British Classic Television A to Z

A - The Avengers. Could there be a better way to start this list? This lighthearted spy series starred Patrick Macnee as the well-tailored, unflappable, and charming John Steed. He was the anchor of the series, even if his fermale co-stars grabbed the headlines: Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg, Linda Thorson, and Joanna Lumley (in The New Avengers). Of course, I suspect some of Ms. Lumley's fans might lobby for Absolutely Fabulous in this spot.

Rowan Atkinson as the Prince.

B - The Black Adder. "Black Adder, Black Adder, he rides a pitch black steed / Black Adder, Black Adder, he's very bad indeed." As these lyrics suggest, Prince Edmund the Black Adder was up to no good in this Medieval comedy series starring Rowan Atkinson as the man who wanted to be king. Atkinson played descendants of the original Black Adder in several follow-up specials.

C - Coronation Street. It's the longest-running soap opera currently on the airwaves anywhere in the world. Set in a fictional working class community, Coronation Street debuted in 1960 and quickly built a loyal fan base. A Christmas Day episode in 1987 was seen by over 28 million viewers!

McGoohan as John Drake.

D - Danger Man. It was broadcast in the U.S. as Secret Agent and Johnny Rivers scored a huge hit with his song "Secret Agent Man." But under any title, this first-rate spy show, starring Patrick McGoohan as the resourceful John Drake, was a welcome change from the gadget-laden James Bond clones. The show's fans still argue over whether John Drake was No. 6 in McGoohan's The Prisoner.

E - Elizabeth R. This 1971 six-part saga starring Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth I of England garnered plenty of awards. In fact, it was the first British TV program to win an Emmy for Best Dramatic Series. Jackson won an Oscar as Best Actress for Women in Love that same year.

F - The Forsyte Saga. I have relatives who would lobby for Fawlty Towers in this spot. However, it's hard to dismiss the first TV version of James Galsworthy’s three novels about the Forsytes, a nouveau riche Victorian family. When originally broadcast, this series was a huge hit in Britain and was picked up by local PBS stations in the U.S. In fact, its success in America is generally believed to have led to the creation of Masterpiece Theatre.

Grigson as Gideon.

G - Gideon's Way. John Grigson, a regular cast member in many Ealing comedies, played Commander George Gideon of Scotland Yard in this single-season series. It was shot in the same studio as Roger Moore's The Saint. John Creasey wrote 26 Gideon novels and Jack Hawkins portrayed the detective in the 1958 John Ford film Gideon's Day (aka Gideon of Scotland Yard).

H - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Douglas Adams' popular radio series and novel were transformed into a six-part television show in 1981. Simon Jones starred as Arthur Dent, who travels the universe after the end of the world. And remember, the answer is 42.

I - I, Claudius. Politics and devious plots (wait, am I being redundant?) made this tale of Roman rulers appointment television for millions of viewers on both sides of the Atlantic. However, it's best remembered for giving the marvelous Derek Jacobi one of his first leading roles.

J - The Jewel in the Crown. The final days of Britain's rule in India formed the basis of this engrossing 1984 miniseries based on the novels by Paul Scott. Peggy Ashcroft won the British Academy of Film & Television Arts award for best supporting actress. Interestingly, she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar that same year for A Passage to India.

Hyacinth in a flower print dress.

K - Keeping Up Appearances. Patricia Routledge created one of British TV's most memorable characters in Hyacinth Bucket (that's pronounced "bouquet"!). The snobby Hyacinth tried very hard to climb the social ladder, but her challenges in doing so made this show a huge hit--it seems to play in perpetuity on local PBS stations in the U.S.

L - Lovejoy. Ian McShane played the charming title rogue, an antiques dealer with a talent for uncovering hidden treasures. Supporting cast members included Phyllis Logan (now best known as Mrs. Hughes on Downton Abbey). The series lasted for six years, although there was a big gap between the first and second seasons.

M - Monty Python's Flying Circus. The comedy troupe's groundbreaking sketch comedy series debuted in 1969. Forty-five episodes were broadcast over the next five years before the gang graduated to films (Monty Python and the Holy Grail) and other projects. Every fan has their favorite sketch; mine is "The Funniest Joke in the World."

Carmichael and Houston.

N - The Nine Tailors. Ian Carmichael starred in five adaptations of Dorothy L. Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. This one is the best, a clever puzzler about two connected crimes—involving the theft of an emerald necklace and a mutilated corpse—committed over a decade apart. As usual, Carmichael is fabulous as Wimsey and Glyn Houston a delight as his valet Bunter (though he has a smaller role in this outing).

O - The Omega Factor. This short-lived 1979 science fiction series was about a journalist with psychic powers who became a member of the mysterious Department 7, a government agency that investigates paranormal activities.

P - Poldark. There are several fine choices for "P", such as The Prisoner, The Pallisers, and later Prime Suspect. However, we'll go with Winston Graham's addictive historical drama about two Cornish families in the 18th century. We're not picking Poldark just because Robin Ellis is the friend of the Cafe...we loved the show when we first watched it on Masterpiece Theatre in the 1970s.

Q - The Quatermass Experiment. The first of Nigel Kneale's four science fiction miniseries about Professor Bernard Quatermass made quite a splash in 1953. In Halliwell's Television Companion, film critic Leslie Halliwell wrote that "the Quatermass Experiment became the first TV serial to have the whole country (or such parts as could receive television) agog." Hammer Films made feature film versions of three of Kneale's miniseries, starting with 1955's The Quatermass Experiment.

Rumpole at the Bailey.

R - Rumpole of the Bailey. British barrister and author John Mortimer wrote Rumpole of the Bailey as an original play for the BBC anthology series Play for Today in 1975. It was popular enough to warrant discussion of a series, but it wasn't until 1978 that the Rumpole of the Bailey TV series appeared on Thames Television (and later in the U.S. on Mystery!). Leo McKern played the gruff, middle-aged Rumpole and perfectly captures the character's complexities, from his willingness to defend anybody (“I never plead guilty”) to his relationship with his wife (whom Rumpole referred to as “she who must be obeyed”).

S - Sapphire & Steel.  Although originally intended as a kid's sci fi show (think Doctor Who), this saga of two time-traveling agents (David McCallum and Joanna Lumley) morphed into something totally different. Using a small budget to its advantage, this slowly-paced series was sometimes baffling, sometimes disturbing, but always interesting.

T - Till Death Do Us Part. This 1965-75 sitcom chronicled the working-class Garnett family and its bigoted patriarch Alf (Warren Mitchell). If the premise sounds familiar, that's because it was adapted for U.S. television as the equally successful All in the Family.

The Upstairs cast.

U - Upstairs, Downstairs. There might not be a Downton Abbey if not for this impeccable period drama about the upper-class Bellamy family and their servants at 165 Eaton Place in London. Excellent writing and acting made it a hit in Britain and the U.S., but it was also noted for weaving history into its storylines. The characters' lives were impacted by real-life events such as World War I, the suffragette movement, and the sinking of the Titanic.

V - A Very Pecular Practice. Peter Davison (Doctor Who, All Creatures Great and Small) starred as an idealistic physician working with a group of misfits at a university medical center. This sporadic series, which aired 15 episodes between 1986 and 1992, was created by Andrew Davies (best known for adapting the Pride & Prejudice miniseries with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle).

W - Whoops Apocalypse. A pending apocalypse provides the background for this offbeat 1982 cult series that poked fun at world politics. To provide a sample of its humor: The Soviet Premier is actually a series of clones--as each clone dies, it has to be replaced by another. The series, which was just six episodes, was later adapted into a 1986 film with Loretta Swit and Peter Cook.

X - The XYY Man. William "Spider" Scott is an ex-con who can't leave his cat burglar past behind. Part of the reason is that he possesses an extra "Y" chromosome which predisposes him toward criminal activity. Stephen Yardley played the title character for all 13 episodes.

Y - Yes Minister. This immensely popular political comedy followed the career of the Right Honourable Jim Hacker (Paul Eddington) in the fictitious Department of Administrative Affairs. Its fans included Margaret Thatcher. The first three seasons were broadcast over 1980-84. Yes, Prime Minister, a sequel series with the same cast, ran from 1986 to 1988.

Z - Z Cars. This long-running drama chronicled the exploits of uniformed police officers who patrolled in Ford Zephyrs (then considered rapid response vehicles) in a Lancashire town. The series produced an amazing 803 episodes over a 16-year period. The cast changed over the years with the exception of James Ellis as Sergeant Lynch.

DVD Spotlight: Love in a Cold Climate (1980)

Fans of the the 1980 version of Love in a Cold Climate can rejoice that the British miniseries has been finally released on DVD in the U.S. The eight-part series, produced by Thames Television and shown on Masterpiece Theatre, starred Judi Dench and her real-life husband Michael Williams. Simon Raven, who penned teleplays for The Pallisers and Edward & Mrs. Simpson, adapted it from two Nancy Mitford novels.

The first episode, set in 1924 in the English countryside, introduces the Radlett family and its relatives. You'll be tempted to reach for a notebook to jot down all the characters, but resist the urge and focus on Sadie Radlett (Dench) and three teenage girls: Sadie's daughter Linda Radlett (who becomes the principal protagonist); Linda's cousin Fanny (the narrator); and Polly (one of Fanny's distant relatives).

The Hons discuss "it."

The Radlett household proves to be an eccentric one. A popular family game consists of Linda's blustery father, Matthew, hunting the children--fox hunt-style--on their vast estate. Linda and Fanny head the children's "secret society," known as The Hons (short for "honorables"), that meets in the linen cupboard. The family refers to Fanny's absent mother solely as The Bolter--a name bestowed due to her notoriety for leaving husbands.

Lucy Gutteridge as Linda.

With the second episode, the focus shifts to Linda, who has grown into a lovely, but self-centered, young woman. Shallow and dramatic, Linda never lends a hand to help anyone (which has no impact on her enduring friendship with the practical Fanny). Naively believing herself in love, Linda marries a handsome banker despite her father's initial objections. However, by the time their daughter has been born, Linda has become bored with her husband and has no desire to become a mother. She is perfectly content to let her in-laws raise her daughter.

Meanwhile, Fanny weds a low-key university professor and Polly returns with her family from India, where her father served as viceroy. The unnaturally-reserved Polly resists her flighty mother's pressure to get married, although her reasons aren't revealed until after a family member's death.

The unhappy Polly (Rosalyn Landor).

Spanning a period of about 16 years, Love in a Cold Climate is a faithful adaptation of Nancy Mitford's novels The Pursuit of Love (1945) and Love in a Cold Climate (1949). Interestingly, both books cover roughly the same time period, with The Pursuit of Love centering on Linda and Love in a Cold Climate on Polly. As the narrator, Fanny plays a major role in both, as do supporting characters such as Polly's mother, the outrageous Lady Montdore, and Linda's father Matthew (who proclaims that "foreigners are fiends"). Mitford wrote a third novel, Don't Tell Alfred, in 1960 which focuses on Fanny and her husband Alfred. It takes place later chronologically and those events are not include in the miniseries.

Lifelong friends Fanny (Isabelle
Amyes) and Linda.

There were certainly major obstacles in adapting Mitford's first two books, namely how to make viewers care about the self-absorbed Linda and broad characters like Lady Montdore. However, screenwriter Simon Raven and the cast navigate these waters impressively. Despite her flaws, Linda is likable, as evidenced by her strong friendship with Fanny. Actress Lucy Gutteridge does a fine job of providing subtle shades to Linda as she gradually grows more mature. As for those characters prone to excess dramatics--Lady Montdore, The Bolter (yes, we do meet her!), and the Montdore heir Cedric Hampton--they appear sparingly and typically as comic relief. Raven also "leads" the viewers by using Fanny's narration to foreshadow what is to come. In response to a thoughtful gesture by Linda's eventual husband, Fanny says: "It was the one romantic gesture of Tony Koesig's life."

Michael Williams as Davey.

Although there are several fine performances, the standout one is provided by Michael Williams as Fanny's step-uncle (and father, for practical purposes) Davey Warbeck. A hypochondriac prone to bizarre health "remedies", Davey is nonetheless the Radletts' "go to" person when it comes to resolving family crises. Williams captures Davey's eccentricities, but also his warmth and kindness. A classically-trained actor, Williams worked steadily in British television, but was best known for his stage work during 14 years with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. He and Judi Dench married in 1971 and remained a couple until his death from cancer in 2001.

That year, the BBC produced its own two-part adaptation of Love in a Cold Climate. It starred Elisabeth Dermot Walsh as Linda, Rosamund Pike as Fanny, and Alan Bates as Matthew.

With its solid cast and smart writings, the 1980 Love in a Cold Climate will appeal not only to the Masterpiece Theatre crowd, but to any fan of first-rate literary drama.

Acorn Media provide the Cafe with a review copy of this DVD boxed set, which will be released on June 26th.

Classic British Spy TV: Sark and Rick Discuss The Avengers, Secret Agent, and The Prisoner

The best decade for spy television series? The obvious answer is the 1960s, in which British TV produced a plethora of well-regarded espionage series from Danger Man in 1960 to The Baron (1965) and Man in a Suitcase (1967). The most influential of these shows were undoubtedly The Avengers, Danger Man (aka Secret Agent), and The Prisoner. All three were imported to U.S. television, where they attracted solid followings. Their popularity hasn’t waned over the years with frequent appearances on cable and through video releases. Sark and Rick, two film and TV buffs from different generations, discuss these classics:

Rick: The Avengers went through several iterations which can be categorized by the different female leads from Honor Blackman to Diana Rigg to Linda Thorson to Joanna Lumley (The New Avengers). Starting with the best, how would you rank them and what’s your rationale?

Linda Thorson as Tara.

Sark: As you suggested, my favorite ladies on The Avengers are easily associated with the series itself. I would rank Diana Rigg as the best, when the series was at its peak -- plus, she’s ridiculously charming and astoundingly beautiful. I also really like Linda Thorson: she was able to capture that delightful quality and starred in some great episodes, though some with Linda weren’t as strong. Joanna Lumley is good, and Purdy is an odd but intriguing character, much like The New Avengers. And while I like Honor Blackman, she was on the show during its early days, where it was stiff and and a little dreary, and her performances unfortunately reflect that. How would you rank the Blackman, Rigg, Thorson and Lumley years?

The one and only Mrs. Peel.

Rick: I agree that the Diana Rigg years were the best. The stories were often witty, the dialogue delicious, and the Mrs. Peel-Steed relationship just vague enough to keep one wondering. My second pick would be Honor Blackman. Yes, her episodes were often clunky, but she defined the kick-butt heroine and--without her--there may have never been a Mrs. Peel (perish the thought!). My third pick would be Purdy--sort of a Mrs. Peel “lite”--and finally Tara. I like that the producers tried to do something different with Tara, to make her more vulnerable than Emma. But I never warmed up to her...perhaps, it was just a matter of still mourning Diana Rigg’s departure. What are some of your favorite Avengers episodes?

Rigg and Patrick Macnee.

Sark: While I do enjoy The New Avengers, I don’t recall any standout episodes. The majority of my faves are Emma-centric: “The Master Minds”, “Quick-Quick Slow Death”, “Death at Bargain Prices”, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Station”, “The House That Jack Built”, “The Joker” and “Murdersville”. There’s also “A Touch of Brimstone”, which is great because... well, if you’ve seen it, you’ll know. I think Patrick Macnee had the best chemistry with Dame Diana Rigg, which really did make the episodes much more fun. I do like some episodes with Tara King, however, including her intro and Emma’s goodbye, “The Forget-Me-Knot” and the ridiculously titled “Look -- (Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One) -- But There Were These Two Fellers...”, which is a good one for Tara. What are your faves? Any with Purdy or Cathy?

Rick: I haven’t seen the Honor Blackman episodes since A&E showed them in the 1990s. As for The New Avengers, I recall enjoying “The Last of the Cybernauts...?”, especially since it linked back to the original show. To be honest, all my favorites come from the Emma years and include the ones you mentioned, especially “The Master Minds” and “A Touch of Brimstone”. Other personal picks include the highly amusing “The Winged Avenger”, “A Surfeit of H20” (what a great opening), “What the Butler Saw” (with Steed as a gentleman’s gentleman), and “A Sense of History” (loved the Robin Hood part). I could talk for hours about The Avengers, but let’s move on to Danger Man, better known in the U.S. in its one-hour format as Secret Agent. The half-hour episodes, which ran from 1960-62 in the U.K. are pretty good, but I think the series took off when it returned in 1964 in its one-hour incarnation. It’s well-written and features some fine guest stars, but--for me--the series works due to the casting of Patrick McGoohan as the anti-James Bond. What say you?

Sark: I agree that the later, longer episodes are better than the earlier ones. Perhaps, it's only because I viewed the half-hour episodes after the more popular versions, but the shorter feel too short, like the story’s just taking off and then suddenly stops. They're wonderful, but just not They’re wonderful, but just not as strong or entertaining as the hour-long episodes. And yes, some great stars! I remember seeing Hammer queen, Barbara Shelley! I like that you called Patrick McGoohan’s John Drake an “anti-James Bond,” but I’ve always maintained that McGoohan would have made a most excellent 007. Since we’ve already discussed The Avengers, how do you think Drake would have fared with a partner, female or otherwise? That would have been interesting, but I like him much better as a solo agent. What do you think?

Rick: I can’t imagine Drake with a partner of either gender. He comes across very much as a loner, which seems realistic to me because relationships could cloud his judgment. I can’t think of an episode in which there was even a hint of romance. Am I missing one? He did express remorse over the fate of a female character in one of my favorite episodes “Colony Three.” In it, he infiltrates a training camp for enemy spies. There are a lot of parallels with The Prisoner, which would come a few years later. Plus, that episode featured the great Niall MacGinnis from Curse of the Demon. Danger Man boasted some fine guest star turns, from MacGinnis and the fabulous Barbara Shelley to Bernard Lee (M in the 007 films), Susan Hampshire, Ian Hendry, Barbara Steele, and Joan Greenwood. Though a big Danger Man fan, I do have some minor complaints about the series. The modest budgets required a lot of in-studio shooting to substitute for international locations. That could look pretty bad, which was sometimes distracting. Also, I think MacGoohan ended the series at the right time, as some of the plots were beginning to become repetitious.

Sark: Speaking of shows’ endings, what about The Prisoner? Not necessarily its final episode, but the fact that it ended so soon. I love having access to quite an abundance of Avengers episodes, as well as Danger Man/Secret Agent, but I can’t readily complain of The Prisoner’s short life, as it never wanes in quality. I think it would have flourished with additional episodes, but for how long? As it is, the series will forever be strong. Any thoughts?

Rick: It ended at the perfect time, though I think the final revelation is one of the all-time great puzzlers. My theory is that every TV series has a specific life span and rarely does that exceed, say, three years. After that, there may still be good episodes, but typically the quality of the show declines. The Prisoner was such a great concept: Retired spy is kidnapped and held against his will in a weird village as his captors try to find out why he left the spy business. It’s a fiendishly clever show--my favorite episode is the Western “Living in Harmony”--but the concept is limited from the start. No. 2 tries to find out what No. 6 knows, No. 6 tries to escape, he gets caught. There are only so many variations to this central plot. I think McGoohan understood that and envisioned a limited series. Yet, despite all I’ve just said, it’s not the plots that made The Prisoner unique...it was the Kafkaesque themes and the look of the show, from the Village itself to the clothes and the local “newspaper.” Well, that’s my take on it away. Where do you place The Prisoner in the pantheon of TV spy series?

Sark: As a spy series, The Prisoner is surprisingly effective. I’d have to rank it fairly high because it’s so odd and unconventional. Though, honestly, neither The Avengers nor Danger Man bows to convention. All three series makes spy shows endlessly refreshing. You can even put them together in their own timeline: The Avengers with the playfulness of youth; Danger Man with a world-weary spy; and The Prisoner with the spy in retirement. A playground, a spy at home wherever he is, and a retirement home. I think the best spy series are remembered for the characters, and these UK shows prove that with the titles alone, all referencing the story’s players. Any final thoughts?

Rick: That's a nice wrap-up to close out this discussion. As always, Sark, I had a blast hanging out at the Cafe with you and discussing classic TV. I assume you're picking up the check this time? Otherwise, I wouldn't have ordered the deluxe blueberry pancake breakfast.

Sark: Thanks, Rick, for an enjoyable look at television in the UK. Let’s do this again sometime. And don’t worry, I’ll get the check. I’ll just need a minute or two alone with your wallet.

Doctor Who: Just the Doctor, I Presume?

The following is meant as a basic introduction to the BBC series Doctor Who and is by no means intended as an exhaustive study of the show’s vast universe. I would like to express my gratitude for my lovely and intelligent wife, a devout fan of the series who provided me with info, tidbits, and insights. Without her, this post would have been nothing more than links to other sites and several dozen pictures.

Time is transitory. The present is ever-changing, the past stays the same, and the future is unknown. For the extraterrestrial Time Lords, however, their abilities make time malleable, like a piece of clay. While stability is best, time can be manipulated to mend imperfections and strengthen its entirety. The Time Lords can travel back to fix a mistake or move forward to prevent it from happening. Perhaps the most famous member of this race of beings is one known as the Doctor.

Doctor Who is considered the longest running sci-fi TV series – in the world, not just in the UK. It was created by Sydney Newman (who also created The Avengers), C.E. Webber and Donald Wilson. The series premiered in November of 1963 (the day after JFK was assassinated) and ran until 1989. A TV movie in 1996 failed in resurrecting the series, but it was finally revived in 2005 and is currently still airing. This year will see the Doctor return for a 33rd series (or what yankees would call a season). Each of the six series since the relaunch has been a compilation of 13 hour-long (with commercials) episodes, discounting specials. The 26 preceding series consisted of a number of serials per series, each serial with varying numbers of episodes, anywhere from two to 12. Episodes were usually about 25 minutes. On DVD or a streaming service such as Netflix, you may see what look to be feature-length films but they are in actuality collected serials (you’ll know when you watch one, as closing and opening credits will roll at the appropriate intervals).

The Doctor has the unique talent of being able to regenerate when death is imminent. In effect, he never dies, but this plot point has likewise allowed the series to never die. A new actor portraying the doctor is literally playing the same character, and there are frequent references throughout the series of the previous versions of the Doctor, called “incarnations.” Officially there are 11 incarnations of the Doctor, portrayed by 11 different actors. There are, in fact, many more actors who have played the Doctor, but specials and movies are not considered part of the official series. Peter Cushing, as a for instance, played the part in two movies, Doctor Who and the Daleks (1965) and Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 AD (1966). Similarly, Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death, a telethon charity event broadcast in 1999, featured five variations: Rowan Atkinson, Richard E. Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, and even a woman, played by Joanna Lumley.

William Hartnell had the distinction of being the first actor to play the Doctor (credited retrospectively as the First Doctor). In 1966, Patrick Troughton was the Doctor, and Jon Pertwee took over the role in 1970. One of the most popular actors to portray the Doctor was Tom Baker, who held the role from 1974-81. Baker was also the narrator of the UK sketch comedy show, Little Britain, as well as its American version, Little Britain USA. Peter Davison, who starred in All Creatures Great and Small and who recently joined the cast of Law & Order: UK as the Director of CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) London, was the Fifth Doctor from 1982-84, while the Sixth and Seventh Doctors were played by, respectively, Colin Baker (1984-86) and Sylvester McCoy (1987-89). McCoy technically played the Sixth Doctor briefly before regenerating into the Seventh (Colin Baker would not reprise the role), and he also returned to the role in the 1996 telefilm before being regenerated into the Eighth Doctor, played by Paul McGann. Christopher Eccleston was the Ninth Doctor in the 2005 revival, followed by the immensely popular David Tennant for three series (2005-10) and the current Doctor, the 11th incarnation, portrayed by the likewise well-received Matt Smith.

As the 2005 update is truly a continuation of the series, the Doctor has acknowledged the previous incarnations, and they’ve sometimes even appeared together. In the four-episode serial, The Three Doctors (1972-73), the Third Doctor gets help from his two former selves. In the comparably-titled The Five Doctors (1983), the fifth incarnation learns that the previous Doctors are being pulled from their time streams (Richard Hurndall played the First Doctor, as Hartnell had died in 1975). The Two Doctors (1985) showcased… well, two doctors: the Sixth and the Second. In the latter episodes with Tennant and Smith, there have been flashes of previous incarnations, often as pictures of the actors who had previously helmed the role.

The Doctor most often travels with a companion. The companion is usually a young and beautiful woman, but while there have been instances of playful interaction, there is never a legitimate romantic interest between the two. An exception to this was the ’96 TV movie, in which the Doctor kisses his companion, Dr. Grace Holloway (Daphne Ashbrook), with accompanying dramatic music and a fireworks backdrop to refute any doubts of the intimacy. The first companion, to the First Doctor, was Susan Foreman (Carole Ann Ford), a significant character as she is the Doctor’s granddaughter and has been traveling with him for some time before the series’ timeline begins. Sarah Jane Smith (Elizabeth Sladen) is one of the most popular companions, first appearing with the Third Doctor in 1973 and acting as companion to the Fourth Doctor from 1974-76, as well as starring alongside other companions in The Five Doctors and with the Tenth Doctor in various episodes, including the two-parter, “The End of Time”, which introduces the Eleventh Doctor. In addition to Sarah Jane, the third series with Tennant’s Doctor included returning companions, Rose (Billie Piper), Martha (Freema Agyeman, who starred with another Doctor, Davison, in Law & Order: UK), and Captain Jack (John Barrowman). The Doctor’s current companions are Amy (Karen Gillan) and her husband, Rory (Arthur Darvill).

Spin-offs of a show as successful as Doctor Who are hardly surprising. Sarah Jane Smith had her own series, aptly titled The Sarah Jane Adventures, a children’s show which ran for five series and only ended due to Sladen’s death in April of last year. Tennant and Smith, as their respective Doctors, had cameos in separate episodes. Sarah Jane’s robot dog (and companion to the Fourth Doctor), K-9, had a spin-off, K-9 and Company, though it never made it past the pilot. There have been various models of K-9, but he’s appeared on The Sarah Jane Adventures and had a second offset, the kid-friendly K-9 (however, as it was not a BBC production, its ties to Doctor Who are superficial). Captain Jack leads a team of alien hunters in Torchwood, which recently completed its fourth series. Agyeman’s Martha appeared in two episodes of Series 2.

The Doctor’s means of travel is a police box, what we Americans would call a phone booth and which functions as a direct line to the police. In the series, the police box is in reality a TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space), a machine designed by the Time Lords for traveling through time and space. The TARDIS can take different forms, but the Doctor’s is a decommissioned relict stolen from a museum and is locked in its police-box shape. The craft is much larger inside than the exterior would suggest, a fact pointed out by numerous characters throughout the series. In the series with Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, the TARDIS’ essence is placed into a woman, and in this form, she claims that it is she who stole the Doctor, not the other way around.

There are other characteristics of Doctor Who that have been retained throughout the years. The Doctor has long battled the evil Daleks, who made their first appearance very early in the series and remain one of the protagonist’s most formidable opponents. The Daleks are a race of cyborgs hell-bent on intergalactic genocide, summarized by their oft-spoken (and rather brusque) line, “Exterminate!” Another Doctor Who enemy is the Cybermen, who look like robots but are actually cyborgs. They debuted in 1966 and are still showing up beyond the 2005 relaunch, even on the spin-off, Torchwood, in the episode, “Cyberwoman”. Perhaps the Doctor’s true archenemy is the Master, who, like the Doctor, is a Time Lord from the planet, Gallifrey. Quite unlike the Doctor, the Master is predisposed to universal domination. He was most recently portrayed by Derek Jacobi of the medieval murder series, Brother Cadfael, and John Simm of the original Life on Mars. The series has also, for the most part, preserved its wonderfully unsettling main theme, courtesy of Ron Grainer, who also wrote the themes for the cult British series, The Prisoner and Man in a Suitcase. The Doctor Who title sequence has had many deviations visually (though it’s always given the impression of traveling through outer space or with the TARDIS), but the music essentially stays the same.

Doctor Who has appeared in other formats, including novels, audio plays, webcasts, comic strips/books and animated serials. There have also been countless magazines and websites and merchandise. One can sometimes see its influence, not just film/TV (though 1989’s Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure shared a shockingly similar time-traveling device), but also in the English language, as both “Daleks” and “TARDIS” are now included in the Oxford English Dictionary. One of its most significant aspects is its consistency. The ambiguity suggested by the show’s title is almost ironic, because while companions and Cybermen and even the Doctor himself will change, the series is unmistakably a one and only.

Fawlty Towers: Come for the Lodging, Stay for the Laughs

Back in the mid-1970s, in Torquay, an England seaside town in the county of Devon, visitors to the area could stay overnight at a charming hotel known as Fawlty Towers. It was owned and operated by Basil Fawlty and his wife, Sybil. Any guest looking for a place to sleep would likely be content. But someone hoping for rest and relaxation might be bothered by the scornful Basil, whose thinly-veiled condescension was only slightly more conspicuous than his animosity for anyone who spoke or happened to be standing in the same room during one of his seemingly endless rants.

Fawlty Towers was a UK show that ran for two six-episode series, the first in 1975 and the second in 1979. It was created by Monty Python alum John Cleese, who also starred as the neurotic hotel proprietor, and Cleese’s then-wife, Connie Booth, who appeared on the series as Polly, the hotel’s maid who handled multiple tasks (sometimes working behind the desk, in the restaurant as a waitress, etc.). Prunella Scales played Basil’s domineering spouse, Sybil, and Andrew Sachs portrayed Manuel, the porter and waiter from Barcelona whose English was significantly limited.

The comedy in Fawlty Towers comes from all sides: the husband/wife bickering, Polly helping Basil hide something from Sybil, Basil’s frequent misinterpretations of guests’ intentions or identities. But the highlight in a ceaselessly entertaining show is the interactions between Basil and Manuel. Evidently, Basil, when hiring Manuel, informed Sybil that he understood Spanish. This was clearly a fabrication, as he knows only a few words, and the simplest command for Manuel results in the two men futilely speaking back and forth. One of the best scenes, from the premiere episode, involves Basil asking Manuel for the wine list. Eventually, Basil resorts to pointing to the desired item on a table behind Manuel and – when the Barcelonan still doesn’t comprehend – picking up the wine list and handing it to Manuel so that he can give it back.

The show likewise does a marvelous job of relating all the comedy to the hotel itself. Basil deals with builders working on the hotel, gets word of a surprise visit from hotel inspectors, and is constantly troubled with orders in the restaurant and the bar. The guests, too, provide much humor. Another amusing sequence, also from the first episode, is a guest signing in and asking for a single room, before quickly changing it to a double because he’s “feeling lucky.” Basil, for his part, is conservative, going out of his way to please a visiting lord and refusing to allow a non-married couple to rent a double room – not even offering two adjacent singles.

One of the show’s best episodes is “The Germans”, the fifth episode of Series 1. It’s noteworthy in many ways, one being that it’s the only episode that doesn’t open with an exterior of the hotel (and its sign altered in some fashion). It begins at a hospital, where Basil is visiting Sybil, who will be undergoing surgery for an ingrown toenail. Basil heads back to Fawlty Towers, where he is anticipating the arrival of German guests. Though he boasts of being able to finally run the hotel properly (sans his unruly wife is the insinuation), he cannot even handle a fire drill. After reminding as many people as he’s able of the impending fire drill, Basil inadvertently triggers the burglar alarm, causing guests to head for the door. He stops them and insists that the burglar alarm sounds distinctly different from the fire bell, which is “a semitone higher.” Then he hits the fire bell but won’t let anyone leave, as he’s merely demonstrating the difference between the sounds. Once that’s settled, he announces that the fire drill will commence in 30 seconds and is visibly annoyed when everyone stands in the lobby and waits (“I don’t know why we bother; we should let you all burn!”). Not surprisingly, when an actual fire starts in the kitchen, Basil believes that an agitated Manuel is overreacting.

“The Germans” shows that Basil cannot honestly function any better without Sybil. In fact, he’s far worse, it seems. And she’s still controlling, with a copious amount of phone calls from the hospital bed! After Basil suffers a concussion and is hospitalized, he heads back to the hotel, against the doctor’s wishes. The result is an even more reckless and unrestrained Basil, who manages to offend the German guests at every turn. To Polly, he warns her, a little too loudly, in his now immensely popular quote: “Don’t mention the war!”

Though Fawlty Towers only ran for two series, it’s become common for British TV shows to only run for two or three series, regardless of popularity. Both The Office and Extras, created by Rick Gervais and Stephen Merchant, ran for two six-episode series, Christmas specials aside. The same is true for The Young Ones from the early 80s. There were only two series for the successful shows, Spaced, 15 Storeys High, and Green Wing, and Black Books and The League of Gentlemen never made it past a third series. The sketch comedy show, Little Britain, really only had three series, as Little Britain USA is generally regarded as a spin-off. The creators of these shows often resist pressure to continue their shows, typically to deter waning quality with additional episodes.

Advocates of humor in British shows sometimes deem it more sophisticated than the U.S. equivalency, while adversaries may find it excessively pompous or stuffy. I disagree on both counts. Fawlty Towers is funny on a global scale. There’s wordplay, physical comedy, a barrage of insults, and quirky characters. It’s a celebration and adoration of the many faults of Basil and his hotel. And the appreciation of its humor is not dependent upon your nationality or locale. It’s funny just because it is.

Quatermass and the Pit: Nigel Kneale's Original BBC Serial

As regular readers of this blog know, Hammer's 1967 science fiction classic Quatermass and the Pit (aka Five Million Years to Earth) ranks among my favorite films. Its ingenious premise captured my imagination as a youth and has held my interest through repeated viewings over the last four decades. So, it was with excitement--and a little trepidation--that I approached the original 1958 BBC serial that inspired the movie adaptation.

Andre Morell as Professor Quatermass.

The serial opens with the discovery of a human-like skull during construction in the Hobbs Lane area of London. An American paleontologist, Dr. Matthew Roney, find more skeletal remains and proclaims that these "ape men" hail from five million years ago. When further excavation reveals a large cylinder made of an unknown material, Roney contacts his friend, Professor Bernard Quatermass of the British Experimental Rocket Group.

Meanwhile, Barbara Judd, Roney's assistant, learns that local residents consider Hobbs Lane to be haunted. She uncovers tales of "dwarfs that disappear into walls" that surface after any physical disturbance in the area. Barbara's findings, revealed only to Quatermass and Roney, become more terrifying when a soldier working inside the cylinder claims to have seen the "dwarfs."

The situation becomes significantly more perplexing when Quatermass discovers a hidden chamber in the cylinder--filled with the remains of large insect-like creatures. Is the cylinder a spaceship? Were the dead creatures from another planet? Are the "ape-men" genetically-altered mutations that evolved into the human race? Are we Martians?

Writer Nigel Kneale integrates a host of a fascinating ideas in his thematrically complex plot. Not only does he expand on his basic premise--that the human race may be a result of alien colonization--but he also offers scientifically-inspired explanations for the supernatural.

If this all sounds familiar to admirers of the 1967 film version, then I will confirm what you've probably guessed: the film was an extremely faithful adapation of the serial. Kneale wrote the film's screenplay and did a marvelous job in condensing his 210-minute serial into a crisp 97-minute movie. Indeed, the serial seems quite slow compared to the film and the serial's longer running time doesn't result in any additional insights.

Quatermass helps a soldier who
"saw" a Martian.

In terms of lead performances, both Andre Morell (serial) and Andrew Keir (film) are marvelous as the passionate, inquisitive Quatermass. Originally, Morell was asked to reprise his performance for the film adaptation, but he turned it down. A fine actor, Morell appeared in dozens of films from the 1930s through the 1970s, including The Bridge on the River Kwai and Ben-Hur. He made possibly the screen's best Dr. John Watson opposite Peter Cushing's Sherlock Holmes in 1959's The Hound of the Baskervilles. He had another plum role opposite Cushing in the underrated suspense film Cash on Demand.

Unfortunately, although Morell is excellent in the Quatermass and the Pit serial, Anthony Bushell delivers a one-note performance as his adversary, Colonel Breen. Shouting dialogue in a stern voice, Bushnell's Breen comes across as a stereotype instead of an intelligent officer unwilling to accept the compelling evidence before him. Furthermore, Bushnell's portrayal dilutes Kneale's examination of the popular theme of military vs. science (explored, albeit briefly, in 1951's The Thing from Another World).

The 1958 Quatermass and the Pit was the third of four Quatermass television serials written by the prolific Nigel Kneale. After studying acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Kneale turned to writing full time after winning the prestigious Somerset Maugham Award in 1950 for Tomato Cain & Other Stories. After penning a radio play for the BBC, Kneale joined the television staff at the British network. He introduced TV audiences to Professor Bernard Quatermass with The Quatermass Experiment, a 1953 serial consisting of six 30-minute episodes. It was a landmark event in early British television. Film historian and critic Leslie Halliwell noted in his Halliwell's Television Companion that The Quatermass Experiment "became the first TV serial to have the whole country (or such parts as could receive television) agog."

In the four original TV serials: Reginald Tate played Quatermass in The Quatermass Experiment; John Robinson starred in Quatermass II (1955); Morell followed in Quatermass and the Pit; and finally John Mills in 1979's Quatermass (aka The Quatermass Conclusion). Although Morell's performance is widely praised, I'm also fond of Mills' interpretation of an older Quatermass. In 2005, the BBC mounted a live remake of The Quatermass Experiment starring Jason Flemyng as a much younger scientist than his predecessors. On the silver screen, Brian Donlevy was woefully miscast as the lead in adaptations of The Quatermass Experiement and Quatermass II.

As for my final summation of the Quatermass and the Pit serial: Had I never seen the film version, I suspect the 1958 original would have had a stronger impact. It's well-written, generally well-acted, and I'm excited that I finally had an opportunity to see it. However, it lacks the energy of the 1967 film, which grips the viewer tightly and never lets up for 97 enthralling minutes.