Stanley And The Women (ITV 1991, John Thaw, Geraldine James)

In drama serial Stanley and the Women, based on the novel by Kingsley Amis (and adapted for TV by Nigel Kneale), middle aged advertising executive Stanley Duke (John Thaw) has more than a little trouble with his past and present wives.

Stanley is currently married to writer Susan (Penny Downie) but also seems to be quite friendly with co-worker Lindsey Lucas (Sian Thomas) and has clearly had an affair with her at some stage. Ex-wife actress Nowell Hutchinson (Sheila Gish) is also quite a presence in his life still, thanks in no small part to their having to deal with their mentally troubled son Stephen (Samuel West) who in the first episode is admitted to a psychiatric institution.

The casting is excellent and pretty high profile but the real star is Stanley’s 1974 Jensen Interceptor which gets quite a bit of screen time.

cast
John Thaw as Stanley Duke
Geraldine James as Dr. Trish Collings
Sheila Gish as Nowell Hutchinson
Penny Downie as Susan Duke
Sian Thomas as Lindsey Lucas
David Lyon as Dr. Cliff Wainwright
Alun Armstrong as Rufus Hilton
Samuel West as Stephen Duke
Donald Churchill as Harry Coote
Michael Elphick as Bert Hutchinson
Dafydd Hywel as Taff Wyndham
Michael Aldridge as Dr. Alfred Nash
Doreen Mantle as Lady Bailey
Alison Fiske as Alethea
Harmage Singh Kalirai as Dr. Patel
Joan Ann Maynard as Sister Wheatley
Joanna Mays as Mrs. Shillibeer
Ronan Vibert as Tom Devenish

crew details
Writer: Nigel Kneale
Novel: Kingsley Amis
Music: Barrington Pheloung
Producer: Chris Burt
Director: David Tucker

production details
Country: UK
Network and Production Companies: ITV – Central
Duration: 4×50 minute episodes
Aired From: 28 November – 19 Decemeber 1991

• Sorry About Last Night (BBC Drama, Alexei Sayle)

• Inspector Morse: Happy Families (S6EP2 ITV 11 Mar 1992, Alun Armstrong)

• The Aristocrats (BBC Drama, Anne-Marie Duff, Geraldine Somerville)

• David Copperfield (BBC Drama, Ciarán McMenamin Daniel Radcliffe)

• The Life And Adventures Of Nicholas Nickleby (Channel 4 Drama, Roger Rees)

• The Girls Who Came To Stay (ITV Drama, Alun Armstrong)

• Play of the Week (BBC Two 1977-1979)

• 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