9:00pm

Writer: Chris Lang / Director: Ferdinand Fairfax / Producer: Mark Pybus

Thriller. Four year old Max Gray is abducted at his birthday party at an amusement park. The kidnapper then makes bizarre demands on the parents as he tells them they must steal and commit arson for him to keep their son safe and eventually they are told they must murder someone to get their son back.

With:- ROBSON GREEN as Pete Gray / SARAH PARISH as Lydia Gray / JOE ABSOLOM as Benjamin Cain / TIMOTHY KRAUSE as Max Gray / KAYE WRAGG as DS Hayley Green

BBC1 / 6x50m-e / 1998

Writer: Peter Bowker / Producer: Jane Fallon / Director: John Strickland 

Crime/romantic drama serial. Undercover detective Tom Howarth goes missing whilst working on a case, his wife Lois and his work partner Matthew Lomas(who are embroiled in a deep affair) lead the search for him.

Tom Haworth.................................... STEVEN MACKINTOSH

Lois Haworth.................................... DANIELA NARDINI

Matthew Lomas............................... LENNIE JAMES

Sarah May....................................... LISA COLEMAN

Jim Ryan......................................... DAVID TROUGHTON

Jimmy Hatcher................................ TONY CURRAN

Fiona.............................................. NIMMY MARCH

Jade............................................... MOSSIE SMITH

ABC 'Armchair Theatre' / 1x50m-e / 1958 28 November black and white

Writer: James Forsyth / Novel: Harold Rein / Design: George Haslem / Producer: Sydney Newman / Director: William Kotcheff

Scifi drama. A group of atomic bomb survivors become trapped in an underground station. During the play, broadcast live, one of the actors (Gareth Jones) actually died whilst the show was on the air.

Art.................................................. DONALD HOUSTON

Bob................................................. IAN CURRY

Cassie............................................ PATRICIA JESSEL

Stan............................................... WARREN MITCHELL

Carl Norman.................................... GARETH JONES

Mr Thornton..................................... ANDREW CRUICKSHANK

Simpson......................................... PETER BOWLES

Channel 4 'The Summer of Love' / 1x65m-e / 1999 16 August - Monday 10.40pm

Producers: Nicolas Kent, Mark Bentley / Director: Peter Webber 

Drama. A group of eco warriors make a stand against a new bypass by tunneling their underground but their protest is destined to end in tragedy.

With:- EMMA CUNIFFE as Caz / SHAUN DINGWALL as Jake / RICK WARDEN as Furball

ABC / 11x60m-e / 1965 black and white

Creator: Robert Banks Stewart / Producer: Michael Chapman 

Scifi drama series. An alien force is trying to gain a foothold in Britain by undermining society using brainwashed people from the top ranks of the country.

Drew Heriot....................................... JEREMY WILKIN

Anne Heriot....................................... ROSEMARY NICOLS

Prof Val Randolph.............................. DENIS QUILLEY 

THE UNDERTAKER

BBC2 / 1x15m / 26 July 2006

Writer/Director: Joe Penhall / Producers: Liza Marshall, Matthew Vizard

Film Short. A woman visits an undertaker to view her father's body and a prank he plays on her goes wrong. With:- Nathalie Press and Rhys Ifans

UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE

ITV1 / 1x110m / 26 December 2005

Novel: Thomas Hardy / Adaptation: Ashley Pharoah / Director: Nick Laughland / Producer: Jeremy Gwilt

Period drama. The local parson of Mellstock village employs a new schoolteacher called Fancy Day whose beauty turns the heads of many of the local men who compete for her affections although her presence disrupts the way of life they have become used to.

With:- KEELEY HAWES as Fancy Day / James Murray as Dick Dewey / TONY HAYGARTH as Reuben / BEN MILES as Parson Maybold

Meridian-New Penny / 7x60m-e / 1993

Writer: John Mortimer / Design: Bill Palmer / Music: Bill Connor / Producers: Jonathan Alwyn, Jacqueline Davis

Drama series. Maggie Perowne and Ben Glazier, both on the staff of prestigeous auction house Klinskys, tend to get rather too involved in the items they are asked to verify.

Ben Glazier....................................... RICHARD WILSON

Maggie Perowne............................... JAN FRANCIS

Camilla Mounsey.............................. MARSHA FITZALAN

Nick Roper....................................... MICHAEL SIBERRY

Lord Holloway................................... ROBERT LANG

Keith Shrimsley................................ STEPHEN BOXER

BBC1 / 1x30m-e / 1995 18 September - Monday 8.30pm

Writer: Paul A. Mendelsohn / Producer/Director: Paul Harrison 

Comedy. High powered single businesswoman Francesca Jensen is desperate to have a baby.

Francesca Jenson........................... SAMANTHA BOND

Donald Thackeray........................... MARK AITKEN

Hugo Tripp..................................... MALCOLM SINCLAIR

Clifford........................................... CLIFF PARISI

Megan Phillips............................... GERALDINE FITZGERALD

Channel 4/Hatrick / 6x60m-e / 1997 

Writer: Andy Hamilton / Producers: Avon Murphy, Andy Hamilton / Director: Liddy Oldroyd 

Comedy thriller serial. Brother and sister William and Susan living normal lives in middle class suburbia unwitting and unwillingly get caught up in the world of a pair of very possibly mentally deranged gangland bosses.

William............................................... JAMES FLEET

Susan................................................ SUSAN WOOLDRIDGE

Teddy Middlemass.............................. ALUN ARMSTRONG

Jezzard.............................................. KEVIN McNALLY

Martin................................................ DAVID TROUGHTON

Graham............................................. MIKE REID

Gilda................................................. CAMILLA POWER

Aunt Doreen...................................... ANNETTE CROSBIE

BBC 'Comedy Playhouse' / 1x30m-e / 1963 5 October - Saturday 9.00pm

Writer: Trevor Peacock / Story: A.J. Bacon / Producer: Philip Barker 

Comedy. Exploits of crime writer Vogler.

Vogler............................................... RON MOODY

Froggy.............................................. BRYAN PRINGLE

Ist Crook........................................... BLAKE BUTLER

2nd Crook......................................... TREVOR PEACOCK

Cafe Server....................................... PAT COOMBS

BBC (The Play on One) / 1x90m-e / 1989 25 April

Writer: Alun Owen / Novel: Alice Thomas Ellis / Director: Gareth Davies 

Thriller. A female journalist who is staying in a remote cottage deep in rural Wales finds herself beset by menacing and strange forces.

With:- DIANA RIGG as Lydia / ELAINE PAIGE as Betty / JOANNA DAVID as Elizabeth / JON FINCH as Finn / ROBERT GWILYM as Beuno / CINDY HOLDEN as Angharad / EMLYN PRICE as Hywel

BBC / 1x75m-e / 1985 

Writer: Ken Campbell / Producer: Kenith Trodd 

Thriller. A woman finds herself being menacingly stalked.

With:- JULIE WALTERS / MALCOLM TERRIS / DAVID RAPPAPORT

Granada / 24x25m-e / 1960 28 June - 18 November black and white

Executive Producer: Peter Francis 

An anthology series of sting in the tale stories. Started off twice weekly then went to once a week. 

AN UNGENTLEMANLY ACT

BBC / 1x120m-e? / 1992

Drama re-telling the hours leading up to the Falklands Conflict in 1982 as the army prepares for action and the islanders are being stirred by political events.

With:- IAN RICHARDSON / ROSEMARY LEACH / BOB PECK as Major Mike Norman / IAN MCNIECE / MARC WARREN

BBC1 / 147x30m-e / 1965-67 black and white

Creator: Brian Hayles / Technical Advisor: Jimmy Hill / Producers: Bernard Hepton, David Conroy, John Mcrae, Anthony Cornish

Twice weekly drama series. The problems of struggling football club Brentwich United who unfortunately found themselves languishing at the bottom end of the second division.

Gerry Barford.................................... DAVID LODGE

Jack Birkett...................................... BRYAN MARSHALL

Kenny Craig..................................... STEPHEN YARDLEY

Jimmy Stokes.................................. GEORGE LAYTON

Dan Davis........................................ ARTHUR PENTELOW

Frank Sibley.................................... ARNOLD PETERS

Jean Jones...................................... MITZI ROGERS

Mark Wilson.................................... RONALD ALLEN

UNITY 

BBC / 1x105m-e / 1981

Writer: John Mortimer / Director: James Cellan Jones 

Period Drama. The true story of Unity Mitford who in the 1930's went to live in Germany and was friends with Adolf Hitler.

With:- LESLEY ANNE DOWN as Unity Mitford / NIGEL HAVERS / JEREMY KEMP / ERNEST JACOBI

THE UNINVITED

ITV / 4x60m-e / 1997

Creator/Executive Producer: Leslie Grantham / Writer: Peter Bowker / Producer: Ruth Boswell / Director: Norman Stone

Scifi drama serial. Photographer Steve Blake discovers that a ghostly village is the key to a planned alien invasion and that several key personnel throughout the country have been replaced by aliens.

Steve Blake.................................... DOUGLAS HODGE

Ch Supt Gates................................ LESLIE GRANTHAM

James Wilson................................. DAVID ALLISTER

Melissa Gates................................. LIA WILLIAMS

Joanne Ball..................................... SYLVESTRA LA TOUZEL

John Ferguson................................ IAN BRIMBLE

Sarah Armstrong............................ CAROLINE LEE JOHNSON

Carlton / 3x60m-e / 1998

Writer: Peter Barwood / Music: Alan Parker / Producer: Michele Buck / Director: David Drury

Period drama serial. During World War One a mute amnesiac nicknamed Angel who was found wandering naked in no mans land recuperates in hospital and nurse Sophia Carey becomes romantically involved with him as she tries to help him regain his memory.

Angel.............................................. GARY MAVERS

Sophia Carey.................................. JULIET AUBREY

Sir Frances Carey............................ FREDERICK TREVES

Major Stephen Phelps...................... PIP TORRENS

Capt Ewan Thomas.......................... DAFYDD HYWELL

Major Weatherby............................. JOHN LIGHT

Corporal Teague.............................. DAVE KENT

Jeff Quinn....................................... DAVID WESTHEAD

BBC2 'Theatre 625' / 3x75m-e / 1965 black and white

Writer: Giles Cooper / Director: Donald MacWhinnie 

A trilogy of dramas about a teacher. 1.SEEK HER OUT, 2.THE LONG HOUSE, 3.UNMAN WITTERING AND ZIGO.

With:- PETER BLYTHE as John Ebony / TAMARA HINCHO as Nadia Ebony / DENNIS WATERMAN / HYWEL BENNETT

Central / 7x60m-e / 1986

Producer: Nicholas Palmer 

An anthology series of dramas concerning death by unnatural causes, the writers included Nigel Kneale (Ladies Night) and Lynda LaPlante (Hidden Talents).

BBC 'Lord Peter Wimsey' / 4x45m-e / 1973 1 - 22 February

Writer: John Bowen / Novel: D.L. Sayers / Director: Ronald Wilson 

Period crime drama serial. A case for Lord Peter Wimsey. 

Peter................................................... IAN CARMICHAEL

Pritchard............................................. CLIFFORD ROSE

Mr Marbles......................................... JOHN WELSH

HTV / 6x60m-e 3x120m-e / 1997-99 and 2001

Producers: Colin Ludlow, Debbie Shewell / Books: P.D. James 

Crime drama series. Cordelia Gray inherits a private detective agency and tackles various cases. The stories appeared only sporadically and usually as mini serials. There was a long gap from 1999 to May 2001 before a new episode Playing God appeared. Helen Baxendale became pregnant just as the series hit the air leading to the initial delays in new episodes.

Cordelia Gray.................................. HELEN BAXENDALE

Mrs Sparshott................................. ANNETTE CROSBIE

UP IN TOWN

BBC / 6x10m-e / 2002 started 6 March 

Writer/Producer/Director: Hugo Blick

A series of six monologues about Madison Blakelock who talks to her bedroom mirror whilst doing her make up about that the fact that she has no money and her husband has a mistress.

With:- JOANNA LUMLEY as Madison Blakelock

Channel 4 / 1x30m-e / 1995

Writer/Director: Joe Cornish 

Drama. Backstage shenanigans at a provincial repertory theatre where a production of Macbeth is being put on.

Actor.................................................. RONALD LACEY

Hiswife................................................ LYNETTE DAVIES

Lady Macbeth..................................... NATALIE SLATER

Stage Hand........................................ JIMMY GALLAGHER

Sound Man........................................ KEN WYNNE

LWT/Sagitta / 68x60m-e / 1971-75

Creators: Jean Marsh, Eileen Atkins / Theme Music: Alexander Faris / Script Editor: Alfred Shaughnessy / Executive Producer: Rex Firkin / Producer: John Hawkesworth

Period drama series. 30 years in the life of the Bellamy family and their below stairs servants between the years 1903 and 1930. An incredibly popular series in the UK and abroad with the episodes taking in all the key historical moments with the first Mrs Bellamy being on the Titanic went it went down, several of the household getting caught up in the carnage of world war one and later James Bellamy losing all the family money in the Wall Street Crash. More personal moments included James getting maid Sarah pregnant, and at the series end butler Hudson getting married to cook Mrs Bridges.  See also the sequel Thomas and Sarah.

With:- GORDON JACKSON as Angus Hudson / JEAN MARSH as Rose / SIMON WILLIAMS as Captain James Bellamy / ANGELA BADDELEY as Mrs Kate Bridges / DAVID LANGTON as Lord Richard Bellamy / RACHEL GURNEY as Lady Marjorie  Bellamy / NICOLA PAGETT as Elizabeth Bellamy / LESLEY-ANNE DOWN as Georgina Worsley / PAULINE COLLINS as Sarah / JOHN ALDERTON as Thomas / HANNAH GORDON as Virginia Hamilton / JENNY TOMASIN as Ruby / CHRISTOPHER BEENY as Edward / JACQUELINE TONG as Daisy / IAN OLGILVY as Laurence Kirbridge / GARETH HUNT as Frederick

UP THE JUNCTION

 ATV  / 1x70m-e / 1965 black and white

Writer: Nell Dunn / Director: Ken Loach 

Drama. A teenage girl living in Battersea has a fling and winds up pregnant. Very realistic at the time and very shocking, there was a film version made in 1967 that also starred Carol White. 

With:- CAROL WHITE / GERALDINE SHERMAN / VICKERY TURNER 

URBAN GOTHIC

Channel Five-Golden Square-Black Jack Prod-Urban Gothic Prod. / 13x30m-e / 2000 17 May - 23 August Wednesdays 10.35pm

Creators: Tom de Ville, Steve Matthews / Writer: Tom de Ville / Music: Philip J. Jewson, Paul Cartledge / Producer: John Price / Executive Producers: Victor Glynn, Steve Matthews

An anthology series of horror dramas all set in present day London, featuring a mix of up and coming actors and some well known horror faces (Ingrid Pitt etc). Other stars included Leslie Grantham, Anita Dobson, Richard O'Brien and Sean Maguire. 

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