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 meanwhile watched it all and may never recover! Despite some great guest stars including Tom Baker, Stephen Yardley, Norman Jones and Stratford Johns, the main series from 1982 has little to recommend it and has the worst sound production that Andy can ev ..read more

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 'friend' Agatha Troy, as is the characterful William Simons as Fox. While underwhelmed by the pilot, they are bowled over by the OTT Final Curtain especially due to the presence of Graham Crowden , Eleanor Bron, Michael Sheard and Michael Bilton an ..read more

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 The Troubles in Northern Ireland, the series follows British agent Harry Brown (Ray Lonnen) attempts to uncover and arrest an IRA gunman Billy Downs (Derek Thompson), while his nervy handler Davidson (Benjamin Whitrow) tries to keep him alive from b ..read more

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 and then, effectively, as a concubine to a Japanese Count. After her son is taken from her Mary finds some self-worth as a dress designer but the Second World War is about to change Japan forever... Andy is rather surprised not to get on with this s ..read more

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 two guests, to share the financial burden, Mrs Fisher (Joan Plowright) and Lady Caroline Dester (Polly Walker) they make their dream a reality. Once there, all four women will experience changes in their lives that none of them could have foreseen du ..read more

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 Gun Christmas of 1981 and why Bill Masen is so bizarrely determined that Triffids are just dumb plants. Enjoy and watch out for Heavy Plant Crossings ..read more

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 fortunes of poor relation Cousin Bette played with verve and ferocity by the wonderful Margaret Tyzack (best known for the role of Antonia in I, Claudius) who decides to revenge herself upon her family when the man she saves from suicide, Count Steinboc ..read more

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 Towers, entitled The Barchester Chronicles boasts memorable performances from Alan Rickman as the slimy Obadiah Slope, Geraldine McEwan as the controlling Mrs Proudie, and Nigel Hawthorne as the overbearing Archdeacon Grantly. The plot concerns a newspa ..read more

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 tour-de-force of a performance from Alison Steadman) preside over an evening soiree which she, her neighbours, and the viewing audience at home would never forget. Grab your cheese and pineapple on a cocktail stick, get the Beaujolais in the fridge a ..read more

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 book by Paul Gallico (The Poseidon Adventure), was filmed in Nice and at Pinewood and starred Sir John Mills, Lilli Palmer, Brian Keith and Barry Morse who played four former resistance agents reunited 28 years after the war. Termed The Zoo Gang becaus ..read more