Show Notes
No, not the soapy drama series that went on forever that neither Andy or Martin watched but the Jack Rosenthal-penned TV film which served as a sort of pilot and aired back in 1986. It's a tough watch given its race-based plot especially as this episode was recorded in the same week that George Floyd was murdered by police in the USA.
However, there are some lighter moments including excerpts from Rosenthal's 'Sadie, It's Cold Outside', 'The Knowledge' and one of his Coronation Street episodes from 1961. There's even a bit of Nick Berry's Every Loser Wins and David Tennant atop Alexandra Palace thrown in for good measure.
As well as examining the rampant racism and sexism of the time, and the greater public awareness of fire safety in the 80s, Andy and Martin consider what makes an ITV drama and whether this is one of Rosenthal's better works.
All this and Oscar Botcherby and a curtain ring. Yes a curtain ring Martin, not any other sort of ring! Yep, Martin makes a glorious faux pas! If you want to go straight to the 'ring' moment skip to 1 hr 04 mins. You'll be pleased you did.
Next Time: Miss Marple
More from An A to Z of UK Television Drama
[Spoiler alert! This series is almost 50 years old but we will be revealing - around 90 minutes - in who spectacularly dies in the literal cliffhanger to episode 7. You have been warned!]
After a brief hiatus, Andy and Martin resume the second season of A to Z with the letter V. Admittedly cheating a little, their choice was 'Vote, Vote, Vote for Nigel Barton', the second of two autobiographical Dennis Potter plays from 1965 in The Wednesday Play strand. They also cover the first play, 'Stand Up, Nigel Barton'. Both feature Keith Barron as the title character who we follow from childhood, to university, to a reluctant attempt to stand as a Labour candidate in the General Election.
Andy and Martin travel back in time to the summer of 1965 and the adventures of HR consultant Drew Heriot and his sister-in-law Anne as they face up to the machinations of 'Undermind’: aliens who have brainwashed British citizens in order to cause national unrest ahead of their imminent invasion. Their various schemes include: spreading pirate radio misinformation; inciting youth violence in a seaside resort; influencing the works of a popular children’s author; the distribution of suicide-inducing birthday records; interference with the printing of exam papers, and most abominably of all, the assassination of Eamonn Andrews! Yes, really.
This month Andy and Martin review the highly regarded 1987 BAFTA-winning Scottish drama Tutti Frutti, written by John Byrne and starring Robbie Coltrane and Emma Thompson.
Twenty-one years after their first recorded interview on the first Survivors DVDs back in 2003, Andy catches up with Carolyn Seymour who played Abby Grant in Survivors.