Screenplay was a fairly long running anthology of single dramas, all shot on film as befitting the title. Subject matter ranged from comedy to tragedy and often didn’t shy away from hard hitting topics such as Jimmy McGovern’s drug drama Needle (1990) and Al Ashton’s drama Safe (1993) about a runaway. One of the best remember was The Black and Blue Lamp which transplanted a villain from the Dixon of Dock Green era of the 1950’s to a brutal interrogation modern style. There was no defining link to any of the productions but there was lots of high quality talent involved in front of and behind the cameras.
Other writers besides those mentioned above included Ray Jenkins, Heidi Thomas, David Rudkin, Nick McCarty, Lucy Gannon, Bill Gallagher, Tony Marchant, William Trevor, Stephen Bill and John Byrne.
A wealth of British acting talent appeared across the run of the plays too including the likes of Joan Hickson, Colin Blakely, John Woodvine, Maureen Lipman, Robert Hardy, Angela Thorne, Maurice Denham, Paul McGann, Diana Quick, Ray McAnally, Stephen Rea, Iain Cuthbertson, Denis Quilley, Bill Paterson, Jane Horrocks, Lynn Redgrave, Liz Fraser, Neil Pearson, Juliet Stevenson, Kenneth Cranham, Ralph Brown, Michael Maloney, Lynsey Baxter, Alun Armstrong, Prunella Scales, David Threllfall, Stratford Johns, Antony Sher, Sean Bean, Tom Courtenay, Robbie Coltrane and Miranda Richardson to name just a few.
production details
UK / BBC Two / 90 episodes of varying lengths / Broadcast 9 July 1986 – 27 October 1993
THE EPISODES
SEASON ONE 9 July – 2 October 1986
1. ALL TOGETHER NOW (9 Jul 1986)
2. DAYLIGHT ROBBERY (16 Jul 1986)
3. BRICK IS BEAUTIFUL (23 Jul 1986)
4. KNOWING THE SCORE (30 Jul 1986)
5. DRUMS ALONG BALMORAL DRIVE (6 Aug 1986)
6. ASINAMALL (13 Aug 1986)
7. IN TRACTION (20 Aug 1986)
8. THE MOZART REQUEST (27 Aug 1986)
9. THE MARLOWE INQUEST (3 Sep 1986)
10. BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS (10 Sep 1986)
11. SHIFT WORK (24 Sep 1986)
12. PAYING GUESTS PART ONE: EARLY SKIRMISHES (1 Oct 1986)
13. PAYING GUESTS PART TWO: THE FINAL ASSENT (2 Oct 1986)
SEASON TWO 15 July – 7 October 1987
1. THE TRIALS OF KLAUS BARBIE (15 Jul 1987)
2. LAND (22 Jul 1987)
3. LILY MY LOVE (29 Jul 1987)
4. CARIANI AND THE COURTESANS (5 Aug 1987)
5. OUR LADY BLUE (12 Aug 1987)
6. WHITE LADY (26 Aug 1987)
7. NEXT: SCOUT (8 Sep 1987)
8. NEXT: THE VENUS DE MILO INSTEAD (9 Sep 1987)
9. NEXT: THE ROCKINGHAM SHOOT (10 Sep 1987)
10. THE SHUTTER FALLS (16 Sep 1987)
11. CHRISTINE (23 Sep 1987)
12. THE INTERROGATION OF JOHN (30 Sep 1987)
13. ROAD (7 Oct 1987)
SEASON THREE 13 July – 28 September 1988
1. NO FURTHER CAUSE FOR CONCERN (13 Jul 1988)
2. A WOMAN ALONE (20 Jul 1988)
3. BURNING AMBITION (27 Jul 1988)
4. ESKIMOS DO IT (3 Aug 1988)
5. OUT OF LOVE (10 Aug 1988)
6. HOME FRONT (24 Aug 1988)
7. BETWEEN THE CRACKS (31 Aug 1988)
8. THE BLACK AND BLUE LAMP (7 Sep 1988)
9.THE DIARY OF RITA PATEL (14 Sep 1988)
10. STARLINGS (28 Sep 1988)
SEASON FOUR 5 July – 20 September 1989
1. TESTIMONY OF A CHILD (5 Jul 1989)
2. A NIGHT ON THE TYNE (12 Jul 1989)
3. LOVING HAZEL (19 Jul 1989)
4. THE ATTRACTIONS (26 Jul 1989)
5. CHINESE WHISPERS (2 Aug 1989)
6. THE ACT (9 Aug 1989)
7. THE SPIRIT OF MAN (23 Aug 1989)
8. BEYOND THE PALE (30 Aug 1989)
9. THE HEN HOUSE (6 Sep 1989)
10. SEEING IN THE DARK (13 Sep 1989)
11. A SMALL MOURNING (20 Sep 1989)
SEASON FIVE 11 July – 29 December 1990
1.AMONGST BARBARIANS (11 Jul 1990)
2. ANTONIA AND JANE: A DEFINITIVE ANNUAL REPORT (18 Jul 1990)
3. NIGHT VOICE (25 Jul 1990)
4. THE ENGLISHMAN’S WIFE (1 Aug 1990)
5. THE LAND OF DREAMS (8 Aug 1990)
6. KEEPING TOM NICE (15 Aug 1990)
7. A SAFE HOUSE (22 Aug 1990)
8. AFTERS (29 Aug 1990)
9. WEDDED (29 Aug 1990)
10. AVAILABLE LIGHT (5 Sep 1990)
11. NEEDLE (12 Sep 1990)
12. SHOOT THE REVOLUTION (16 Dec 1990)
13. AUGUST SATURDAY (29 Dec 1990)
SEASON SIX 3 July – 18 September 1991
1. REDEMPTION (3 Jul 1991)
2. BROKE (10 Jul 1991)
3. EVENTS AT DRIMAGHLEEN (17 Jul 1991)
4. THE FALLOUT GUY (24 Jul 1991)
5. MURDER IN OAKLAND (31 Jul 1991)
6. THE HOUR OF THE LYNX (14 Aug 1991)
7. CLUBLAND (28 Aug 1991)
8. ARISE AND GO NOW (4 Sep 1991)
9. MESSAGE TO MAJOR (11 Sep 1991)
10. JOURNEY TO KNOCK (18 Sep 1991)
SEASON SEVEN 1 July – 30 September 1992
1. THE COUNTESS ALICE (1 Jul 1992)
2. FORCE OF DUTY (8 Jul 1992)
3. BAD GIRL (15 Jul 1992)
4. BITTER HARVEST (22 Jul 1992)
5. MAN TO MAN (29 Jul 1992)
6. DEATH AND THE COMPASS (5 Aug 1992)
7. BUYING A LANDSLIDE (2 Sep 1992)
8. CONTINENTAL DRIFT: SPRINGING LENIN (9 Sep 1992)
9. CONTINENTAL DRIFT: BUSINESS WITH FRIENDS (9 Sep 1992)
10. A LITTLE BIT OF LIPPY (16 Sep 1992)
11. DREAD POETS’ SOCIETY (23 Sep 1992)
12. SMALL METAL JACKET (23 Sep 1992)
13. YOU, ME AND MARLEY (30 Sep 1992)
SEASON EIGHT 30 June – 27 October 1993
1. BLACK DAISIES FOR THE BRIDE (30 Jun 1993)
2. LOVE LIES BLEEDING (22 Sep 1993)
3. THE MERRIHILL MILLIONAIRES (29 Sep 1993)
4. THE VISION THING (6 Oct 1993)
5. SAFE (13 Oct 1993)
6. NOT EVEN GOD IS WISE ENOUGH (20 Oct 1993)
7. BOSWELL & JOHNSON’S TOUR OF THE WESTERN ISLANDS (27 Oct 1993)
