Television? It’s all rubbish these days. Actually, the these days’ here is the 1970s, and TV was actually taken pretty seriously in this country far more seriously than it is taken now. From Crown Court to Play For Today, British TV took the very best actors and writers, and commissioned some high quality dramas like the six ones gathered here.
It is always a pleasure to see the likes of Winstone, McNally, Lawson and Gish performing at the top of their game in dramas that have a real sense of edge and danger. Also the writers here are absolutely top-notch Howard Brenton went on to become one of the most important British playwrights of the 20th century, Stephen Poliakoff pretty much stayed in TV drama but also made some excellent films such as Glorious 39, and Roger McGough, well, maybe he should have stuck with poetry.
The six dramas here are a snapshot at what was happening in Britain in the 1970s, and it wasn’t pretty or glamorous. Sunshine in Brixton looks at the life of a black boy in Brixton, which is pretty bleak until a sports teacher shows some interest in him.
The Paradise Run is Brenton’s effort, set in Northern Ireland and Britain about a disturbed young soldier whose actions end up killing another soldier. His colleagues decide to wreak some sort of revenge on him. It’s a typically powerful effort by Brenton, and deceptive it’s not really about Northern Ireland, more about the British class system and sense of identity, which is muddled to say the least. Ian Charleson is outstanding as an upper class officer who is slowly going insane because of the horrors he has witnessed.
Because these plays were made in the 1970s by Thames Television, they do look a little grainy, although we should all be grateful they exist at all, as a lot of TV was simply wiped in those days. The sound and pictures are decent enough, although there is no stereo audio and a lot of scratches on the film. Some of the acting too is a little dated, being rather hammier than would be acceptable now. However as a record of the times, these six plays give a sharp, vivid snapshot of life in the 1970s which was brown, dull, violent and confrontational. Perfect for dramatists in other words. ITV don’t make dramas like this anymore.
Overall verdict: Gritty, hard-hitting dramas from the golden age of British Television when it was far more fearless than it is now. Superb acting and writing rescue some shaky camerawork and acting. Well worth a look.
Reviewer: Mike Martin