BBC Four to Show 11 Classic Dramas

BBC Four to Show 11 Classic Dramas

As part of BBC Four and iPlayer’s continuing commitment to highlight the BBC’s rich history of original, high-quality drama from some of the UK’s greatest creative talents, the network has announced an upcoming season of feature-length dramas that will include both hidden gems and lesser-shown classics from the past half-century.

The season premieres on BBC Four and iPlayer every Wednesday at 10 p.m. on May 10 and features eleven classic BBC feature-length dramas starring the likes of Julie Walters, Victoria Wood, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, Brian Cox, David Bowie, and Alan Bennett, among many others.

In the season’s dramas, we have:

The Lost Language of Cranes
The story examines a young man’s coming out to his parents and their reactions, and it’s based on the book of the same name by David Leavitt. The drama starring Brian Cox, Eileen Atkins, and Cathy Tyson first aired in 1992 as part of the Screen Two series and has never been repeated.

Pat and Margaret
Pat and Margaret on Screen One features an all-star cast led by Victoria Wood and Julie Walters, along with Anne Reid, Duncan Preston, and Thora Hird. Two sisters, one a famous actress and the other a cook, are reunited after being separated for 27 years. Pat and Margaret will air on television this year as part of a special night honouring Victoria Wood on the occasion of her 70th birthday.

Lucky Sunil
Lucky Sunil, written by Andrew Davies and starring Kulvinder Ghir, is the story of a young, handsome man beginning his career in London. It’s been 20 years since the movie was shown again.

Eskimo Day
Jack Rosenthal’s play Eskimo Day follows three young applicants on their interview day at Queen’s University in Cambridge. In his final film role before his death in 2000, Alec Guinness co-stars with Maureen Lipman.

An Englishman Abroad
The story of Coral Browne and Cambridge spy turned Soviet, Guy Burgess, inspired Alan Bennett’s An Englishman Abroad. In 1983, the film won the BAFTA for Best Single Drama and individual awards for its performances by Alan Bates (Guy Burgess) and Coral Browne (as herself).

She’s Been Away
Stephen Poliakoff and Sir Peter Hall’s She’s Been Away is about an elderly woman reuniting with her family after a mental institution is closed. Dame Peggy Ashcroft, whose performance earned her two awards at the Venice International Film Festival, gave her final performance.

The Hope and the Glory
The Hope and the Glory first aired in 1984 and hasn’t been seen since. It’s about two men who meet in a boarding house and become fast friends despite their obvious differences. The film stars Rudolph Walker and Maurice Denham.

The Long Roads
The Long Roads, directed by John McGrath, stars Edith MacArthur as a dying old lady who goes to see her children after receiving the devastating news that she has cancer. It’s been over 20 years since this drama was last seen.

Food for Ravens
The Welshman Aneurin Bevan, the film’s subject, was the driving force behind the creation of the National Health Service. Trevor Griffiths’ Food for Ravens, starring Brian Cox and Sinéad Cusack, was nominated for two awards and ultimately took home both.

Baal
Adapted from Bertolt Brecht’s classic play about a rebellious poetic genius who is about to meet his end after a drunken and dissolute decline, Baal stars David Bowie and is directed by Alan Clarke for television. After its initial airing in 1982, Baal has never been repeated.

Kisses at Fifty
Play for Today’s Kisses at Fifty is resurfaced after thirty years. The film, written by Colin Welland and directed by Michael Apted, centres on Harry Cook (Bill Maynard), a middle-aged man, and the ripple effects of his affair with a local barmaid.