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!] Hey sis, it's Christmas, but this month Andy and Martin are visiting sunny Elounda on Crete for Michael J. Bird's classic revenge drama Who Pays the Ferryman? Featuring Jack Hedley, Betty Arvaniti, Neil McCarty and Patience Collier the series gripped the British public in 1977 and after its BBC2 transmission was immediately repeated on BBC1. The following year it became an even huger hit in the Netherlands. The series also features prominent guest star roles for Lalla Ward, Gareth Thomas and Sally Knyvette, just before the roles that would make all three sci-fi icons. As they review this 8-part series the pair consider the birth of the package holiday, influence on Howards Way, and the inherent dangers of tiny tartan swim shorts. There are also lots of behind-the-scenes facts, many of which are admittedly lifted from the research of Dave Rice - do visit his website and buy his book. Patience Collier's biography by Vanessa Morton is also worthy of your attention. Oh you daughters of Themis! Next Time: 'X' (and yes we're going to be cheating)

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. Both plays stand up incredibly well and the subject matter is no less relevant today some 55 years later! As well as Barron himself, who is astounding, there are great roles for Janet Henfrey, Jack Woolgar and John Bailey too, more familiar to most of us for their Doctor Who roles. Vintage stuff. Next Time: Who Pays the Ferryman?

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. Starring Jeremy Wilkin (best known as Kellman in Revenge of the Cybermen) and Rosemary Nichols (Annabelle in ITC's Department S) Undermind is an, often overlooked, sci-fi oddity created and ‘evolved by' Robert Banks Stewart and written by many familiar Doctor Who writers including Bill Strutton, David Whitaker and Robert Holmes. Other regular cast members were John Barron and Denis Quilley, while big name guest stars included Michael Gough, Peter Barkworth, Barrie Ingham, Judy Parfitt, Derek Francis and Philip Latham. Although there is much to enjoy here, the series' convoluted and sometimes incoherent plots tend to undermine (geddit?) its overall feel. Join Andy and Martin as they attempt to review all 11 episodes in 2 hours! And find out which of them was brainwashed into drawing Mulligatawny (a one-eyed turd with claws) while making their notes. Next Time: Vote, Vote, Vote for Nigel Barton (and Stand Up, Nigel Barton)

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 Frutti to be deeply unfunny and its joyful depiction of toxic masculinity difficult to stomach. Martin on the other hand believes it has merits with several characters and situations that are well drawn and memorable. Not since GBH has an old show disappointed Andy so much and and as a consequence caused such discomfort to his co-host. Have you watched it recently? And if so, what did you think? Next Time: Undermind

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 suffered at the hands of chauvinism in the 70s; and reveals how she got through the tough winter location filming. She also responds to the criticism that Survivors was too white and middle-class (she heartily agrees), explains where the series sits in her wider career, and how it was never far from her mind during the COVID pandemic.

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 reflects on his relationship with Survivors now given he produced its initial DVD releases and co-wrote a comprehensive book on the series in the early 2000s. Make sure you also listen to Andy's bonus interview with Carolyn Seymour who played Abby which is also released today. Next Time: Tutti Frutti

Rock-a-bye baby in the tower block Your Mum's on the social Your Dad's in the dock Your Mum's in arrears So, the Council's gonna call Down 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 skipper Det Sgt Alan Rockliffe played by Ian Hogg. A ratings winner that lasted for 2 series and 18 episodes Rockliffe's Babies was the BBC's answer to ITV's The Bill which at that time was also putting out shorter series of 50-minute episodes. The series introduced us to Joe McGann and Alphonsia Emmanuel and the lesser remembered, but just as talented, Susanna Shelling, Martyn Ellis and Brett Fancy. Producer Leonard Lewis also cast some of his favourite regulars from When The Boat Comes In including Malcom Terris and Edward Wilson. All this and Brian Croucher too and a whole host of familiar guest actors. Andy & Martin chart the course of the series choosing 8 episodes that hopefully showcase and represent the drama, including the very first episode which barely features Rockliffe and the last in which one of the 'Babies' learns that they will be leaving the squad to train as a detective. As well as discussion of its memorable theme tune, the pair celebrate its peaks and troughs and consider why after two successful series it produced a sleepier countryside sequel: Rockliffe's Folly. 'Georgiou! You burke!!! What have you done now?' Next Time: Survivors

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 quite different to 007. He doesn't like guns or gadgets and doesn't let women distract him from the job in hand. It's not a cheap series either. As well as some inevitable stock footage there's heaps of exotic location filming in Germany, Malta and beyond. Jayston plays Quiller with a cool and appealing detachment. He is joined by Angus Kinloch (Moray Watson) as the Controller of the mysterious Bureau, and Rosalind (Sinead Cusack) who has more agency than most women on TV in 1975. At one point she even threatens to pinch Quiller's bottom! The series boasts many familiar writers and directors of the time such as Brian Clemens, Peter Graham Scott, Anthony Read, and Viktors Ritelis. Guest stars are aplenty: Patrica Hodge, Shane Rimmer, Celia Gregory, Ed Bishop, and Lalla Ward to name just a few. Andy & Martin select 5 of the 13 episodes to review in depth and find much to enjoy in this largely forgotten series that they believe deserves to be much better known. Next Time: Rockliffe's Babies

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 how Why Didn't They Ask Evans? and The Seven Dials Mystery helped pave the way for Agatha Christie on TV. But what one factor linked these productions and Partners? Listen along as Martin fails to answer this question and others like it as he reluctantly takes his 'Christie on TV' O' Level live on the podcast without any revision time! There is also a plea for the return of Annis and Warwick who are now the perfect age to play Tommy & Tuppence as an elderly couple as Christie had them in By the Pricking of my Thumbs and Postern of Fate. Are you listening big TV companies? Next Time: Quiller

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 Who, Talking Heads). The production is notable for its theatrical feel and questionable innovations: a 'Blue Peter-style' desert and a 'toilet roll jungle' in the studio. But it is the subject matter that is more problematic, as it is hard to work out if the zealous and possibly insane title character is being lifted up by the drama or critiqued. This tale of English exceptionalism and religious mania was a difficult watch, and if that wasn't enough there's also what the pair have come to term 'The Full Foster' to contend with! It is worth noting that this episode was recorded some months before the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Next Time: Partners in Crime

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 murrrrrders and the local policemen endlessly downed whisky while on duty! Starring James Warwick and Celia Imrie, and adapted by Robert Holmes and directed by Douglas Camfield - two legendary Doctor Who luminaries - The Nightmare Man should be a wonderful slice of drama but neither is entirely convinced by the end result, a 4-part drama that lurches uncomfortably between thriller, horror and science fiction. Next Time: Orde Wingate

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 1973 starred Donald Houston, Ralph Bates and Fiona Gaunt and had scripts from John Brason, John Lucarotti and Arden Winch. Moonbase 3 lacks Doctor Who's monsters and excitement and instead delights in technical details and psychological concerns. As such it is something of a hard SF curio which is widely regarded to be a misfire, even by Letts and Dicks themselves. The big question is what will Andy & Martin make of it from the vantage point of 2023, some 20 years after its characters, with their very 70's attitudes, were meant to be surviving on the moon? N.B. Having completed the first half of our second A to Z series, we are taking a mid-season break but will return in a few months with a drama beginning with the letter N...

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 Erik and Ann Shepherd and the lives and loves of the community meeting at their taverna. What no-one expects, including the viewer, is that Ann is a sleeper agent who is about to be activated, nor that despite this revelation such a development is not always going to be the focus of the show. Instead Bird's serial is about anyone who is running from something, looking for a place to start again and the threat that if you eat the fruit of the lotus you will never leave... As well as Bird, the scripts were written by David Weir, David Fisher and Jack Ronder. The series was directed by Cyril Coke, Douglas Camfield, David Cunliffe and Viktors Ritelis, and produced by Anthony Read and Michael Glynn The Lotus Eaters was a new direction for UK TV drama which helped the package holiday market no end. Notably, it would find itself to be life imitating art, as Ian Hendry, just like Erik Shepherd, continued his battles with drink, love and life. With numerous other excellent regular and guest actors - Stefan Gryff, Sylvia Coleridge, Thorley Walters, Carol Cleveland, Maurice Denham, Susan Engel, Timothy Carlton, Anouska Hempel, Godfrey James, Alethea Charlton, John Savident and Julia Goodman - this Cretan-set series is a fascinating exploration of love, motivation, trust, deceit and spying, with a large side order of raki. So it's time to get you swimsuit on, slap on some lotion and get in the back garden. Put this in your ears for a couple of hours and float back in time to the Seventies. Next Time: Moonbase 3

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. 6 episodes of absorbing drama take us from Germany to England to Paraguay in this continent spanning epic that was clearly inspired in part by The Odessa File and The Boys From Brazil. Directed by Michael E. Briant and Tristan De Vere Cole, Kessler offers a memorable final chapter to the Secret Army story. The cast also includes Alan Dobie as Bauer, Nitza Saul as Mical Rak, Alison Glennie as Ingrid, Oscar Quitak as Josef Mengele, Nicholas Young as Franz Höss, Ralph Michael as Colonel Ruckert, Guy Rolfe as Yqueras and, of course, some cameos from Bernard Hepton, Angela Richards and Juliet Hammond-Hill. Next Time: The Lotus Eaters

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 ever remember hearing. Martin attempts to be a kinder reviewer and claims to have watched some entertaining episodes, but it is all relative! Quiet as a Nun is a cosy 1978 thriller that would make the ideal watch at Christmas with Susan Engel, Sylvia Coleridge and Renee Asherson all vying for our attention, but the 12-episode series Jemima Shore Investigates is a bit of a ‘Hodge Podge' from which even the divine Patricia struggles to escape. If you want to hear many juicy and terrible Jemima-snippets and want to understand why we end up talking about a young River Song getting her ass whipped, or the relevance of Digby Chicken Caesar to a Jack the Ripper-themed murder mystery, then this is the episode for you. Next Time: Kessler

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 and many more. Crowden even threatens to out-chew Soldeed here! If you like your murder mysteries, campy, period and full of over-the-top artist or actor-y types this is the drama and podcast episode for you. Their exploration meanders as usual as they also remember Moondial, M*A*S*H, 2 Point 4 Children and Victoria Wood Presents. There's even a guest appearance from Ru Paul. We also have a question to ask you all, inspired by this episode: "Do you design for the theatre?' Enjoy!

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 back in England. Written by former journalist Gerald Seymour and directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark, Harry's Game covers a bleak period of recent history and is a stark reminder of the fragile peace reached through the Good Friday agreement, currently under threat due to the self-serving machinations of Brexiteer politicians. Andy & Martin find much to enjoy here but fail to resist the temptation to break into some 'Norn Irish', for which they can only apologise.

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 series despite having watched it on first broadcast and first-time viewer Martin too has misgivings. They agree that the subject matter is interesting but also that the way it is presented is not always compelling despite beautiful cinematography and several good acting performances, particularly by Samantha Bond. Still they find more than enough here to encourage discussion of its key themes: the patriarchy and oppression of women; colonialism and nationalism; and suicide and death. Yes, not always the cheeriest series! If you want to find out why its called The Ginger Tree you like the viewers of the series you have to wait some way into the podcast, but only you can decide if the wait is worth it. Next Time: Harry's Game

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 big success but just did not catch the imagination of the ITV audience back in 1980. Fox is a curious beast, with its ambition to be a sprawling epic despite only covering a period of 8 months and its incredibly off-putting musical content which really has to be heard to be believed. Its also a difficult watch in places principally due to its casual depiction of domestic violence and terrible treatment of its female characters. Achingly toxic masculinity aside, Fox also has a proto-Eastenders obsession with family and loyalty and yet is populated by characters who are much less engaging than those in Albert Square. If you've never watched Fox we still invite you to hop in this televisual music-filled black cab to the East End of 1980 in order to muse in a pre-Brexit daydream why fings aint wot they used to be...

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 during this truly enchanted April. Andy has always loved this adaptation of the classic tale by Elizabeth Von Arnim while Martin faces his perennial fear of another period costume drama. However, once again, Martin discovers this piece to be a wonderful surprise (one day he might actually start to trust Andy's choices!). The pair discuss its themes of love and friendship, magic, class, and choosing life, whether its the right length, and if its more television or film. If you've not seen this 90 minutes of uplifting character-led drama, which had its first TV showing in 1991, then we encourage you to track it down and discover the magic of Portofino for yourself. We can both still smell the white acacias even now.

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!

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 Steinbock (Colin Baker), is taken from her. Bette allies herself with the beautiful and ambitious Valerie Marneffe (Helen Mirren) whose appetite for money just about surpasses her appetite for lovers and together the pair set about destroying the Hulot family, including sex-mad patriarch Hector (Thorley Walters) and his long-suffering deeply religious wife Adeline (Ursula Howells). The series also stars Doctor Who luminaries Edward de Souza, Davyd Harries and David Garth. A surprisingly fast-paced exploration of revenge, jealousy and infidelity, Andy and Martin choose their favourite moments and give their commentary on the unfolding intrigue and some of the most memorable performances ever given in BBC costume drama. Margaret Tyzack was quite rightly nominated for an Emmy for what is surely the role of her career.

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 newspaper's crusade against the Church of England's practice of self-enrichment which targets the unassuming and harmless Mr Harding (Donald Pleasance). But this battle is as nothing to the threat that Is later posed when a new Bishop (Clive Swift) is appointed, a weak man who is in the merciless grip of his domineering wife, Mts Proudie, and his chaplain Obadiah Slope. Slope does not only have his eyes set on ecclesiastical grandeur but also the hand of Signorna Madeleine Neroni (Susan Hampshire) until, that is, he discovers that Harding's daughter Eleanor (Janet Maw) may be a better bet. The cast list also includes Barbara Flynn, Cyril Luckham, Denis Carey, Ursula Howells, John Ringham and Phyllidda Law and the series is adapted by Alan Plater whose Beiderbecke trilogy and Miss Marple: A Murder is Announced we celebrated during our first run. Neither Andy, nor Martin expect to enjoy the series that much, but they are to be pleasantly surprised by this adaptation which is regarded by Trollope fans to be a faithful and worthy version of two of his most celebrated novels.

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 and fire up Demis Roussos on your record player and strap in for this glorious window into the conventions and aspirations of 1976. Another gin and tonic? Sue? Ange? Tony? Okay?

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 because of their codenames during the war: The Elephant, The Leopard, The Fox and The Tiger. A raft of familiar guest stars include Roger Delgado (in his last starring role post-Doctor Who), Jacqueline Pearce, Peter Cushing, and Philip Madoc. Both Andy and Martin find much to enjoy here and not just because they get the opportunity to try out their French or, rather, their French accents! Highlights include the title theme by Paul and Linda McCartney, the performances of the main cast, and the fun heist & hustle plots. Some of the acting isn't that great (coo-ee Ingrid Pitt!) and some of the storylines a bit convoluted but this limited-run 6 episode series still feels like a fun and upbeat way to end our series. This episode was brought to you by the words: malheureusement, maintenant, and perdue. As for 'Another A to Z of UK TV Drama' you'll just have to wait and see.

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, Yellowthread Street was based on the successful novels by the same name by William Marshall and produced by Ranald Graham who had also created Dempsey and Makepeace. To say Andy is dismayed by how much either his memory has cheated or how badly the series seems to have aged is something of an understatement, While Martin coming to it anew is rightly puzzled that Andy ever held it in high regard. Watching 3 episodes, all available on YouTube, a DVD release never having materialised, Andy & Martin consider where Yorkshire Television's answer to Miami Vice went so badly wrong. Next Time: The Zoo Gang

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 his tail is Don Henderson's Sergeant Bulman, who would go on to appear in Strangers and his own titular TV series. When a prominent diplomat finds himself in a compromising situation with Zilda from Robots of Death, Spider is approached to steal a negative from the Chinese Legation in London. But its not altogether clear if Spider is being played. And when both South Africans and Rhodesians become involved its obvious that more is at stake than it first appears. The series is directed by Ken Grieve (Destiny of the Daleks) and adapted from the books by Kenneth Royce. If Network DVD is to be trusted The XYY Man is a cult classic, but what do Andy and Martin make of it, and specifically, the first three-part story? And what effect will Martin just having had his COVID-19 jab have on proceedings? Next Time: Yellowthread Street

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. Martin watched during the day with the lights on until the bulb went (!) while Andy watched in the evening and despite not being a horror fan wanted more jump scares and creepy bits than were ultimately delivered. Along the way they discuss, the workings of Eel Marsh House's generator, the stage play, wax cartridges, a tin soldier and the extent of the Woman in Black's power and reach, and inevitably, of course, this TV film's famous shock ending and that pre-ad break scare. The question is do the pair think tis adaptation lives up to its reputation? Click play if you dare!!! Next Time: The XYY Man

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.

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 recognised as a masterpiece. Indeed, in 2010, The Guardian ranked the serial at number 5 in their list of The Top 50 TV Dramas of All Time. The first series, first broadcast in 1986, follows Dr Stephen Daker (Peter Davison) as he joins the unhappy team who staff the Lowlands University medical practice. They include the alcoholic head of the practice Jock McCannon (Graham Crowden), manipulative feminist doctor RoseMarie (Barbara Flynn), and public school-educated idiot Bob Buzzard (David Troughton). Daker quickly realises that his new post will present him with many challenges but also new opportunities, including the chance to fall in love again, with policewoman and behaviourist Lyn Turtle (Amanda Hillwood), and to overcome some of his personal foibles along the way. The schemes of the poisonous self-serving Vice Chancellor, Ernest Hemmingway (John BIrd) also regularly threaten Daker and his colleagues. A second series, which went out in 1988, sees Daker promoted and in charge of a new medical centre but a sinister new Vice Chancellor, Jack Daniels (Michael Shannon) presents him, his colleagues and indeed the entire University with even more serious problems than his predecessor. Thankfully his attention is diverted by a new Art History lecturer, Grete Gratowska (Joanna Kanska) who is terrible in bed and a self-confessed 'rude nasty girl'. The series was wrapped up in a Poland-set feature-length sequel A Very Polish Practice in 1992. The series was ably produced and directed by Ken Riddington and David Tucker respectively, who had previously teamed up on Tenko and Diana. Andy and Martin almost run out of superlatives as they uncover the series themes and concerns, especially as they find that it has so much to say about the world today and is more advanced in its attitudes and conceits than seems possible for a drama from the late Eighties. Next Time: The Woman in Black

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 serious and po-faced it is and question what might be missing. Humour? Engaging characters? The word vampire? Be nice. As they critique the series they inevitably touch on This Life, Buffy and Being Human. They also consider whether a second series was expected and how they feel about the fact that Ahearne had to get this series commissioned as police procedural first and a supernatural drama second. Also Andy would like to know if you went to that big Brazilian conference in Rio in 1992, because everyone who was 'green' was there. Next Time: A Very Peculiar Practice.

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. She shares how she feels about the drama today and how the women of the camps and the actors in the series are still important to her.

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 adventures in Singapore: visiting both the Jefferson residence and Dominica and Teddy's plantation house. Meanwhile Martin asks important questions about the narrative's treatment of Chinese characters and the communist pursuit of independence. And he and Andy inevitably also end up discussing the state of democracy as a result. Elsewhere the pair agree that Jill Hyem should have scripted The Five Doctors given her genius for juggling characters and her subtlety. All this and an interview with Tim (of the Doctor Who Missing Episodes podcast) about his 2020 binge on all of Tenko in one week! An A to Z of UK TV Drama will return on 14 Jan with an episode exploring Ultraviolet. Happy Christmas!

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.

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.

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 during World War II over 3 series and 30 episodes from 1981 to 1984 and became a runaway success for the BBC. As well as covering its creation and the crucial roles of Lavinia Warner, Jill Hyem and Anne Valery, they examine three episodes in particular, picking out key performances, action and themes: the aftermath of Blanche’s escape from Series 1, the events leading up to Sally’s suicide in Series 2, and Dorothy coming to terms with all that has happened to her and who she is in her final episode in Series 3. They also talk about shopping channels, Martin's radio show and how Tenko passes three important tests with flying colours: Bechdel, Makomori, and Sexy Lamp. Find out more in today's episode. Next Time (35 years on since its first broadcast to the day): Tenko Reunion.

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.

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.

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.

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 attention to the last four instalments of the nail-biting third and final series. Those episodes are: Collaborator, in which Albert is reunited with Monique, and Reinhardt discovers that Lifeline has been running out of the Candide; Days of Judgement in which Natalie seeks to save Albert and find Monique, while Kessler goes on the run with Madeleine; Bridgehead in which Monique faces the mob and falls in love, while Van Broecken meets his tragic end; and The Execution in which Kessler tries to have Reinhardt court martialled, Lifeline helps one last person, the war comes to an end and Monique says goodbye. We explore the set-up of the third series, key scenes, the performances of the regulars, its place in the best Saturday night line-up in history and how, more than perhaps any other series, Secret Army manages to go out on a total high. Martin teaches us how to spell restaurateur as well. We’re just too good to you, non? All this and Andy’s exclusive new interviews with Monique (Angela Richards), Natalie (Juliet Hammond-Hill) and Kessler himself (Clifford Rose), specifically recorded to coincide with this review of the series, which are available as separate podcast episodes. Signed copies of Andy’s book The Complete Secret Army – a comprehensive celebration of the series, which details the behind-the-scenes story of the series creation and production, as well as all the real-life historical events that inspired its storylines – are still available for just £20. http://www.classictvpress.co.uk/completesecretarmy.htm And all of Angela Richards wonderful songs from the series are available on a music CD entitled An Evening at Le Candide that was professionally recorded back in 2006 and costs £9.99 http://www.classictvpress.co.uk/secretarmymusic.htm Next Time: Tenko

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 all-important day in the life of TV extra Mr McGill as he finally gets lines to say in a production. However, all does not go to plan and Mr McGill ends up adding to the frustrations of the fraught film crew, and especially its director, Phil, who is dangerously close to a nervous breakdown. Andy and Martin compare the production to its 2003 remake with Bill Nighy, Tom Courtenay and Amanda Holden, consider the lot of the TV extra, now referred to as supporting artists, and the meta nature of a TV drama about making TV drama. Next Time: Secret Army (and especially recorded new interviews with three of its principal cast members)

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 performed for the stage in 1988, this drama about the fourth member of the Cambridge Spy Ring, Sir Anthony Blunt, was adapted for television in 1991 and features James Fox as Blunt, David Calder as his interrogator Chubb, and Prunella Scales as HMQ (Her Majesty the Queen). As well as praising Bennett's deft script and the performances of Fox, Calder and Scales, Andy and Martin discussed public access to art, the value of a 'time in Perth' clock, and the identity of the fifth member of the Cambridge Spy Ring. Step forward Lemaitre from The Reign of Terror and indeed Beta from The Krotons. Or maybe not. It doesn't take the pair long to get into politics and the dangers of our post-truth world, in a week when Britain was set to break international law because of the self-serving idiocy of its current government. What fun! Next Time: Ready When You Are, Mr McGill

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 marriage proposal Anne previously turned down due to the interference of Susan Fleetwood’s Lady Russell. Also among the sterling cast are Killing Eve’s Fiona Shaw as Mrs Croft, everyone’s favourite Marshal of Atrios, John Woodvine as Admiral Croft, Sophie Thompson as Mary Musgrove, Corin Redgrave as Sir Walter Elliot, Phoebe Nicholls as Elizabeth Elliot, and Samuel West as Mr Elliot. There are also some lovely roles for Judy Cornwell, David Collings, and Robert Glenister, and there’s not a duff performance anywhere. Andy gives the production a ‘6’ on a new scale he has created to judge Austen adaptations: The Bonnet Scale. This by the way is good score on said scale. A 6 means its not too bonnety - not too chocolate box and hearts and flowers, it having something valuable and realistic to say about the historical period as well as being a heartwarming story of unrequited love. It’s Martin’s first watch of this adaptation or even much of 'crisis in corsets' TV but he likes what he sees. In fact he watched it twice in preparation for this podcast. Andy is reminded of his A-Levels and studying the novel for English, but thankfully he does not read out his lengthy essay from 1989 about Louisa’s all important accident at the Cobb! Andy also reveals the reason for his lifelong hatred of Bath, where it always rains. Talking of rain, ee also consider the importance of umbrellas in period drama. And after 31 years Andy finally discovers why the name Captain Wentworth has always sounded vaguely familiar to him. TV fans will not be disappointed. We hope you continue to enjoy our little journey through the British television archives and to almost quote Mary Musgrove: “We’re very sorry if our podcast is insufficiently grand for you!” Next Time: A Question of Attribution (by Alan Bennett)

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 Stock Market Crash, and the rise of New Labour. This time Andy and Martin analyse the political messages of the series and the development of the four protagonists, as well as reflecting on the fact that they lived through the events depicted. As with the first part, our critique of the series compelling storylines is accompanied by the songs of the times. And include here the music of The Undertones, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, The Eurythmics, Pulp and Oasis. Thanks, as ever for listening. Please do leave us a review on iTunes or get in touch with us on Twitter: @TVDramaPod. Next Time: Persuasion

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 Peter Flannery's epic award-winning drama about love, politics, police corruption, and housing policy, into two parts. In this first part we discuss the four leading characters: idealistic Nicky (Christopher Eccleston), long-suffering Mary (Gina McKee), troubled Geordie (Daniel Craig) and flawed dreamer Tosker (Mark Strong). We also share our favourite moments and plotlines from the first five episodes which were set between 1964 and 1974. Next time we'll cover 1979 onwards. We don't always find this watch of Our Friends a comfortable experience with it's vivid depiction of corruption, self-serving Tories, and self-defeating Labour factionalism, all of which underline that very little has changed here in the UK. However, at the same time we absolutely revel in the series' ambition, complex characters, and intricate plotting. The soundtrack is pretty awesome too. "I'm coming home Newcastle. You can keep yer London wine. I'd walk the streets al day al neet, for a bottle of the River Tyne." Next Time: Our Friends in the North - Part 2 (1979-1995)

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 late Eighties commercialisation of Universities and the collapse of old-fashioned industrial firms. Nice Work also deliberately parodies the very Victorian novels that Penrose herself teaches her largely middle-class students about. But will our romantic leads have a happy ending? Will there be any proposals, sudden bequests, or deaths? All this and a Jennifer Rush soundtrack, a trip to Dusseldorf, and a pleasing equality of bare bottoms. Next Time: Our Friends in the North

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 gongs? And what will be crowned Best Drama so far? How much more excitement do you need in your life? All this and Andy and Martin reflect on making the first 13 episodes of this podcast and what they have learned as a result. Good eh?! Next Time: Nice Work

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 is Announced starring Ursula Howells, Samantha Bond, Simon Shepherd and John Castle, and Nemesis starring Margaret Tyzack, Peter Tilbury and Joanna Hole. Along the way they compare the series with its later ITV counterpart and explain why they feel Joan Hickson is the quintessential Miss Marple. Next time: Nice Work

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

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 between reality and fiction when people starting behaving like Feeld's characters and speaking the lines he has written. A stellar guest cast includes Hywel Bennett, Richard E. Grant, Alison Steadman, Roy Hudd, Liz Smith, Saffron Burrows and Keeley Hawes. Martin also watched and reflects upon its sequel Cold Lazarus and its links with Karaoke. Is this Dennis Potter at its finest or simply one of his last works? Join Andy and Martin as they go back to examine a TV series that had been long-awaited when it debuted in 1996. Next Time: London's Burning (the Jack Rosenthal pilot not the more run-of-the-mill TV series that followed it!)