ADVENTURES IN PARADISE
Created by James A. Michener, Adventures In Paradise starred Gardner McKay as Adam Troy, the handsome captain of a schooner called the Tiki. Troy, a veteran of the Korean War, became involved in all kinds of comings and goings featuring fortune hunters and freebooters as well as a host of beautiful Tahitian women. Our hero had a number of partners during the series three-year run including a Chinese-American called Oliver Lee (Weaver Levy), Clay Baker (James Holden) and Chris Parker (Guy Stockwell). Although set in the South Pacific the series was filmed on the back-lot of 20th Century-Fox. Following the cancellation of the series McKay turned his back on showbusiness to travel the world. He returned to acting in the 1960's and later became a playwright, drama critic and teacher. He passed away at the start of 2002 aged 69.
91 episodes of 60 minute duration. ABC. Black and white. 1959-1962.
THE ADVENTURES OF BLACK BEAUTY
Anna Sewell (1820-78) wrote only one book in her lifetime but it became an all time children's classic. The book, for which Sewell received just £20.00, was published in 1877 just three months before her death, and told the story of a black mare who had been brutally treated by a succession of cruel owners until it was finally taken in by a kind family that nursed it back to health. The TV series, with specially written scripts, was set on a beautifully spacious Victorian country estate and featured Judi Bowker as Vicky Gordon, the thoroughbred's latest owner. (When Bowker left the series Stacy Dorning as Jenny replaced her). Other members of the cast included William Lucas as Dr James Gordon and Roderick Shaw as Kevin Gordon and sharing the directorial seat was Charles Crichton who later went on to make the hit movie A Fish Called Wanda. A sequel, The New Adventures of Black Beauty was made in 1990 with Lucas and Dorning reprising their roles.
54 Episodes of 30 minute duration and 1 of 55 minutes. 1972-74 and 1990.
AFTER HENRY
BAFTA-nominated comedy 'After Henry' followed the comfortable middle-class lives of three women; except that, for one of them, life wasn't all that comfortable... A widow of two years Sarah had been left well provided for in a large Edwardian detached house in a leafy suburb by her late husband, Dr Henry France. But, unfortunately, she had also been left with a demanding mother and a prickly adolescent daughter, Clare (Janine Wood) who craved independence, just as long as mother was there to clear up the mess. Sarah was stuck between the two of them (literally; her mother lived in the upstairs flat whilst her daughter resided in the basement and Sarah was in between). Mother was both manipulative and a gossip (Sarah dubbed her and her friends 'The Geriatric Mafia') and she often found herself being torn between mother and daughter with her only source of refuge being a second-hand bookshop where she worked, and the sympathetic ear of the shop's owner, Russell (Jonathan Newth). Prunella Scales ('Fawlty Towers') starred as put-upon Sarah and Joan Sanderson ('Please Sir!') as Eleanor, her fearsome battle-axe of a mother. 'After Henry' was written by multiple BAFTA-winner Simon Brett ('Rosemary & Thyme') and directed by sitcom legend Peter Frazer-Jones ('Man About the House,' 'George and Mildred'). 'After Henry' was originally created for BBC radio in 1986 and soon became a firm favourite with listeners. However, when the BBC turned down a TV adaptation it was snapped up by Thames. Not one of the Beeb's best decisions.
38 episodes of 30 minute duration. Thames Television. 1988 - 1992.
ALICE
Very early BBC TV outing for Lewis Carroll's classic fantasy produced by George More O'Ferrall and transmitted live as a Christmas treat on 21st December 1946. Subtitled 'Some of her Adventures in Wonderland' this 40 minute broadcast was shown twice (performed live) before disappearing into the ether forever. Vivian Pickles played Alice and supporting cast included Erik Chitty-twenty years before he appeared as 'Smithy' in 'Please Sir!-and a young Miriam Karlin years before she starred as the stroppy shop steward who became something of a national institution in 'The Rag Trade'.
2 showings - 40 minute duration. BBC TV. First broadcast 21/12/1946.
AND MOTHER MAKES THREE
Almost a direct follow on from the BBC's hugely popular 'Not In Front Of The Children' starring Wendy Craig who was in an almost constant state of domestic discord, only on this occasion she was left carrying the babies herself as she was cast as widow Sally Harrison. However, the babies in question, Simon (Robin Davies) and Peter (David Parfitt) were in fact two almost-teenagers and help was often at hand from Auntie Flo (Valerie Lush). Craig played her role with a delightful scatterbrained aplomb that was to become something of a trademark for her in a long and distinguished television career. There were four series altogether and by the end of the last Sally had met, fallen in love with, and married antiquarian bookseller David Redway (Richard Coleman). This lead to a sequel...'And Mother Makes Five' (David had a daughter, Jane, played originally by Miriam Mann and in the sequel by Maxine Gordon), for which Wendy Craig wrote several episodes under the pseudonym Jonathan Marr.
26 episodes of 30-minute duration. ITV. 1971-73.
ANDY ROBSON
Based on Frederick Grice’s 1969 novel, 'The Courage of Andy Robson', about a young boy (Tom Davidson) who is uprooted from his life in the pit community of Easington, in 1910, when his father is killed in a mining accident. Andy is sent to stay in a remote part of Northumberland, but after upsetting his new schoolmaster and making an enemy of the school bully he realises he has a lot to learn about rural life. Andy is given a dog to care for but in the second episode (Plague Dogs) an outbreak of rabies further alienates him from the locals. Help is at hand in the form of upper class Victoria Dennison (Stephanie Tague) and local lad Alec (Stevie-Lee Pattinson) whom he befriends. The trio shared numerous adventures across two seasons including intrigue with foreign agents, hunting for buried treasure and preparing for a royal visit.
20 episodes of 30 minute duration. Tynne Tees. 1982 - 1983
ARREST AND TRIAL
Innovative US crime drama series which was almost two programmes in one. The 90 minute presentation was split into two parts. In the first 45 minute segment viewers saw Ben Gazzara as LA Detective Sgt. Nick Anderson as he hunted down the suspect to a crime and ultimately made the arrest. Then in the second part Chuck Connors appeared as attorney John Egan and the police procedule turned into courtroom drama as Egan attempted to get the accused acquitted. The series ran for just one season.
30 episodes of 90 minute duration. B&W. ABC 1963-64.
ASK ASPEL
Hard to believe it in this day and age but in 1970, long before the video revolution, the only way to see your favourite clips from the previous week's television was to write in to Michael Aspel, the genial TV presenter who became one of the country's most familiar faces during the 1960s and 1970s, as a regular presenter of the evening news, before moving on to a wide variety of light entertainment roles including the long running BBC children's TV series, 'Crackerjack' and his own TV series, 'Ask Aspel.' Each week Michael's postbag would be full of requests to rerun favourite clips-mainly from children's shows but with a few adult programmes slipping in from time to time including 'Monty Python's Flying Circus', 'The Goodies', 'Top Of The Pops' and 'The Morecambe & Wise Show'-to name but a few. Mike also got to interview the likes of John Cleese, Peter Cushing, Roger Moore and the top pop stars of the day such as Kate Bush. The series proved popular with young viewers and enjoyed two runs, finally finishing in 1981 by which time VCR's were becoming more commonplace in British homes and viewers could keep their own favourite clips to watch whenever they wanted...which is more than the BBC did with much of their archive material!
BBC TV 1970-73 and 1976-81.
