Screen Two (BBC Two 1985-1998)

Screen Two was a long running anthology series of single filmed dramas that ran on the BBC’s second channel (hence the title), there was no defining link between the productions other than they were all generally high quality with scripts from some of TV’s leading writers and performances from the cream of the British acting profession.

The series opened with Contact on 6 January 1985, directed by Alan Clarke and was about a group of soldiers on patrol in Northern Ireland. The series finished on 25 January 1998 with Robinson in Space written by Patrick Keller. In Between there were scripts from Dennis Potter (Midnight Movie), Stephen Poliakoff (Century), Howard Schuman (Nervous Energy), Jimmy McGovern (Priest), William Nicholson (The Vision – a rare TV role for Dirk Bogarde) Jeanette Winterson (Great Moments in Aviation), David Hare (The Absence of War) and Alan Bennett (102 Boulevard Haussman) to name just a few.

On 10 September 1989 there was a concurrent series on the BBC main channel called Screen One. The same idea of course but the Screen One productions were probably a little more immediately accessible in terms of content.

production details
UK / BBC Two / 163 editions of varying lengths / 6 January 1985 – 25 January 1998

THE EPISODES
SEASON ONE 6 January – 10 March 1985
1. CONTACT (6 Jan 1985)
2. POPPYLAND (13 Jan 1985)
3. UNFAIR EXCHANGES (20 Jan 1985)
4. KNOCKBACK EPISODE 1 (27 Jan 1985)
5. KNOCKBACK EPISODE 2 (3 Feb 1985)
6. LENT (10 Feb 1985)
7. THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER (17 Feb 1985)
8. THE BURSTON REBELLION (24 Feb 1985)
9. SPACE STATION MILTON KEYNES (3 Mar 1985)
10. IN THE SECRET STATE (10 Mar 1985)

SEASON TWO 12 January – 6 April 1986
1. THE McGUFFIN (12 Jan 1986)
2. THE SILENT TWINS (19 Jan 1986)
3. TIME AFTER TIME (26 Jan 1986)
4. FRANKIE AND JOHNNIE (2 Feb 1986)
5. HONEST, DECENT AND TRUE (9 Feb 1986)
6. SONG OF EXPERIENCE (16 Feb 1986)
7. THE INSURANCE MAN (23 Feb 1986)
8. HOTEL DU LAC (2 Mar 1986)
9. THE RUSSIAN SOLDIER (9 Mar 1986)
10. BLOOD HUNT (16 Mar 1986)
11. SHERGAR (23 Mar 1986)
12. HARD TRAVELLING (30 Mar 1986)
13. DOUBLE IMAGE (6 Apr 1986)

SEASON THREE 4 January – 19 April 1987
1. COAST TO COAST (4 Jan 1987)
2. BLUNT (11 Jan 1987)
3. WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW (18 Jan 1987)
4. AFTER PILKINGTON (25 Jan 1987)
5. EAST OF IPSWICH (1 Feb 1987)
6. NAMING THE NAMES (8 Feb 1987)
7. NORTHANGER ABBEY (15 Feb 1987)
8. VISITORS (22 Feb 1987)
9. HEAVEN ON EARTH (1 Mar 1987)
10. INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR (8 Mar 1987)
11. GOING HOME (15 Mar 1987)
12. QUARTERMAINE’S TERMS (29 Mar 1987)
13. ON THE PALM (5 Apr 1987)
14. HEDGEHOG WEDDING (17 Apr 1987)
15. THE CHILDREN OF DYNMOUTH (19 Apr 1987)

SEASON FOUR 10 January – 24 April 1988
1. THE VISION (10 Jan 1988)
2. DEAD LUCKY (17 Jan 1988)
3. SWEET AS YOU ARE (24 Jan 1988)
4. STANLEY (31 Jan 1988)
5. BORDER (7 Feb 1988)
6. LOVEBIRDS (6 Mar 1988)
7. SHADOW ON THE EARTH (13 Mar 1988)
8. REASONABLE FORCE (27 Mar 1988)
9. THE TEMPTATION OF EILEEN HUGHES (3 Apr 1988)
10. LUCKY SUNIL (17 Apr 1988)
11. RUN FOR THE LIFEBOAT (24 Apr 1988)

SEASON FIVE 8 January – 26 March 1989
1. DEATH OF A SON (8 Jan 1989)
2. ANGEL VOICES (15 Jan 1989)
3. FLYING IN THE BRANCHES (22 Jan 1989)
4. WORDS OF LOVE (29 Jan 1989)
5. LEAVING (5 Feb 1989)
6. VIRTUOSO (12 Feb 1989)
7. THE PICNIC (19 Feb 1989)
8. THE FIRM (26 Feb 1989)
9. HERE IS THE NEWS (5 Mar 1989)
10. ICE DANCE (12 Mar 1989)
11. SITTING TARGETS (19 Mar 1989)
12. DEFROSTING THE FRIDGE (26 Mar 1989)

SEASON SIX 14 January – 1 April 1990
1. OLD FLAMES (14 Jan 1990)
2. THE MAN FROM THE PRU (21 Jan 1990)
3. DROWNING IN THE SHALLOW END (28 JAN 1990)
4. CLOSE RELATIONS (4 Feb 1990)
5. THE IMPOSSIBLE SPY (11 Feb 1990)
6. HE’S ASKING FOR ME (18 Feb 1990)
7. SOMETIME IN AUGUST (25 Feb 1990)
8. SMALL ZONES (4 Mar 1990)
9. CIRCLES OF DECEIT (11 Mar 1990)
10. THE LORELEI (18 Mar 1990)
11. CHILDREN CROSSING (25 Mar 1990)
12. KREMLIN FAREWELL (1 Apr 1990)

SEASON SEVEN 13 January – 7 April 1991
1. HEADING HOME (13 Jan 1991)
2. HALLEJUAH ANYHOW (27 Jan 1991)
3. KORCZAK (3 Feb 1991)
4. FELLOW TRAVELLER (10 Feb 1991)
5. 102 BOULEVARD HAUSSMAN (17 Feb 1991)
6. A PRIVATE LIFE (24 Feb 1991)
7. THE LAUGHTER OF GOD (3 Mar 1991)
8. MORPHINE AND DOLLY MIXTURES (10 Mar 1991)
9. DO NOT DISTURB (17 Mar 1991)
10. DREAMING (24 Mar 1991)
11. THEY NEVER SLEPT (31 Mar 1991)
12. AIMEE (7 Apr 1991)

SEASON EIGHT 19 January – 19 April 1992
1. THE GRASS AREANA (19 Jan 1992)
2. FLEA BITES (26 Jan 1992)
3. THE COUNT OF SOLAR (2 Feb 1992)
4. THE LOST LANGUAGE OF CRANES (9 Feb 1992)
5. THE OBJECT OF BEAUTY (16 Feb 1992)
6. MY SISTER-WIFE (23 Feb 1992)
7. TRULY MADLY DEEPLY (1 Mar 1992)
8. COMMON PURSUIT (8 Mar 1992)
9. UTZ (15 Mar 1992)
10. THE LAW LORD (22 Mar 1992)
11. THE LAST ROMANTICS (29 Mar 1992)
12. ENCHANTED APRIL (5 Apr 1992)
13. MEMENTO MORI (19 Apr 1992)

SEASON NINE 17 January – 4 April 1993
1. THE CLOTHES IN THE WARDROBE (17 Jan 1993)
2. EDWARD II (24 Jan 1993)
3. THE LONG ROADS (31 Jan 1993)
4. FEMME FATALE (7 Feb 1993)
5. DEAD ROMANTIC (14 Feb 1993)
6. THE CORMORANT (21 Feb 1993)
7. PRAGUE (28 Feb 1993)
8. VOICES IN THE GARDEN (7 Mar 1993)
9. MARIA’S CHILD (28 Mar 1993)
10. THE SNAPPER (4 Apr 1993)

SEASON TEN 19 – 30 December 1993
1. THE TRIAL (19 Dec 1993)
2. THE RAILWAY STATION MAN (30 Dec 1993)

SEASON ELEVEN 2 March
1. GENGHIS COHN (2 Mar 1994)
2. SKALLAGRIGG (9 Mar 1994)
3. ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL (16 Mar 1994)
4. THE REFLECTING SKIN (23 Mar 1994)
5. O MARY THIS LONDON (30 Mar 1994)
6. DIRTYSOMETHING (6 Apr 1994)
7. RETURN TO BLOOD RIVER (13 Apr 1994)
8. HENRI (20 Apr 1994)
9. CONTINENTAL DRIFT: ZINKY BOYS GO UNDERGROUND (27 Apr 1994)
10. ETHAN FROME (4 May 1994)
11. HOPE IN THE YEAR TWO (11 May 1994)
12. SIN BIN (18 May 1994)
13. MEN OF THE MONTH (25 May 1994)
14. A LANDING ON THE SUN (8 Jun 1994)
15. IN THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY (15 Jun 1994)
16. CRIMINAL (22 Jun 1994)

SEASON TWELVE 26 December 1994 – 2 January 1995
1. MIDNIGHT MOVIE (26 Dec 1994)
2, THE BUE BOY (2 Jan 1995)

SEASON THIRTEEN 26 March – 11 June 1995
1. A VERY OPEN PRISON (26 Mar 1995)
2. LIFE AFTER LIFE (2 Apr 1995)
3. PERSUSASION (16 Apr 1995)
4. CRAZY FOR A KISS (23 Apr 1995)
5. THE ABSENCE OF WAR (18 May 1995)
6. MRS HARTLEY AND THE GROWTH CENTRE (21 May 1995)
7. BLACK EASTER (4 Jun 1995)
8. BLISS (11 Jun 1995)

SEASON FOURTEEN 11 November – 31 December 1995
1. GREAT MOMENTS IN AVIATION (11 Nov 1995)
2. PRIEST (18 Nov 1995)
3. STREETLIFE (25 Nov 1995)
4. NERVOUS ENERGY (2 Dec 1995)
5. SAIGON BABY (16 Dec 1995)
6. THE HAWK (24 Dec 1995)
7. THE HOUR OF THE PIG (26 Dec 1995)
8. RETURN OF THE NATIVE (31 Dec 1995)

SPECIAL 18 February 1996
1. HALF THE PICTURE (18 Feb 1996)

SEASON FIFTEEN 11 May – 15 June 1996
1. CAPTIVES (11 May 1996)
2. A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (18 May 1996)
3. BAD BOYS BLUES (1 Jun 1996)
4. THE PRECIOUS BLOOD (8 Jun 1996)
5. CENTURY (15 Jun 1996)

SEASON SIXTEEN 5 October – 21 December 1996
1. CROSSING THE FLOOR (5 Oct 1996)
2. DEADLY VOYAGE (12 Oct 1996)
3. LOVING (19 Oct 1996)
4. FLOWERS OF THE FOREST (26 Oct 1996)
5. LOOK ME IN THE EYE (2 Nov 1996)
6. DALLAS DOLL (16 Nov 1996)
7. BURN YOUR PHONE (21 Dec 1996)

SEASON SEVENTEEN 1 June – 21 June 1997
1. I.D. (1 Jun 1997)
2. STONE, SCISSORS, PAPER (7 Jun 1997)
3. BROTHERS IN TROUBLE (21 Jun 1997)

SEASON EIGHTEEN 28 December 1997 – 25 January 1998
1. MOTHERTIME (28 Dec 1997)
2. SMALL FACES (1 Jan 1998)
3. ROBINSON IN SPACE (25 Jan 1998)