Lancaster-Miller Affair, The (Channel 9 1985, Nicholas Eadie, Kerry Mack)

Period drama serial The Lancaster Miller Affair followed the lives of 1920’s air ace Bill Lancaster and his lover Chubbie Miller, especially Lancaster’s attempt to become the first to fly from Britain to Australia and later Lancaster’s trial for murdering one of Chubbie’s lovers in 1932 (Lancaster and Miller had married by this stage but he was in Mexico and she was living in Florida working on her memoirs with Haden Clarke who was later found shot dead with Miller as chief suspect. He was put on trial but acquitted in just five hours.)

Another one of those classic Aussie mini-series that were hugely popular back in the 1980’s. This one was blessed with a particularly fine script from the always excellent Peter Yeldham. There was a small role here for Charles Dance and both John Lee and Bud Tingwell had worked extensively in the UK earlier in their careers.

production details
Australia / 9 Network – Lancaster Miller Productions / 5×60 minute episodes / Broadcast 6 – 8 July 1985

Writer: Peter Yeldham / Camera: Ross Berryman / Design: David Copping / Costume: Bruce Finlayson / Music: Frank Strangio / Producer: Paul Davies / Director: Henri Safran

cast
NICHOLAS EADIE as Bill Lancaster
KERRY MACK as Chubbie Miller
MALCOLM ROBERTSON as James Carson
WAYNE GULL as Haden Clarke
JUNE SALTER as Maud Lancaster
BARRY HILL as Edward Lancaster
LISA ARMYTAGE as Anne Lancaster
JOHN LEE as Charles Colby
EARL FRANCIS as Editor
STEPHEN COSTAIN as George
CHARLES DANCE as Aircraft Company Manager
BILL RICHARDSON as Stewart Cartwright
CHARLES ‘BUD’ TINGWELL as Sam Hayes

• Play For Today: The Bankrupt (BBC 1972, Joss Ackland)

• Hamlet at Elsinore (BBC 1964, Christopher Plummer, Robert Shaw)

• A Handful of Thieves (BBC One 1969, Helen Worth, Martin Ratcliffe)

• Hands Across the Sea (BBC, 1938, Nadine March, Nicholas Phipps)

• My Son Reuben (Thames 1975, Bernard Spear, Lila Kaye,)

• The Franchise Affair (BBC 1962, Rosalie Crutchley, Michael Aldridge)

• The Galactic Garden