Explore TV Series

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.

Get Lost! is a 1981 British television drama serial produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV. Written by Alan Plater, the plot concerns the disappearance of the husband of Leeds schoolteacher Judy Threadgold. Investigating the disappearance, with the aid of her colleague, woodwork teacher Neville Keaton, Judy learns of a secret organisation that helps disaffected people leave their unhappy lives behind.

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.

Break in the Sun is a British television drama serial created and written by Bernard Ashley. The six-part series stars Nicola Cowper as a young girl named Patsy Bligh, who runs away from her violent stepfather and tries to return to her mother's old home in Margate. Notably grittier and more controversial than standard BBC children's serial fare up until that time, it was well received by critics and audiences.

This three-part mini-series chronicles the sexual scandal in the late 1800's, involving the highly acclaimed Member of Parliament for Chelsea, Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke (1843-1911), a member of William Gladstone's cabinet who was being poised to succeed Gladstone until being listed as a third party in a divorce.

A BBC light entertainment holiday series, following on from the success of their Seaside Special shows, featuring comedy, music and variety guest stars.

The first United Kingdom television series to be set in the psychiatric unit of a hospital.

The shows featured the everyday adventures of a group of characters living on Pigeon Street, an area of flats and terraced housing in a British city, also home to several pigeons which appeared in each show but only occasionally featured in the plot. Characters included Clara the long distance lorry driver, her husband Hugo the chef, Mr Baskerville the detective, Mr Jupiter the astronomer, Mr Macadoo the petshop owner, and twins Molly and Polly, who were only distinguishable by the letter M and P on their jumpers.

A series of six plays about relationships.

A group of 16-year-olds—Sean, Sammy, Roger, Dikey, Gerry, and Cathy—graduate from Meadowcroft Comprehensive School and are now out in the world looking for work.

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.

Dark Towers is a 1981 educational production by the BBC in the Look and Read series. The series remains highly popular in primary schools to this day. The show involves two main characters; Tracy and Edward. They go about their mission to stop a group, led by Miss Hawk, from stealing the treasures of Dark Towers.

In a small village in the Po Valley a permanent state of feud exists between the parish priest Don Camillo and the Communist mayor Peppone. They fight their battles in the cause of the betterment of the Northern Italian community and Camillo comforts himself in his frequent times of crisis with intimate little conversations with the Almighty.

A young boy discovers a teenage caveman living in the local rubbish dump.

Astronauts Malcolm Mattocks, Gentian Foster and David Ackroyd are sent into outer space to occupy a space station for six months.

Vice Versa is a seven-part series produced by ATV and based on a story published in 1882 by F. Anstey, the pseudonym of Thomas Anstey Guthrie. In contemporary Victorian London, a father and son switch places by means of a magic talisman from India, thus live each other's lives, and gain a better understanding for each other before they switch back.

Kinvig is a sci-fi comedy television series made for British television in 1981. Ineffectual dreamer Des Kinvig (Tony Haygarth) runs a rundown little electrical repair shop in the small town of Bingleton where he lives with his mumsy, scatterbrained wife Netta (Patsy Rowlands) and oversized pet dog Cuddly. One day his shop is visited by the beautiful, sharp-tongued Miss Griffin (Prunella Gee) who seems at first just another dissatisfied customer. However, after encountering a flying saucer while walking the dog one night, Kinvig discovers she is actually a scantily-clad alien from the planet Mercury who desperately needs the help of the scruffy, bearded Des' "exceptional brain" to stop an invasion of the evil ant-like Xux who are replacing people with robot duplicates. (information obtained from Wikipedia)

That Beryl Marston...! is a British sitcom produced by Southern Television for ITV. Created by Jan Butlin, the six-episode series stars Julia McKenzie and Gareth Hunt. Novelty shop owner Georgie Bodley's life was going well until her husband Gerry leaves her for Sussex sex strumpet Beryl Marston. But now Gerry's back, and he wants to reconcile.

Sorry, I'm A Stranger Here Myself was a British sitcom that aired for two seasons from 1981 to 1982. It was co-created by actor David Firth and Shelley and It Takes a Worried Man creator Peter Tilbury. The first series was co-written by Firth and Tilbury, and the second one by Firth alone. It starred Robin Bailey, David Hargreaves, veteran Anglo-Jordanian actor Nadim Sawalha, Diana Rayworth and Christopher Fulford. It was made by Thames Television for the ITV network.

The population of a small Scottish island is gripped with fear following a strange discovery and a series of savage murders. Adapted from David Wiltshire's 'Child of Vodyanoi'.

Melvyn Solomons has a promising career in dentistry but he wants to pursue art school.

This three-part comedy series was set in the Blue Moon of Kentucky Club, a country and western venue in South London catering for the sort of clients obsessed by the Wild West. The club is owned by Big Hal (James Grout), who lives out his whole life as a modern-day cowboy – much to the consternation of his wife, Betty (Sheila Steafel).

Willo the Wisp is a British cartoon series originally produced in 1981.

When Stanley unearths a skeleton on a building site in Sicily, his cousin Harry investigates to find out more about who it was and about a missing Rose Medallion.

Magic show featuring a range of famous acts including Ali Bongo and Alan Shaxon, shown during ITV's children's 'Watch It' slot in the early 80s.

The Children's Royal Variety Performance was devised by entertainer Rod Hull in 1981 and took place in London until 1994 in aid of NSPCC.

A new series of five programmes that looks at important topics from our history 1760-1851.

The story of a group of builders in postwar Britain.

Jake Thackray and Songs was a six-part television series recorded in 1980 and broadcast on BBC2 in 1981, in which Jake Thackray and guests performed songs live in a variety of venues. A live album of the same name, recorded at the Stables Theatre, Wavendon, Milton Keynes, as part of the sessions for the TV series, was released on LP by Dingles Records in 1983. All six episodes of the TV series still exist in the BBC archives. The album is currently out of print.

An anthology series seen by many as a precursor to the successful Dramarama [1983-1989]. Notable episodes include 'Death Angel' and 'Marmalade Atkins in Space'.

It's tough fighting a divorce but when your wife decides to show your children your sponge bag in order to promote you as being one of the three most evil men - along with Nero and Attila the Hun - then you are in trouble. Roger Flower, an impoverished composer, is one such man and his acrimonious divorce from his well-heeled wife, Emma, is doing him no favors. He has, however, found some consolation in the arms of Rose, who finds an adulterous relationship a major turn on. In order to maintain their healthy sex-life she marries an all-in wrestler called Stanley on the morning of his divorce!

This thriller was shot in the most beautiful location by a lake in the Cotswolds, England.

A ballet dancer finds her career and marriage in jeopardy when she falls in love with the new male dancer in the company.

Biographical drama series about the poor Welsh boy who became prime minister. David Lloyd George's career as a lawyer takes a fateful turn when he marries the daughter of a wealthy landowner and becomes a Liberal Party parliamentary candidate.

The Olympian Way is a comedy-drama series that follows the story of millionaire Stan Wilson, who has made a significant investment in a health club managed by his son Terry and his wife Stella. As Stan eagerly anticipates the club's success, Terry and Stella strive to meet his expectations and avoid disappointing him.

A group of disparate people form the community of Worlds' End in London, congregating at the Mulberry pub.united

This series aimed primarily at small businesses and further education colleges was fronted by the much respected Radio 4 'Today' presenter Brian Redhead. It showed examples of what can be done by looking at companies which had embraced the new technology in manufacturing or services.