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 Ba…

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 radi…

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. Unfortunately Andy disputes that high regard and is staggered that Fortunes of War (also with Thompson), another best drama nominee that year, lost out to it. He finds Tutti Frut…

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.Carolyn reflects on her relationships with the key figures who made the show: Terry Nation, Terry Dudley and original director Pennant Roberts; how she and other women actors suffere…

This month Andy and Martin review the classic post-apocalypse drama Survivors created by Terry Nation. Specifically they review three episodes, one from each series: Law and Order, Over the Hills, and Law of the Jungle. The pair reflect on what Survivors has to say about mankind and also consider the show from a post-pandemic lens. Andy also reflec…

Rock-a-bye baby in the tower blockYour Mum’s on the socialYour Dad’s in the dockYour Mum’s in arrearsSo, the Council’s gonna callDown will come mother, baby and all…Yes this month it's none other than that late 80s police drama Rockliffe's Babies in which we met the seven young and untested members of Victor Tango crime squad and their formidable s…

Andy & Martin almost meet their match in the 1975 series Quiller. But once they get past the first 10 dreadful minutes of its opening episode they find much to enjoy in this Bond-on-a-budget BBC spy series starring Michael Jayston in the title role.However, it would be lazy to say Quiller simply knocks off Bond, because Elleston Trevor's Quiller is…

Martin and Andy travel back to the early Eighties to uncover the birth of Agatha Christie on television. Before Joan Hickson's Miss Marple and David Suchet's Poirot came Tommy and Tuppence, two bright young adventurers from the Roaring Twenties played by Francesca Annis and James Warwick: Partners in Crime.Andy also delves further back to explain h…

This month Martin & Andy tackle a 1976 curio: a 3-part examination of the Zionist military leader Orde Wingate.Wingate is played by Barry Foster (Van de Valk, Fall of Eagles) in a drama scripted by Don Shaw (Survivors), script edited by Louis Marks (Doctor Who, The Lost Boys), directed by Bill Hays (Wish Me Luck) and produced by Innes Lloyd (Doctor…

After a longer break than intended An A to Z of UK Drama is back for the continuation of its second series, starting off the second half of the alphabet with the letter N and The Nightmare Man...As the fog closes in on a remote Scottish island Andy and Martin are huddled by the fire remembering the time when there were many gruesome and mysterious …

The year is 2003 and Earth's intrepid humans have managed to set-up several bases on the moon. There they face the implacable enemy that is the silence and darkness of space - a serious and apparently underestimated threat to the mental wellbeing of moonbase personnel...Created by Doctor Who’s Barry Letts and Terrance DIcks this 6-part series from …

Summer is finally here, so Andy & Martin are off on their hols to Crete to spend some time at Shepherd's Bar in Agios Nickolaos! Back in 1972 The Lotus Eaters was the flagship new BBC2 drama and the first of Michael J. Bird's quartet of Mediterranean-set serials. Starring Ian Hendry and Wanda Ventham, the series focused on the failing marriage of E…

Following their Secret Army episode last season, here Andy & Martin tackle its spin-off Kessler. The pair agree that its a very different show to its parent, which doesn't always hit the mark, but nevertheless boasts some fine acting, especially Clifford Rose in the title role, and wonderfully intricate scripts from John Brason and Gerry Glaister. …

Why, why, why? Jemima!!! This month Andy and Martin plunge themselves head first into the poorly-made Thames drama Jemima Shore Investigates and probably wish that they had not been so curious about it. Andy gets off lightly though, having only watched 3 episodes and the far superior pilot Quiet as a Nun (as part of Armchair Thriller). Martin meanw…

This time Andy & Martin delve into Ngaio Marsh's Alleyn Mysteries which aired on the BBC in the early Nineties. Having watched the 1990 pilot 'Artists in Crime' and a 1993 episode 'Final Curtain' they are able to compare the performances of Simon Williams and Patrick Malahide in the title role. Belinda Lang is thankfully a constant as his artist 'f…

We return from our Christmas break for more of our second season of an A to Z of UK TV Drama...We begin 2023 by looking back at the Granada mini-series Harry's Game. First broadcast in 1982, this hard-hitting drama is best remembered now for it famous end credits theme by Clannad, however, it has much more to recommend it. Set during the height of …

This month Andy and Martin review the 1989 adaptation of Oswald Wynd's novel The Ginger Tree, a 4-million pound co-production with NHK Tokyo and WGBH Boston. Starring Samantha Bond and Daisuke Ryu, this 4-part series tells the tale of Mary Mackenzie's experiences in Manchuria and Japan in the first half of the 20th Century, first as an unhappy wife…

Andy & Martin get their cock-er-nee on as they explore the London-set family saga Fox, executive-produced by Verity Lambert. Written by Trevor Preston (The Sweeney) and directed by Jim Goddard (Out) and boasting a stellar cast - Peter Vaughan, Elizabeth Spriggs, Bernard Hill, Rosemary Martin, Ray Winstone and many more - Fox was expected to be a bi…

For those who appreciate wisteria and sunshine... an advertisement in a newspaper captures the attention of two constrained and unhappy women from the London of the early 1920s: Lottie Wilkins (Josie Lawrence) and Rose Arbuthnott (Miranda Richardson). Their joint goal becomes this seemingly impossible holiday in Portofino, Italy, and together with …

Andy and Martin turn their attention to a cult sci-fi classic from 1981: John Wyndham's post-apocalyptic tale of man versus plant: The Day of the Triffids. The pair consider how the series has aged, how it compares to similar dramas and what elements still make it rollicking good fun.Along the way they consider hospital and home decor, the Triffid …

While Andy is returning to an old favourite and a third viewing, Martin is seeing this 1971 adaptation of Honore de Balzac’s Cousin Bette for the first time. As with Barchester his worst fears are unfounded, in fact he, like confirmed fan Andy, finds this drama compelling and delicious and vows to introduce it to others. The series concerns the for…

The second episode of this new series of their podcast sees Andy and Martin visit sleepy Barsetshire and the quiet cathedral town of Barchester, where ecclesiastical and romantic intrigue is going to set tongues wagging and cassocks whirling. This 1982 adaptation of two of Anthony Trollope’s beloved Barsetshire series, The Warden and Barchester Tow…

Andy and Martin return for another series of an A to Z of UK television drama and in time-honoured fashion are keeping it alphabetical. First up is the iconic Mike Leigh Play for Today: Abigail’s Party. Devised for the stage, and performed over a 100 times before it was recorded for television, Leigh’s kitsch classic sees the monstrous Beverley (a …

We made it! The final episode of the first series of 'An A to Z of UK TV Drama' is in the can. Rather than choosing the rather obvious Z Cars we thought instead that with this instalment that we'd take a much overdue trip into the world of ITC with the French Riviera-set crime caper The Zoo Gang. First broadcast in 1974 this series, based on the bo…

This Hong Kong-set series was one of the top-rated shows of 1990. Going out on ITV in the first quarter of the year this 13-part cop show was a big hit with audiences including an 18-year-old Andy but it passed Martin by completely. But how does it stand up some 30 years later?Starring Bruce Payne, Ray Lonnen, Robert Taylor, Doreen Chan and Tzi Ma,…

It was always going to be The XYY Man for letter X, giving Andy the opportunity to finally take the cellophane off his DVD boxset. The series is about a repeat offender called Spider Scott, played by Stephen Yardley, who has an extra Y chromosome, believed at the time to make people more likely to commit crimes, particularly against property. On hi…

For the first time in this series Andy & Martin turn their attention to the ghost story genre with an examination of the the critically acclaimed 1989 Nigel Kneale adaptation of Susan Hill's novella The Woman in Black. This version sees Adrian Rawlins as Arthur Kidd, Bernard Hepton as Sam Toomey and Pauline Moran as the spooky title character.Marti…

Andy interviews David Tucker who directed every single episode of A Very Peculiar Practice and the sequel film A Very Polish Practice. He counts the experience as joyous and shares his memories of casting, filming and shaping the series.Por An A to Z of UK Television Drama

In this episode we celebrate the BAFTA-nominated A Very Peculiar Practice and explore 'the swamp of fear and loathing' that is Lowlands University. Starring Peter Davison, Graham Crowden, Barbara Flynn, David Troughton, Amanda Hillwood and Joanna Kanska, this is one of master adapter Andrew Davies's only original drama series and it is widely recog…

Andy and Martin find themselves in their new slot of the 14th day of every month and thankfully (workload-wise) an episode with no extras to edit! This time we explore the culty 1998 6-part Channel 4 drama, Ultraviolet, written and directed by Doctor Who legend Joe Ahearne. Although they definitely didn't hate it, they are both struck by how seriou…

Andy is excited to be speaking to none other than the creator of Tenko about her memories of creating the series while in her Twenties. She recalls how an edition of This is Your Life and a subsequent documentary 'Women in Captivity' brought many women who had formerly been prisoners of the Japanese into her life, leading her to conceive of Tenko. …

Andy and Martin stutter a bit at 'T' in their alphabetical journey through archive TV, following up last time's Tenko episode with the Christmas finale to the popular series, first shown 35 years ago today. They decide that the Reunion special is not only perfectly crafted, but also a fitting end to Tenko as a whole. Elsewhere, Andy shares his adve…

Andy interviews Louise Jameson about her favourite television role - Blanche Simmons - over two series of Tenko. She recalls the sisterhood that formed, her affection for and gratitude to Pennant Roberts, missing out on Tenko's final series, and why it was such a different prospect to most of the drama that had gone before it.…

An exclusive new interview with Claire Oberman who played Aussie nurse Kate Norris in all three series of Tenko as well as the Reunion Special. In addition to reminiscences of her Tenko years, Claire recalls playing Mortimer in Fortunes of War.Por An A to Z of UK Television Drama

Andy interviews Veronica 'Ronnie' Roberts about playing Dorothy Bennett over three series of Tenko. She recalls filming adventures overseas and here in the UK writer Anne Valery's connection with her character, her friendships with the other regulars, and the place Tenko holds in her heart today.Por An A to Z of UK Television Drama

What else could it be for the letter T than Tenko? Once again, Andy wrote a comprehensive book on the series ‘Remembering Tenko’ and considers the series to be one of the greatest ever made. Martin likes it too, but perhaps not so rabidly as his co-host. Together they explore this drama which charted the fortunes of women prisoners of the Japanese …

Andy interviews Clifford Rose about playing Kessler in Secret Army and its sequel Kessler. This is the third and final extra accompanying Andy and Martin's regular episode exploring Secret Army.Por An A to Z of UK Television Drama

Andy interviews Juliet Hammond-Hill about her memories of playing Natalie Chantrens in Secret Army. This is the second of three extras accompanying Andy and Martin's regular episode exploring Secret Army.Por An A to Z of UK Television Drama

Andy interviews Angela Richards about playing Monique in Secret Army. This is the first of three extras accompanying Andy and Martin's regular episode exploring Secret Army.Por An A to Z of UK Television Drama

There were so many series we could have covered for ‘S’ but quite honestly it was only ever going to be the BBC’s Secret Army, after all Andy devoted four years of his life to researching and celebrating this exceptional wartime drama. Rather than trying to explore all three series and 42 episodes, in this episodes we have decided to turn our atten…

Our second look at the work of prolific television playwright Jack Rosenthal. This time a celebrated Granada production from January 1976 starring Jack Shepherd, Mark Wing-Davey and Joe Black: ’Ready When You Are, Mr McGill’ directed by Mike Newell. The play formed the first of 7 episodes of the 1976 anthology series Red Letter Day and concerns the…

While looking for a drama beginning with the letter Q, having decided to ignore that programme about that Bernard fellow, we quickly agreed that A Question of Attribution would make an excellent choice, partly as we knew it to be a celebrated and award winning drama, but also because it would be our first Alan Bennett. Oh mother!First written and p…

In this episode we turn our attention to a 1995 adaptation (and for Andy’s money the best adaptation) of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. It stars Amanda Root, best known for the reboot of The Forsyte Saga, as Anne Elliot who is apparently already an ‘old maid’ at 27! Ciaran HInds (Game of Thrones’ Mance Rayder) plays dashing Captain Wentworth, whose marr…

Our second and concluding exploration of Peter Flannery's Tyneside-set epic Our Friends in the North. In this episode we review the final 4 episodes set between 1979 and 1995, as the trials and tribulations in the lives of the four friends are played out against the backdrop of Thatcher's victory, The Miners' Strike, The Great Storm of '87, the Sto…

Ho'way man! It's time to gan 'yem hinny. Andy, who grew up in the North East, first watched the series half his lifetime ago, aged 24, while Martin enjoys it for the very first time. They both agree however that 'Our Friends' is a stone-cold classic. Because there was just too much to say about this phenomenal series we've divided our episode on Pe…

In today’s episode we explore Nice Work, David Lodge’s award-winning 1989 drama serial for BBC2 with Warren Clarke and Haydn Gwynne. It’s the tale of two people who are suddenly exposed to new and previously alien worlds, an English Literature lecturer, Dr Robyn Penrose and factory manager, Vic Wilcox. It also speaks to the broader canvas of the la…

A special extra episode of the podcast to celebrate us reaching the halfway point in our TV drama alphabet. We thought 'The Drammys' would be a suitable moniker for this awards-based review of everything from All Creatures Great & Small to Miss Marple. But who will win Best Writer and Best Director? Who will come away with the all-important acting …

Andy and Martin appraise the classic murder mystery series Agatha Christie's Miss Marple which starred Joan Hickson and was initially produced by Guy Slater. The series saw all 12 full Miss Marple novels adapted for the small screen between 1984 and 1992. For the purpose of this episode they turn their attention to two of their favourites: A Murder…

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, ther…

Dennis Potter's Karaoke was the first of two linked dramas written as he was dying and produced posthumously after his death. Starring Albert Finney as dying writer Daniel Feeld, the series is a kind of Dennis Potter's greatest hits with references aplenty to his previous works and a self-aware storyline that reflects on the blurring of lines betwe…