Explore TV Series

In the future (1999), the UK is subdivided into two regions by barbed wire and border patrols. Northern Britain is cold, bleak and impoverished, while sunny South Britain is a place of relative luxury. When Lord Tewkesbury, the owner of rich conglomerate, decides his son Giles needs more real-life experience, he arranged for Giles to work under an assumed name. Unfortunately, this results in Giles being sent to North Britain to do menial labor, while previously impoverished Gavin is transferred to sunny South Britain.

Three elegant murder mysteries adapted from the crime novels of Dorothy L. Sayers. Set in the 1930s, the relationship of amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey and mystery writer Harriet Vane unfolds in a realm of romance and intrigue.

Political intrigue and murder occurs when the English town of Portsmouth is sealed off by the military during the eve of World War III.

The Magnificent Evans is a 1984 BBC situation comedy written by Roy Clarke and starring Ronnie Barker, Sharon Morgan and Myfanwy Talog.

Comedy sketch show taking an irreverent look at life in the eighties, starring Tracey Ullman, Miriam Margolyes and Richard Stilgoe, plus Rik Mayall as Kevin Turvey.

The Return of the Antelope was a UK TV series aired on ITV between 1986 and 1988. It was a children's fantasy series about two English children, circa 1899, who befriend a group of shipwrecked Lilliputians.

A late-night chance to relax into the weekend with music to suit every mood.

Captain Zep – Space Detective is a British television children's series produced by the BBC between 1983 and 1984. Constructed as part drama and part quiz game, Captain Zep featured mysteries that would be solved by the child audience in the studio, along with a write-in competition for viewers. The child audience were dressed in futuristic clothes and had gelled hair. The series was also notable for its combination of live action and animation, where the cast would interact with drawn alien characters amidst drawn backgrounds. Paul Greenwood played the titular Captain Zep in the first series, to be replaced by Richard Morant for series two. Zep was assisted by Professor Spiro who was also replaced in series two by Professor Vana. The only cast member to appear in both series was Ben Ellison as Jason Brown. The theme tune "Captain Zep" was written by David Owen Smith and Paul Aitken and performed by The Spacewalkers.

Frederick Forsyth, the celebrated novelist behind classics like The Day of the Jackal and The Negotiator, presents six original and gripping spy thrillers written solely for the small screen.

Pete Dodds is a boxer and a bit of a wide boy who messes about in the ring, but has potential. Tony Sprake becomes his manager and Dave Locket his trainer.

Dear Ladies is a series of half-hour episodes starring Dame Hilda Bracket and Doctor Evadne Hinge, portraying a genteel English inter-war world of cucumber sandwiches, bell ringing, bowls tournaments, church fetes and old-fashioned values recalled through the ladies, who live in the small town of Stackton Tressell.

The Dangerous Brothers was a stage and TV act by anarchic comedy duo Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson, performing respectively as "Richard Dangerous" and "Sir Adrian Dangerous". Originally appearing on stage in London at the comedy club 'The Comic Strip', the characters were well developed before appearing on TV. First appearing on television on a one off 1980 BBC TV show 'Boom Boom Out Go The Lights', they were also featured in a TV short 'documentary' film 'The Comic Strip', directed by Julien Temple, before they appeared in a number of brief sketches in the TV programme Saturday Live from 1985 on.

Drama with Paul Freeman and Judy Loe

A millionaire leaves his fortune to an unknown woman, Catherine Durell, who travels to Norway to take over her newly inherited property. Soon, she finds herself caught in a maelstrom of murder and terror.

A series of workshops led by leading actors on the techniques of acting in film, opera, and on stage

A series of six plays about relationships.

Dick Spanner, P.I. is a 1986 British stop-motion animated comedy series which parodied Chandleresque detective shows. The title character and main protagonist was Dick Spanner, voiced by Shane Rimmer, a robotic private detective who works cases in a futuristic urban setting. The show made frequent use of puns and visual gags. The series consisted of 22 six-minute episodes, covering two story arcs of equal length: "The Case Of The Human Cannonball" and "The Case Of The Maltese Parrot". The programme was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom as a segment of the Sunday morning show Network 7 on Channel 4, and was later repeated on the same channel in a late night spot. Produced by Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson, the series was created and written by Terry Adlam, who had previously worked on effects for Anderson's Terrahawks. It was also the basis for the Anderson-created Tennants Pilsner advertising campaign using the Lou Tennant character.

London based petty crook Eddie Cass agrees to pick up a package and courier it across the capital. When nobody answers the door at the drop-off, Eddie opens the package and finds a woman’s severed head in a hatbox. He panics and dumps it in the River Thames. Returning home, Cass is kidnapped by the mysterious Eldridge and his heavies who inform Eddie that he has been framed for the murder.

In Victorian England, Laura and her half-sister Marian are entwined in a terrifying web of deceit. Laura's doppelganger, a mysterious woman dressed all in white, may hold the key to unlock the mystery.

The comedy event of the year took place in April 1986 at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London. All those taking part gave their services free in order to support the famine relief camp in Umbala in the west of Sudan. Tonight Omnibus, in collaboration with Charity Projects, presents the best comic talents in Britain today. Among those appearing: Rowan Atkinson, Frank Bruno, Kate Bush, Graham Chapman, Billy Connolly, Ronnie Corbett, Paul Eddington, Ben Elton, French and Saunders, Stephen Fry, Bob Geldof, Terry Gilliam, Lenny Henry, Howard Jones, Terry Jones, Hugh Laurie, Hank Marvin, Rik Mayall, Michael Palin, Cliff Richard, Pamela Stephenson, Spitting Image, Midge Ure, The Young Ones.

A retired journalist finds that his life is in danger when he uncovers details of a secret NATO project.

Fun House is a British children's game show produced by Scottish Television and based on the American show, that aired on CITV from 24 February 1989 to 29 December 1999. It usually aired on Fridays. It was hosted by Pat Sharp, who was also aided by twin cheerleaders, Melanie Grant supporting the red team and Martina Grant supporting the yellow team. The announcer was Gary King. The theme tune was composed by David Pringle and Bob Heatlie.

Three of a Kind was a British comedy sketch show starring comedians Tracey Ullman, Lenny Henry and David Copperfield. Three series were made by the BBC between 1981 and 1983. The show bolstered the careers of Ullman and Henry, as well as being an outlet for young writers including Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, Ian Hislop and Nick Revell. Ullman and Henry went on to greater success after the show, with Ullman initially launching a brief but successful pop career in 1983 before starring in the ITV sitcom Girls On Top in 1985 and then going on to a high profile career on American television. Henry was given his own BBC series The Lenny Henry Show in 1984 and he remains a semi-regular fixture on British television to this day. Copperfield, however, garnered less success and has been seen relatively little since the series ended.

Third Time Lucky is a British sitcom originally aired on ITV for seven episodes from 6 August to 17 September 1982. George and Beth were married for several years and, as happens during wedlock, the marriage was consummated and bedroom activities recommenced at least once more as they had two children—Clare and Jenny. After seven years, George and Beth parted ways and both remarried: George to Millie and Beth to Bruce. However, both of these second marriages also ended in divorce, so it's fair to say that George and Beth aren't having much luck when it comes to domestic bliss. And you'd be forgiven if they gave up on the whole marriage lark.

Documentary series which uses film and eyewitness accounts from both sides of the conflict that divided Spain in the years leading up to World War Two, also placing it in its international context.

Follows the eccentric Bagthorpe family – ineffective advice columnist Laura, frustrated and emotionless comedy writer Henry, Scrabble cheating Grandma, 16-year-old electronics whizz and tennis champion William, artistic 14-year-old Tess, and twelve-year-old 'ordinary' Jack, who decides to train their mongrel dog Zero into a super dog.

Executive Stress is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1986 to 1988. Produced by Thames Television, it first aired on 20 October 1986. After three series, the last episode aired on 27 December 1988. Written by George Layton, Executive Stress stars Penelope Keith as Caroline Fairchild, a middle-aged woman who decides to go back to work. Her husband, Donald, is played by Geoffrey Palmer in the first series. However, Palmer was unable to return for the second series, so Peter Bowles played Donald in the last two series. Keith and Bowles had previously appeared in together in To the Manor Born.

After being hit by a car, Arnold Bristow becomes convinced he has psychic abilities.

Luna was a children's science fiction TV comedy show produced by Central Television for the ITV Network in the United Kingdom and which ran for two series in 1983 and 1984. The first series was recorded at the former ATV studios at Elstree, the second at their Nottingham facility.

Fame is the Spur is a British television series which first aired on the BBC in 1982. It was based on the novel Fame is the Spur by Howard Spring. It depicts a socialist politician who betrays his early beliefs as he grows older, and was believed to be based upon the Labour Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald. It had previously been adapted as a film Fame is the Spur by the Boulting Brothers in 1947.

The Crystal Cube was a spoof science program, based on shows such as Tomorrow's World. The show was hosted by Jackie Meld (Dame Emma Thompson).

Anna Tellwright lives in the Pottery District in Staffordshire with her young stepsister Agnes & father Ephraim, who is a wealthy man, but a miser. Anna attends the Methodist Church, but their strict rules & her father's thumb on everything she & Agnes do creates a longing for freedom. At 21, she inherits her grandmother's estate & is a now a wealthy young woman.

The overall documentary is made up of 12 episodes starting with "Remembering," which implied that the "Chinese Cultural Revolution" of 1966 - 1972 or so was past, regretted, and disowned. The final episode titled "Trading" is all about the "new China" and it's role in the go-getter world of business, including USA business. These two episodes communicated the main messages for which the series was intended, told the story of "the new China." The middle episodes depict day to day life amongst "little guy" Chinese people, and creates a sympathetic picture of their charm, intelligence, humanity, creativity, and day to day problems and challenges.

Tottie: The Story of a Doll's House is a 1984 animated television series. It is based on The Dolls' House, a children's novel written by Rumer Godden originally published in 1947, and focuses on the toys living in a Victorian Dolls' House belonging to sisters Emily and Charlotte Dane. The whole series had a very dark edge as the dolls had to wish very hard that good things would happen and they would not fall on misfortune. The series started with the phrase "Dolls are not like people, people choose, but dolls can only be chosen".

The life of a Royal Air Force fighter squadron from the day of the British entry into World War II through to one of the toughest days in the Battle of Britain.

Escape is an American anthology series that aired on the NBC network from February 11 to April 1, 1973. The show was a production of Jack Webb's Mark VII Limited for Universal Television. It aired on Sunday evenings at 10 p.m. Eastern, following the NBC Mystery Movie.

Young Gerald explored his passion for the animal kingdom with his inspirational tutor, Dr Theodore Stephanides. The backdrop was sunshine, happiness and the love and laughter of a doting, slightly eccentric family

When an ordinary British fishing vessel and its 36-man crew mysteriously disappears off the coast of Norway, journalist Martin Taylor is determined to find out why.

John Madden's sweeping drama After the War tells the tale of a quarter-century relationship between two men who share a similar wartime experience and a similar religious background. Michael Jordan grew up in a well-heeled British family, while Joe Hirsch spent much of his childhood on the run from the Nazis. The two become friends when they are both enrolled at the same school in 1942. They survive anti-Semitic taunts together. Joe grows into a powerful media figure, while Michael becomes a respected man of the arts. The film charts a quarter-century of their history together, detailing a relationship that is equally affectionate and hostile.

About Face is a series of twelve unconnected half-hour sitcoms all starring Maureen Lipman in the lead role. Each episode featured a guest cast of well known actors and actresses. The episodes were written by Richard Harris, Geoffrey Perkins, Chips Hardy & John Henderson, Astrid Ronning, John Wells, Paul Smith & Terry Kyan, Jack Rosenthal, Carol Bunyan and Ian Hislop & Nick Newman. It was made for the ITV network by Central Independent Television.

Moondial is a British television serial made for children by the BBC and transmitted in 1988, with a repeat in 1990. It was written by Helen Cresswell, who also wrote the novel on which the series was based. The story deals with a young girl, Minty, staying with her aunt after her mother is injured in a car accident. Minty spends much of her time wandering around the grounds of a nearby mansion, and is drawn to a moondial that enables her to travel back in time, where she becomes involved with two children, Tom, who lives in the Victorian era, and Sarah, who seems to live in "the previous century" to that, and must save them from their own unhappy lives. Regarded as a nostalgic favourite by followers of 1980s BBC children's drama, Moondial employs extensive location filming and fantastical, dreamlike imagery. The series was produced by Paul Stone and directed by Colin Cant. Other cast members include Valerie Lush as Minty's aunt Mary, Arthur Hewlett as the elderly, mysterious Mr. World and Jacqueline Pearce in the dual role of the vicious Miss Vole and the present-day ghost hunter Miss Raven.

A kingdom's ascending heir, marked for assassination, switches identities with a lookalike, who takes his place at the coronation. When the real king is kidnapped, his followers try to find him, while the stand-in falls in love with the king's intended bride, the beautiful Princess Flavia.

Six monologues tell the stories of six different repressed souls: a man dominated by his mother, a vicar's wife, an inveterate letter writer, a hopeful actress, a recently widowed woman, and an elderly shut-in.

This Is David Lander was a TV show that parodies Roger Cook style door-stepping investigative journalism shows, starring Stephen Fry as David Lander and written by Tony Sarchet. It began as the BBC Radio 4 show Delve Special, which became this six part Channel 4 series in 1988.

Dombey and Son is a television mini-series produced by the BBC in 1983. It was based on the book Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens. It was adapted by James Andrew Hall and directed by Rodney Bennett.

Ed Asner tells the story of RKO Pictures from the 1920s to the 1960s.

Sitcom prequel to Last of the Summer Wine set in a small Yorkshire village in 1939 as Britain becomes poised for war.

Noel Edmonds' journeys around Britain and the world to take gifts and surprises to deserving people.

Andy Capp is a British sitcom based on the cartoon Andy Capp. It starred James Bolam and ran for one series in 1988. It was written by Keith Waterhouse. Unusually, for a sitcom, there was no studio audience during the filming of Andy Capp. It was made for the ITV network by Thames Television. Andy Capp is a slothful man from Hartlepool, whose life consists of drinking, sleeping, watching TV, betting, going to the pub and occasionally playing football. His wife, Flo, is constantly annoyed by her lazy husband and frequently uses a rolling pin as a weapon.

In a heady tale of revenge and obsession, the outlaw Zastrozzi, assisted by courtesan, Matilda, abducts his half-brother, Verezzi, and torments him into believing his lover, Julia, has been murdered. His campaign of vicious psychological abuse signals a grisly bloodbath of greed, envy, betrayal, retribution, and eternal damnation.

The ‘Heart of the Country’ was a four part series by Fay Weldon set in Somerset which was broadcast in spring 1987.

The Saturday Show was Birmingham-based Central Television's flagship Saturday morning kids TV show which replaced their previous show Tiswas. It ran on ITV for two series between 1982 and 1984. It was originally planned that popular wrestler Big Daddy would star and that it would be called "Big Daddy's Saturday Show". A pilot show was recorded with Big Daddy presenting, assisted by Isla St Clair and short films were shot with Big Daddy to insert in the upcoming series; a trailer for "Big Daddy's Saturday Show", complete with logo was shown on ITV the Saturday morning before the show was due to air. It was then announced during the week that Big Daddy was dropping out and that Isla St Clair would now take the lead, with ex-Magpie host Tommy Boyd assisting and with Jeremy Beadle being used as an occasional "stand in" host. The actor David Rappaport was also a fixture playing the character "Shades", as was soccer legend, Jimmy Greaves. It was never made publicly clear why Big Daddy dropped out so close to transmission; no settlement was ever reached between him and Central. The second season of the show featured a regular technology spot called 'Interface'. Presented by IT journalist Chris Palmer, it featured a couple of notable TV firsts. It broadcast a computer programme live which viewers could record from their TV and upload to a Spectrum. The initial attempt failed due to interference on the feed from the studio floor, but it was re-broadcast the following week and many viewers successfully recorded and loaded the programme. The second 'first' for the show was the game 'Up for Grabs' which was a game played live in the studio by a player in their own home via a computer and a modem. The contestant had to steer a robotic arm and pick up prizes from a rotating turntable. This proved incredibly difficult as the contestants found it difficult to gauge the depth of the arm and also the response time of the robot arm was slow. Still, this predated many other interactive game shows by many years.

The Amazing Adventures of Morph was a stop animation television showcreated by Aardman Animations which ran from 1980 to 1981. It featured the character Morph

Lovely and sensitive Maud Ruthyn is sent to stay with her Uncle Silas, a charismatic rogue who stands to inherit the family fortune... should anything untoward happen to young Maud. With the tyrannical Madame De La Rougierre as her governess, Maud finds that the estate holds terrors beyond her imaginings.

The story of a group of Cambridge students and their lives in the ten years following their graduation.

When a family come into possession of a statue called The Grinnygog, a trio of benevolent witches are summoned to the village where they live.

Ken tries to find a new partner after his girlfriend, Judy, leaves him.