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Outside Edge courtesy of Network DVD. All articles are copyright © Television Heaven or their individual authors where stated |
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Outside Edge courtesy of Network DVD. All articles are copyright © Television Heaven or their individual authors where stated |
An unusual but unsuccessful effort in the sitcom genre, it featured three 30-minute comedies–one after another–with a unifying theme. In this case, 90 Bristol Court was the address of a California apartment complex where the stars of all three sitcoms lived; the only character that appeared in the trio of shows was handyman Cliff Murdoch, played by Guy Raymond. First up was Karen, which starred Debbie Watson as a typical teenage girl named Karen Scott. Her parents were played by Richard Denning and Mary La Roche; Gina Gillespie was her younger sister Mimi. (Trivia: The show’s theme song was performed by The Beach Boys!) Next was Tom, Dick and Mary–which, despite its somewhat racy title, was squeaky-clean. Don Galloway and Joyce Bulifant played newlyweds Tom and Mary Gentry. To help pay the rent at 90 Bristol Court, the couple took in Tom’s best friend Dick Moran (Steve Franken); all three worked at the same hospital–Tom and Dick were interns; Mary was a secretary.
The final series was Harris Against The World (pictured), starring Jack Klugman as Allan Harris, a movie studio employee who had to juggle work with his family. Patricia Barry was his wife Kate; Claire Wilcox and David Macklin were the couple’s children DeeDee and Billy. Klugman, who considered himself a serious actor at the time, signed for the “Harris” role before he won an Emmy for an episode of the legal drama The Defenders. Critics didn’t take to any of the shows on 90 Bristol Court; one called the experiment “as synthetic in concept as a $15 suit.” Viewers seemed to feel the same; up against ABC’s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea along with the powerful CBS trio of To Tell the Truth, I’ve Got a Secret and The Andy Griffith Show, all three sitcoms landed at the bottom of the Nielsen ratings. But “Karen’s” Debbie Watson was a fan favorite, judging by the number of letters sent to NBC. In January 1965, the network axed the 90 Bristol Court concept by cancelling Harris Against the World and Tom, Dick and Mary and eliminating Guy Raymond’s handyman character. Only Karen survived as a stand-alone series, but ratings didn’t improve, and the teenager and her family was gone at the end of the season. Watson would go on to star in the short-lived sitcom version of Tammy and retired from acting not long after. Klugman did better with The Odd Couple and Quincy, while Bulifant would appear in dozens of sitcoms, including The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Denning, who played Lucille Ball’s fictional spouse on radio’s “My Favorite Husband,” would later become a regular on Hawaii 5-0.
Fran Drescher, who first made her acting mark as “Connie” in “Saturday Night Fever,” starred in this sometimes cartoonish sitcom about a “Jewish-American Princess” who became a caretaker for the children of a successful Broadway producer. As the show’s animated opening theme (and lively title song) established, Fran Fine (Drescher) was fired as a bridal consultant by her fiancee, and ended up selling cosmetics door-to-door. She landed on the doorstep of successful producer Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy), who liked her moxie and quickly hired Fran to care for his three kids–Maggie (Nicholle Tom), Brighton (Benjamin Salsbury) and Grace (Madeline Zima). Working with Fran was Niles (Daniel Davis), the sarcastic butler. Then there was Maxwell’s socialite business partner Chastity Claire (C.C.) Babcock (Lauren Lane), who viewed Fran as an underling and a threat to her hopes of making Maxwell her husband. (Niles loved Fran and hated C.C., so it was easy to tell whose side he was on.) Always on hand to give Fran both advice and grief is her equally flamboyant mother Sylvia (Renee Taylor) and grandmother Yetta (Ann Morgan Guilbert, formerly Millie Helper on The Dick Van Dyke Show). It didn’t take long for Fran to bond with Maxwell’s kids and give the Sheffield household a dose of humor and free spirit, setting the tone with her nasal, foghorn-like voice and her wardrobe. But her middle-class roots served Fran well, whether solving one of the kids’ problems or helping Maxwell in his career. Near the end of the show’s run, Maxwell realized he loved Fran deeply and eventually married her; Fran adopted Maxwell’s children and became pregnant, giving birth to twins. The series finale had the Sheffield family moving from New York to California–and in a real shocker, Niles ended up marrying his nemesis C.C.! Drescher and her then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson created The Nanny with the help of veteran sitcom producers Robert Sternin and Prudence Frasier (Who’s The Boss?). CBS Entertainment chairman Jeff Sagnasky loved the premise and stuck by the series, even when its ratings were low. During the summer of 1994, viewers finally found The Nanny, and its popularity rose, ensuring its fate. After the series ended its run, Drescher and Jacobson divorced (Drescher later admitted Jacobson was gay, but the two remained good friends) and she was diagnosed with uterine cancer, requiring a radical hysterectomy. She was given a clean bill of health. Drescher later co-starred in the short-lived sitcom Living With Fran, became a champion for women with cancer and gay rights, and even considered a run for Congress. In 2011, Drescher will star in a new comedy for cable’s TV Land, called–appropriately–Happily Divorced.
Earl Derr Bigger's character, Charlie Chan, was allegedly based on true-life detective Chang Apana, and had, for many years appeared in numerous cinema versions. In this series J. Carrol Naish starred as the Chinese proverb-quoting detective, father to many children, although aided here by 'Number-One Son', Barry Chan (James Hong). Charlie had now moved to London and was helped further by two British detectives, Inspector Marlowe (Hugh Williams) and Inspector Duff (Rupert Davies, who would later star in the title role of another famous fictional detective series, Maigret.
Albert Stokes finds himself perpetually fighting the dominance of women, not least of all his possessive widowed mother (Madge Ryan) who "wears him down with constant rebukes about her loneliness and by her endless questioning." Albert plans a night out against her wishes. At an office party he is involved in an embarrassing incident which leads to a more eventful evening than he had bargained for. Tom Bell (centre of picture) starred as Albert with Jose Read (left of picture) as Joyce and Maria Lennard (right of picture) as Eileen, the two girls he meets at the party. Produced by Sydney Newman and shown at 9.05pm on Sunday 24 April 1960 under the ABC Armchair Theatre strand, A Night Out was the first Harold Pinter play to be written especially for television. Using his stage name of David Baron, Pinter appeared in his play as Seeley, one of Albert's fellow insurance clerks. Also in the cast as Mr King was Arthur Lowe. Directed by Philip Saville. An ABC Television Network Production.
Detective Superindentent Lockhart of Scotland Yard had begun his television career in 1957 in the series Murder Bag before being promoted in 1959 to another ATV series ’Crime Sheet’. Later that year actor Raymond Francis was given his own series which would outlive it's rivals by several years. ’No Hiding Place’ followed the exploits of Detective Chief Supt Lockhart as he worked his way through over 280 cases, many of which were transmitted live. By his side was Detective Sgt Baxter (Eric Lander), whose character proved so successful that he too was given his own series ’Echo Four Two’, before returning to his chief's side when that series failed to take off. When Baxter moved on yet again, replacements Russell (Johnny Briggs -later to star in ’Coronation Street’ as Cockney wide-boy Mike Baldwin), and Perryman (Michael McStay) were introduced, with Det Sgt Gregg (Sean Caffrey) added at a later date. Due to its authenticity the show was immensely popular with the public and police alike, to such an extent that when it was taken off in 1965 public pressure forced the producers to extend DCI Lockhart's career by another two years.
First starring vehicle for Ronnie Corbett who plays a little man (of course) with big ambitions. Each day he boards a train from suburbia into the city smartly dressed in three-piece suit, bowler hat, carrying briefcase and brolly and a copy of The Times tucked neatly under his arm. He's accompanied by his stuffy next door neighbour Henry (Henry McGee) who also happens to work for the same company. At work, to Ronnie's constant frustration, Henry always manages to play the office politics game to perfection leaving Ronnie to come out second best. Ronnie's long suffering wife, Laura, is played by Rosemary Leach. The first series was written by Barry Cryer, Graham Chapman and Eric Idle who had supplied material for the two Ronnies on David Frost's various shows. Following series two (written by Cryer and Chapman) Rediffusion lost its franchise and the show was dropped. LWT picked it up again two years later. Corbett and Leach also teamed up for two further series, Now Look Here and The Prince of Denmark.
One of the more outlandish comedies to air on American television. Michael Callan played Peter Christopher, a bachelor and executive at the Brahms Baby Food Company. Since owner Max Brahms (Jack Collins) was devoted to marriage and family, the unattached Peter found it hard to get promoted. His solution came in the form of aspiring painter Greta Patterson (Patricia Harty), who also worked as a hat-check girl. Greta agreed to pose as his “occasional wife” during social and business functions when the boss was around. In return, Peter set Greta up in an apartment on the eighth floor (two floors above his); he also paid for her art lessons and a pair of contact lenses. The humour (such as it was) was caused by the complications of having Peter and Greta pose as husband and wife, forcing them to reach each others apartments through the fire escape—much to the chagrin of their seventh-floor neighbour (Bryan O'Byrne, billed on the series as “Man-in-Middle”). If you became confused by all the developments, narrator and veteran sportscaster Vin Scully was on hand to provide the “play by play action.” Viewer interest was strong when Occasional Wife made its debut, but ratings soon fell and NBC ordered a divorce after just one season.
Although not strictly speaking a direct spin-off from All Gas and Gaiters, the 1968 series, Oh, Brother! saw Derek Nimmo reprising virtually the same character in all but name and rank. This time let loose in a monastery, Nimmo starred as Brother Dominic a novice monk at Mountacres Priory, where he trod the thin line between acceptance and expulsion from his holy order. Like Rev Noote in the series before, Nimmo played a character whose clumsiness and ability to say a dozen words where one may have been necessary was frowned upon by some of his peers, most notably Father Matthew (Derek Francis), but supported by the more well meaning such as Father Anselm (Felix Aylmer). Nimmo was by this time considered fairly hot property on British TV and made 'Oh, Brother!' during the run of All Gas and Gaiters. Following the final series he was given his own chat show, If It's Saturday It Must Be Nimmo, before Brother Dominic was promoted to Father Dominic for one series of Oh, Father!, which was then followed by yet another chat show called Just A Nimmo. It seems as though television had quite definitely found Nimmo!
Unlike BBC1's flagship pop show, Top of the Pops, which concerned itself with the latest chart entries and high risers, The Old Grey Whistle Test was the Corporation's showcase for 'serious' music and as such was presented on the much more cerebral BBC2. The series developed out of Disco 2 (1970-71 introduced by Tommy Vance), itself derived from the earlier Line-Up (1964-72), originally a ten-minute curtain raiser to the evening's programmes on what was at that time British television's newest channel. The 'Old Greys' of the title were the doormen who worked for record companies in the 1920's. The 'test' being that executives would play them the latest compositions, and the ones they heard them whistling later on were the ones that would be sure-fire hits. The series was presented from the start by the former assistant editor of Melody Maker; Richard Williams, but it was another 'paper' man who is most closely associated with the series in the consciousness of the British public; co-founder of Time Out magazine Bob Harris. His easy going and laid-back style of presenting earned him the nickname 'Whispering' Bob Harris and later presenters included Anne Nightingale, Andy Kershaw and Richard Skinner, amongst others. The Old Grey Whistle Test boasted a number of firsts, including the first British TV performance of Bob Marley and the Wailers as well as the debut on our screens of The Stone Roses. The series was introduced most famously with an opening graphic of a star-kicking male while the theme music was Stone Fox Chase by Area Code 615 (who made a single appearance on the show in 1978). The series normally featured no more than two bands playing in a sparsely furnished studio and would often feature pre-filmed interviews, one of the most famous being John Lennon who, in 1975 chatted and performed songs from his latest album; Rock 'n' Roll. The series changed its name to simply Whistle Test in 1984 and in 1985 it was the Whistle Test team that presented the BBC's broadcast of the Live Aid concert. Three years later the series was deemed to have run its course and although it was dropped from the schedule its influence can still be seen today in shows such as Later with Jools Holland. In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, The Old Grey Whistle Test was placed 33rd.
Long before The X-Files hit our screens British television explored the unkown with a pair of investigators who worked at a centre for psychic research, seeking out seemingly paranormal activity in an attempt to get a better understanding of the ultimate potential of the Human mind: The Omega Factor. Journalist Tom Crane (James Hazeldine) learns he has psychic powers that have been dormant since he was a child. After his wife dies in a car crash, seemingly engineered by an occultist called Edward Drexel (Cyril Luckham), Tom learns that he has unwittingly been used as a test subject by a secret government unit called Department 7. Their remit is to investigate paranormal phenomena as well as how the mind is effected by hypnosis, brainwashing, extra-sensory perception, telekinesis, and spiritual possession. Crane joins the Department whose members include physicist Dr. Anne Reynolds (Louise Jameson) and psychiatrist Dr Roy Martindale (John Carlisle). His own psychic gift leads Crane to think he may have stumbled on a conspiracy by a mysterious organisation called Omega to take over the world using mind control. The series very quickly came under attack by the National Viewers and Listeners Association, its Honourary General Secretary Mrs Mary Whitehouse citing one particular episode as "one of the most disturbing programmes I have ever seen on television." Produced by the BBC Scotland arm of the BBC, the series was shot on location in Edinburgh almost entirely on videotape. Although the final episode resolved several of the subplots it also ended ambiguously suggesting a second season was planned. However, although critically well received the ratings were particularly poor and series creator Jack Gerson had already moved on to his next project, The Assassination Run. There is nothing to suggest that the series would have carried on beyond the 10 episodes.
This is the story of two Liverpool youths (played by David Morrisey and Spencer Leigh) who go to the hills and valleys of Wales to enjoy a peaceful life. They come from the Liverpool of 1983, a tough gritty, uncompromising city a long way from the magical days of the Beatles. For the teenagers, Billy and Icky, things are getting a little too close for comfort. Like brushes with the police, the spectre of unemployment and the attentions of rival gangs. However they don't find the calm idyllic life they expect. They have people like Kidder to contend with - a strange man, a loner who could very well change their lives. Sharply observed and written with both sympathy and a sense of humour, this critical and commercial success was created and written by reknowned Liverpool playwright Willy Russell. A five part television serial written in 1980, produced by Yorkshire TV for Channel 4 and transmitted in August 1983. This proved a highly controversial production which lead to Willy Russell, unhappy with aspects of the production, to have his name removed from the credits. Despite plenty of press coverage at the time, it is still not completely clear what the exact disagreements were, but Russell's name did reappear in later rerun screenings, and was credited in ITV publicity from 1985. Originally Granada Media stated the programme would not be released on DVD due to restrictions placed on it by Willy Russell but whatever the differences these seemed to have been resolved and the series was released by Network in 2007. Produced by Keith Richardson of Yorkshire TV for Channel 4 and directed by Gordon Flemyng.
Beginning life in 1970 as a one-off Drama Playhouse presentation, The Onedin Line was a typical piece of BBC period costume drama that the corporation have so often excelled in. Telling the story of James Onedin (Peter Gilmore), a 19th-century ship's master from Liverpool, whose burning ambition was to own a fleet of sailing vessels, the original production opened in 1860 as Onedin inherited the smallest part of his late fathers estate -just £25.00. With his windfall he purchased a three-mast schooner by the name of the Charlotte Rose, and set about building his business empire. However, as part of the purchase agreement Onedin agreed to marry Anne (Sheila Allen) the daughter of the ships former owner, Captain Webster (James Hayter). The series followed Onedin's career (accompanied by the his faithful Captain Baines -Howard Lang-) as he hopped from boardroom to bedroom to briny sea, along the way remarrying twice. Years after his first wife (Anne Stallybrass in the series), had died giving birth to his daughter, Charlotte (Laura Hartong), James married Letty Gaunt (Jill Gascoigne -later to star in the ITV crime drama The Gentle Touch), but she died too, and by the end of the series run James was married to a Spanish widow by the name of Margarita Juarez (Roberta Iger). The series ran for nine years (taking the Onedin saga up to 1886) and also gave early TV appearances to Jane Seymour and Kate Nelligan. Location filming was shot off Charlestown and Dartmouth in Devon and the series stirring theme tune was Aram Khachaturyan's 'Spartacus'.
Set in an NHS hospital where the same three seemingly permanent patients, all congenital hypochondriacs, are forever playing a game of one-upmanship with each other, much to the irritation of house surgeon Dr Gordon Thorpe, played by the excellent Richard Wilson. James Bolam, in his first comedy since Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads plays Roy Figgis, a lorry driver who has an opinion on most things be it politics, social issues or medicine, all of which he is a self confessed expert on. One gets the idea that he'd rather talk than work and in the confines of a small hopsital ward he is in his element. He delights mostly in winding up the staff and patients, in particular the hapless and effete Norman Binns (Christopher Strauli), upper-class snob Archie Glover (Peter Bowles) and the ward orderly Gupte (Derrick Branche). The series was written by Eric Chappell who was following on from the hugely popular Rising Damp. Once again Chappell benefitted form an excellent ensemble cast who relished every line of his witty, sparkling script and the series was a huge ratings success for ITV running for four series from 1979 to 1982. C4 repeated the series in 1994 to great viewer reception and it is now available, season by season or in its entirety, on DVD.
Amusingly odd allegory about a multi-million pound, multi-interest corporation (Greatrick Co.) - dedicated to making more millions. Working at its headquarters are people who hate its power, love it, suffer it. The series stars Donald Sinden, Anton Rodgers, Peter Egan, Jill Melford, Elaine Taylor, Bernard Hepton and Norman Bird and explores how The Organisation uses the men and women it employs. Interviewed in the TV Times (15th April 1972) for a series preview article, writer Philip Mackie (best known for his adaptation of The Naked Civil Servant) explained that his inspiration for the series came about by having worked in five large organisations and observing the management games each played. "Seventy five British bosses were interviewed and asked what they saw as desirable qualities in a young man who aimed at getting to the top. Their replies showed that the future boss was expected to be honest rather than witty, hard-working rather than brilliant-and not too ambitious." Mackie's series isn't really about the bosses. "It's about the people one or two steps down the ladder-the middle and junior executives: the people who have to do what the boss decides, whether they like it or not." The series begins with wannabe young executive Richard Pershore (Egan) looking for a job in The Organisation and follows him each week as he moves up the corporate ladder. Along the way he encounters the corporate stereotypes; the downtrodden PR man, the female exec who has been sleeping with the Chairman and the guy who, to the annoyance of everyone else simply won't retire as well as the secretary who knows where all the skeletons are hidden. Pershore is soon a rising star and thinks that where his future is concerned, he knows best. But when his boss (Sinden) starts to take an interest in his career his colleagues in The Organisation think they know even better. Witty, insightful and sharply written with a sting in its tail, The Organisation is long overdue for a DVD release.
British TV's first attempt at a science fiction anthology, Out of This World ran for thirteen episodes on ATV in 1962. Sadly, only one episode survives. The introductory episode, John Wyndham's Dumb Martian (produced by Sydney Newman), was actually shown as part of ATV's popular Armchair Theatre series (24/06/1962), in order to retain a captive audience for this untried genre, which started the following week. Out of This World was an hour-long series that featured dramatisations of short stories by popular fantasy writers such as Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick and Clifford Simak. Terry Nation adapted two scripts as well as writing 'Botony Bay,' in which a psychiatry student (William Gaunt) discovers that his patients are possessed by aliens. He kills one of them, and in a bitter twist, is committed to the same institution. The series also featured many familiar TV names such as Nigel Stock, Peter Wyngarde, Patrick Allen, Milo O'Shea and Paul Eddington. The series producer was Irene Shubik, who went on to mastermind BBC 2's Out of the Unknown series in 1965. Horror master Boris Karloff introduced each episode and the series proved a great success paving the way for future science fiction series such as Doctor Who. The only episode that has survived is 'Little Lost Robot,' an adaptation of an Asimov story, the rest (including 'The Dumb Martian') were wiped.
Comedienne and actress Josie Lawrence teamed up with Timothy Spall as Kevin and Maggie Costello in this award-winning series. She’s larger than life, wears big red glasses, get-‘em-off clothes and a bright gash of lipstick, he’s short, chunky and a whiz at whipping up a gourmet meal. Their bohemian lovenest is in need of repair and so is their battered Renault 4, but it doesn’t matter as they are crazy about each other and make love wherever the mood takes them! As different as chalk and cheese are Mim and Roger Dervish (Brenda Blethyn and Robert Daws). Once a leading light in the operatic society, Mim’s got a good face and figure but dresses in an ordinary way. Husband Roger drives a Volvo, reads the Daily Telegraph and is captain of the local cricket club. He eats, drinks and sleeps the game...and even dreams about it too! The village cricket team is the catalyst that brings these two odd couples together in a bitter-sweet comedy that’s as sharp on the pitch as it is off. Against the backdrop of a never-ending summer, a close friendship blossoms between the two women. Under Maggie’s outgoing influence, prim and proper Mim discovers an independent streak that’s been stifled too long by Roger and the shock waves are set to reverberate around cosy suburbia as the two couples are thrust together in a chain of events guaranteed to set the net curtains twitching. For Mim and Roger things will never be the same again. The series won the British Comedy Award for best drama in 1995 and 1996 and won it's creator/writer Richard Harris a Writer's Guild of Great Britain award for best situaiton comedy in 1994. Brenda Blethyn won a British Comedy award for Best Actress in 1994 and both Josie Lawrence and Robert Daws were nominated for Best Actress and Actor (respectively) in 1995. Outside Edge started life as a play by Richard Harris which opened at the Hampstead Theatre in London on 24 July 1979. The original cast featured Julia McKenzie and Maureen Lipman and a 1982 one-off TV production starred Lipman and Prunella Scales with Paul Eddington and Jonathan Lynn playing the male characters.
