GBH(1991) Penned by the mighty hand of Alan Bleasdale, GBH tells the story of two men; Michael Murray, an ambitious and charismatic politician; and Jim Nelson, a respected headmaster at a school for disturbed children. Both are citizens of a northern city, lifelong supporters of the Labour party and undergoing an intense period of stress. Both believe that they're being driven insane.
Nelson accidentally defies a Murray-inspired 24-hour strike and inadvertently steals the limelight when it is picked up by the press. While Murray seeks revenge in what is initially a one-sided fight we slowly discover the secrets in his past that will cause his carefully constructed world to unravel. Then, when the pressure of public life and power games start getting on top of him, a beautiful woman arrives on the scene...
Episodes
It Couldn't Happen Here
Only Here On A Message
Send A Message To Michael
Message Sent
Message Received
Message Understood
Over And Out
Melissa (1997) Award-winning war correspondent Guy Foster (Tim Dutton), distraught after the loss of his first wife, joins a cruise to Cape Town, where he meets beautiful and mysterious Melissa (Jennifer Ehle). A sophisticated blonde PR girl, Melissa is travelling with an exuberant group of media friends.
Guy falls desperately in love with the exotic Melissa and she seduces him very happily into marriage. But while they celebrate, dark events begin to take place. An elderly widower is 'accidentally' lost overboard. The bodies of a middle-aged couple are discovered in Cape Town. Then one of Melissa's friends is brutally killed. The finger of suspicion falls on Guy.. And then to his eternal heartbreak and horror, Guy is found bending over another bloodied corpse...
While in Ireland filming Jake's Progress, Alan Bleasdale's thoughts turned to what to tackle next. A particular favourite novel in Melissa. Francis Durbridge's tale of death and destruction, convinced Bleasdale that here was a challenging project deserving of his next foray into TV writing.
Jake's Progress (1995) Parenthood is not what Jamie (Robert Lindsay) and Julie Diadoni (Julie Walters) expected and son Jake is born at a time of domestic tension. Jamie - a handsome failed musician - loses his job and Julie becomes the full time breadwinner, while Jamie takes on the role of house husband. Jake grows up loving his father but resenting his often absent mother. A new pregnancy is the final straw. Bewildered and lost Jake is threatened by the new arrival, he fantasises about the life he should be having without his baby brother. Soon the fantasies turn into reality.
Meanwhile events take a tragic twist as Jamie has his fortune told and is warned that he will have an affair, but only shortly before he dies! Drawn inexorably towards his fate, he falls in love with mysterious stranger Kate (Amanda Mealing) and embarks on an affair. But as events draw to their dramatic conclusions, both Julie and Jamie realise just how dangerous it is to play games with fate.
Jake's Progress began life as part of Alan Bleasdale's aborted 700-page novel that also spawned GBH and was written specifically for the series' two leads, Robert Lindsay and Julie Walters.
GBH - audio commentary from Robert Lindsay, Michael Palin and commissioning editor Peter Ansorge Melissa - interview with writer Alan Bleasdale Jake's Progress - audio commentary from Robert Lindsay and Barclay Wright, interview with Alan Bleasdale, deleted scene
Robert Lindsay, Lindsay Duncan, Julie Walters, Michael Palin, David Ross, Tom Georgeson, Jane Danson, Michael Angelis, Anna Friel, Jean Anderson, Jennifer Ehle, Tim Dutton, Adrian Dunbar, Bill Paterson, Christopher Ryan, Lionel Blair, Barclay Wright, Dorothy Tutin, Lindsay Duncan, Samantha Beckinsale
Various
1200 mins
1991 - 1997
None specified
English
10
2 - will only play on UK / European DVD player or multi region player
Usually despatched within 5 working days
