The Last Detective
The Last Detective is an ITV drama starring Peter Davison as Dangerous Davies. The first series aired in 2003 with three more seasons succeeding this. The first consisted of a pilot and three episodes, the second and the third series both consisted of four normal episodes and the fourth series increased the run to five episodes and the duration of each individual episode to 90 minutes as opposed to the previous 70-minute format. As of 2007 this series had 17 episodes in total.
Nick Hurran
Douglas Mackinnon
Matthew Evans
Russell Lewis
Moira Armstrong
Michael Aitkens
Gavin Millar
Sandy Johnson
Casts & Crew
Also Directed by Nick Hurran
In 2013, something terrible is awakening in London's National Gallery; in 1562, a murderous plot is afoot in Elizabethan England; and somewhere in space an ancient battle reaches its devastating conclusion. All of reality is at stake as the Doctor's own dangerous past comes back to haunt him.
The peaceful alien invasion of Earth by the mysterious “Overlords,” whose arrival begins decades of apparent utopia under indirect alien rule, at the cost of human identity and culture.
Set in the 1950s, it follows the progress of twenty year old Jenny Bunn, as she moves from her family home in the North of England to a London suburb to teach primary school children. Jenny is a traditional Northern working-class girl whose striking good looks are in sharp contrast to her prosaic upbringing, and to her strong belief that a girl should preserve her virginity until her wedding night. Because of her attractiveness, Jenny's views on virginity and marriage cause conflicts. The film centres on the (increasingly desperate and cruel) attempts of Patrick Standish, a 30 year old schoolmaster at the local grammar school, to seduce Jenny, against a backdrop of his skirmishes with his school authorities and with the shabby, suburban middle class milieu in which the film is set.
A disrespected but decent British detective unravels a 20 year old murder case about a missing seventeen year old girl while trying to deal with the breakup of his marriage.
Frank Stubbs (Timothy Spall) is a down-at-heel ticket tout with grand ideas. He has an ambition to become a 'high class' promoter of famous and talented performers. In reality, his ambitions tend to outstrip his capabilities.
A domestic farce exposes the eccentricities of a "typical" middle class, suburban family who find their lives thrown into a crisis with the unexpected arrival of one of the wife's old flames.
Desperate to find her perfect man Justine goes to a technology fair with her nerdy classmate Chas. It's not really her thing but is eventually persuaded to try a virtual reality makeover machine and discovers that she can create her perfect man even if it is only an electronic facsimile. The power surge from a freakish accident causes a part of her psyche to be copied into her virtual perfect man.
Andy Spader has been happily married for 13 years, with two teenage children, when he meets a younger woman, Claire Holmes, after going to investigate a break-in at her travel agency shop. Having told his wife that he is leaving her, he learns that Claire has just discovered that she has an inoperable brain tumour and has only a few months to live.
An outspoken single mum is determined her son will go to the school of her choice, and he ends up at a private school. Only then does she discover the headmaster offered a place merely to win a bet.
Boon is a British television drama and modern-day western series starring Michael Elphick, David Daker, and later Neil Morrissey. It was created by Jim Hill and Bill Stair and filmed by Central Television for ITV. It revolved around the life of a modern-day Lone Ranger and ex-firefighter, Ken Boon.
Also Directed by Douglas Mackinnon
Murder in Suburbia was a British detective drama that ran for two series in 2004 and 2005.
Sitcom set on a precarious caravan campsite which strives to represent the best of the great British holiday - less palm trees and pina coladas and more puggymachines and lukewarm pints. Owner Colin Holliday promotes himself as a standard bearer for the virtues of the old-fashioned British holiday but in reality his true interest lies in wringing as great a profit from his holidaymakers as possible. Days on the caravan site are spent doing what Colin sees as the essential tasks of the hospitality business - driving costs down and avoiding difficult customers. The staff on the park include alcoholic entertainer Joyce 'the voice' Mullen; trainee manager and ladies man Dean Bullock; and Debbi, the bar maid.
Also Directed by Matthew Evans
British crime drama based on the "Dalziel and Pascoe" series of books by Reginald Hill, set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Wetherton. The unlikely duo of politically incorrect elephant-in-a-china-shop-copper Detective Superintendent Andrew Dalziel (pronounced Dee-ell) and his more sensitive and university educated sidekick Detective Sargent, later Detective Inspector, Peter Pascoe is always on hand to solve the classic murder mystery, while maintaining a down to earth wit and humour.
Rebus is the title of the detective drama TV series based on the Inspector Rebus novels by the Scottish author Ian Rankin set in and around Edinburgh. The series was produced by STV Productions for the ITV network. Four seasons have been aired; series 1 starred John Hannah and was made for STV by his own production company, Clerkenwell Films. A new cast featuring Ken Stott as DI John Rebus was introduced for the second and subsequent series.
Silent Witness is a British crime thriller series focusing on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes.
Davies investigates the drowning of a local character known for collecting discarded scraps of paper - but did he stumble across someone's well kept secrets?
The Ruth Rendell mysteries is a British television series made by TVS and Meridian Television for ITV between 2 August 1987 and 11 October 2000.
Making Waves is a British television drama series produced by Carlton Television for ITV. It was created by Ted Childs and chronicles the professional and personal lives of the crew of the Royal Navy frigate HMS Suffolk. The series remained in development hell for several years and was first broadcast on 7 July 2004. However, due to low ratings it was removed from the schedules after only three episodes, the remainder of the series going unaired on television in the United Kingdom. The series starred Alex Ferns as Commander Martin Brooke and Emily Hamilton as Lieutenant Commander Jenny Howard. The frigate HMS Grafton stood in for Suffolk and additional filming took place around HMNB Portsmouth with the full co-operation of the Royal Navy. A limited-edition DVD of all six episodes was released in December 2004.
Boon is a British television drama and modern-day western series starring Michael Elphick, David Daker, and later Neil Morrissey. It was created by Jim Hill and Bill Stair and filmed by Central Television for ITV. It revolved around the life of a modern-day Lone Ranger and ex-firefighter, Ken Boon.
The Vice is an ITV police drama about the Metropolitan Police Vice Unit. It ran for five short series between 1999 and 2003. It tells the story of the London Metropolitan police force's vice squad, where prostitution, underage sex, and other such organized crime are regular occurrences. Most episodes end in such a way where the main villain is caught but often not in a 'naturally' concluded way that you would expect with other TV dramas, and often ending an episode with more questions unanswered than answered. The small dedicated team is led by Detective Inspector Pat Chappel who struggles to manage the balance between his home life and his work life - as do the other members of the team. Working in the seedy underworld leads to a continual dilemma for the team - the tension between the Vice Squad and the vice-related crimes that they investigate runs throughout the series and gives the show a rich viewing experience. The programme often blurs the line of the team staying on the right side of the law, as almost every member of the team at different points submits briefly or permanently to the temptations of either sex, drugs, money or honey traps. Sometimes with drastic consequences.
Also Directed by Moira Armstrong
A nun, played by Kristin Scott Thomas, leaves the convent temporarily to help save her family knitting mill from bankruptcy following the death of her brother. Outside the convent she becomes a fairly shrewd businesswoman and feels attracted to one of the men who work at the mill, and thus begins to feel conflict about her religious vows.
Set in the small hamlet of Lark Rise and the wealthier neighbouring market town, Candleford, the series chronicles the daily lives of farm-workers, craftsmen and gentry at the end of the 19th Century. Lark Rise to Candleford is a love letter to a vanished corner of rural England and a heart-warming drama series teeming with wit, wisdom and romance.
An apparently happy wife (Sophie Ward) in an English village has a relationship with a local aristocrat's daughter.
The Wednesday Play is an anthology series of British television plays which ran on BBC1 from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually written for television, although adaptations from other sources also featured. The series gained a reputation for presenting contemporary social dramas, and for bringing issues to the attention of a mass audience that would not otherwise have been discussed on screen.
Softly, Softly is a British television drama series, produced by the BBC and screened on BBC 1 from January 1966. It centred around the work of regional crime squads, plain-clothes CID officers based in the fictional region of Wyvern, supposedly in the Bristol area of England.
The Shadow of the Tower is a historical drama that was broadcast on BBC2 in 1972. It was a prequel to the earlier serials The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R. Consisting of thirteen episodes, it focused on the reign of Henry VII of England and the creation of the Tudor dynasty.
Hazell is a British television series that ran from 1978–1979, about a fictional private detective named James Hazell.
Life changes dramatically for radio amateur Norman when he gets in touch with a round-the-world yachtsman who introduces him to a different life - and a taste of fame.
Drama series about an ex-policeman, who now uses his detective skills while working for insurance companies.
A pair of scientists investigate a mysterious death.
Also Directed by Gavin Millar
A story of high emotion, tragedy and romance set against the dramatic landscape of Northumberland in the 1830's.
A look at the classic "Cinderella" story from the perspective of one of her 'ugly' stepsisters
"All I said was the gramophone's too loud." Tony and Zoe Lyle 's silly row starts like any other, but Tony finds that Zoe means it this time. She's walking out and he's got a week to save a marriage that he hasn't looked at in 18 years, and with it all the trappings of a good life in Maida Vale.
Scoop is a 1987 TV film directed by Gavin Millar, adapted by William Boyd from the 1938 satirical novel Scoop by Evelyn Waugh. It was produced by Sue Birtwistle with executive producers Nick Elliott and Patrick Garland. Original music was made by Stanley Myers. The story is about a reporter sent to Ishmaelia (a fictional African state) by accident.
An enjoyable story of a 13-year-old girl, Louise, who lives alone with her widowed mother. Louise is sent off to a boarding school, but not before she discovers some secret documents kept hidden by her father. A curious look reveals that her father was a member of the secret order of Freemasons. When she finally gets to school, she tries to explain to her friends what the Freemasons are. Later, Louise's mother discovers a box of condoms in her daughter's room and wrongly presumes that the girl is sexually active.
When Denis Midgley's father is rushed to hospital, Midgley drops everything to be by his side. They've never really got on, so Midgley wants to be sure he's there if his father ever regains consciousness. As he hates his job as a schoolteacher, and his home-life with his wife, her senile mother and their insolent teenage son, he has no qualms about lingering around the hospital. But as days turn into weeks, his father obstinately refuses to 'slip away', and Denis' motivation for staying by his father's bedside has more and more to do with Valery, a young nurse.
Based on the play by actor/playwright Harvey Fierstein, this drama is about a man (played by Fierstein) whose companion dies of AIDS. He then confronts his lover's ex-wife (Stockard Channing) and the two end up building a friendship while coping with the emotional aftermath of the death.
Julie Walters stars as a single mother seemingly haunted by a sinister telephone system that seems to have become an evil intelligence in its own right.
1949 the early years of the Cold War. Albert Schweitzer has become one of the most admired men in the world. The "jungle doctor" Albert Schweitzer tells the story of a philosopher and physician who promoted peace during the Cold War, built a hospital in what is now Gabon and proved stronger than the CIA.
Local journalist, Cameron Colley writes articles that are idealistic, from the viewpoint of the underdog. A twisted serial killer seems to have some motives. His brutal murders are also committed on behalf of the underdog. The stories begin to merge and Cameron find himself inextricably and inextricably implicated by the brutal killer. The arms dealer that Cameron plans to expose is found literally 'disarmed' before he can put pen to paper. The brewery chief, loathed by Cameron, who sold up at the expense of his workers, finds himself permanently unemployable. The police are convened of Cameron's guilt and so are half his friends and colleagues. Cameron is forced to employ all his investigative skills to find the real killer and his motive.
Also Directed by Sandy Johnson
A Toronto police officer gets involved in a homicide investigation while visiting his father in Mumbai.
Roughnecks is a BBC comedy-drama series that ran over two series between 1994 and 1995 on BBC One. The show centred on the working and personal lives of those who worked on the fictional oil rig "The Osprey Explorer" in the North Sea.
A double offering of heavy metal madness from The Comic Strip and Bad News.
The Comic Strip is a group of British comedians, who came to prominence in the 1980s. They are known for their television series The Comic Strip Presents... which was labelled as an example of alternative comedy. The core members are Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders and Alexei Sayle with frequent appearances by Keith Allen, Robbie Coltrane and others.
A documentary crew films heavy metal band Bad News as they have trouble starting their van, pick up a schoolgirl groupie, and meet up with rock journalist Sally at a motorway service station where they argue about the cost of sausage and chips.
Comedy drama about rivalry in the lucrative world of greyhound racing. Self-made millionaire Larry Patterson is powerful and charismatic, with the best dogs in the greyhound racing world. Jim Morley is one of life’s losers, always ‘just one business away’ from making his fortune; his only link to the world of greyhound racing is a three-legged dog called Highland Fling. On the financial scale, they’re as far removed as it’s possible to be. But they have one thing in common: they both love the same woman…
Otis Cooke is a DJ with a late-night American soul music programme in Liverpool. His favorite band, The Tallahassees, disbanded years ago, but their biggest hit, "Pickin' Up the Pieces," was never released in England. The film recounts Cooke's adventures and misadventures as he travels to the U.S., finds the band members, and convinces them to get back together for a reunion tour of the U.K and the release of their old songs on CD.
Receiving a tip from his dentist Jack Shorter, policeman Peter Pascoe takes a closer look at the Calliope Kinema Club, a film club notorious for showing adult entertainment movies. Shorter is convinced that one particular scene in a movie he recently saw was too realistic to have been staged with fake blood, but when Pascoe and his bluff superior Andy Dalziel starts investigating, they soon comes across the actress in question, Linda Abbott, who obviously didn't suffer from any harm and assures Pascoe that the concerns are unnecessary.