Adam Smith was a recently bereaved Church of Scotland minister and this series focused on his attempts to cope with being a widower and being there to help his parishoners in the village of Lammerton in times of need.
The show itself had quite a soapy feel and was shown in the early Sunday evening six thirty “religious” slot. Plotlines in season one ran from Adam crossing swords with a doctor about how best to deal with a troubled young girl, offering up help for a marriage in trouble. By the end of the season Adam was contemplating moving to the Parish of Marygate.
Season two began with Adam taking up a temporary position in South Africa, where his problems included trying to trace his congregation and getting into trouble with the police after visiting a Bantu reserve without permission. On his return to home he still faced the problem of trying to find a new meaning in his life. He manages to find a new Parish though in the shape of tough inner city Dunstan.
Adam Smith was probably Andrew Keirs highest profile role. Keir was a character actor who was always one of those well known faces but here was given a chance to take a lead role. There was a strong role too for Brigit Forsyth as Smith’s youngest daughter Annie (Forsyth ended up marrying director Brian Mills after meeting him on this series).
Guest stars included the likes of Janet Munro (who appeared in most of season one as Elizabeth Crichton and had quite a strong role), David Langton (then currently starring in Upstairs Downstairs), Moultrie Kelsall, Fraser Kerr, Andrew Ray, Saeed Jaffrey, Frederick Jaegar and Coronation Street’s Thelma Barlow.
Other writers besides Trevor Griffiths working on the series included Tom Gallacher, John Hardiman, C.P. Taylor and Julian Roach, whilst directors included Brian Mills and Raymond Menmuir.
The series ran for two seasons, the first was 12 episodes (23 Jan – 9 April 72) and the second a mammoth 27 eps (17 Sep 72 – 25 March 73).
Tom Conti and Kara Wilson.production details
UK / ITV Network – Granada / 39×30 minute episodes /Broadcast 23 January 1972 – 25 March 1973
Creator: Trevor Griffiths (writing as Ben Rae) / Producer: June Howson
cast
ANDREW KEIR as Adam Smith
BRIGIT FORSYTH as Annie Smith
TOM CONTI as Dr Calvi
KARA WILSON as Helen Smith
JANET MUNRO as Elizabeth Crichton (season one)
MAGGIE JORDAN as Margaret Carus
WILLIE JOSS as John Ross (season one)
SHEILA RUSKIN as Anna Calvi (season two)
SAEED JAFFREY as Abbas (season two)
