Bedtime (TV series)

Bedtime
Created byAndy Hamilton
StarringTimothy West
Sheila Hancock
Series 1:
David Gillespie
Emma Pierson
Claire Skinner
Meera Syal
Stephen Tompkinson
Series 2:
Alun Armstrong
Adam Paul Harvey
Doon MacKichan
Kevin McNally
Sienna Miller
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of series3
No. of episodes15
Production
Running time30 minutes
Production companyHat Trick Productions
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release28 August 2001 (2001-08-28) –
17 December 2003 (2003-12-17)

Bedtime is a British comedy-drama written and directed by Andy Hamilton and broadcast by the BBC.[1][2] It first aired on 1 August 2001,[3] and ran for three series for a total of fifteen episodes through December 2003. The first two series had six episodes each and the third series had three episodes.[citation needed] All three series have been released on DVD.[3][4]

The main characters are Andrew and Alice Oldfield, played by Timothy West and Sheila Hancock.[4]

Plot

The story centers around the bedtime conversations of couples – or in one case a father and son – living in terraced houses in Ealing, London.[1]

An older married couple, Andrew and Alice Oldfield (played by Timothy West and Sheila Hancock), appear in all three series. Their neighbours in the first series are a young couple (Claire Skinner and Stephen Tompkinson) with a new baby, and an aspiring actress (Emma Pierson) targeted by a reporter (Meera Syal) hoping to write an exposé on her boyfriend (David Gillespie). The Oldfields are worried about their daughter in America whose husband may be abusive.

In the second series, Andrew Oldfield is annoyed by the noise made by Kurdish men from a nearby hostel. His wife writes a letter to the local paper in support of the hostel, causing her to be ostracised by her friends. Andrew also becomes worried that he may have Alzheimer's. Meanwhile, one neighbour (Kevin McNally) is given an ultimatum by his girlfriend (Doon Mackichan), while on the other side, widower Neil Henshall (Alun Armstrong) tries to find out what's troubling his son Ralph (Adam Paul Harvey). Ralph is visited by his girlfriend (Sienna Miller) and the Oldfields receive a visit from an old friend (James Bolam). A burglary at the Oldfields' house casts suspicion on various parties.

The third series has three episodes titled "Christmas Eve", "Christmas Day" and "Boxing Day". Neil Stuke and Fay Ripley featured in all three editions as a young couple preparing for Christmas with their children.

References

  1. ^ a b Berkmann, Markus (31 August 2002). "Team spirit". The Spectator. Retrieved 26 December 2024 – via ProQuest.
  2. ^ Dunkley, Christopher (5 September 2001). "The tragic side of comedy: TELEVISION: Christopher Dunkley on the latest series dressed up as comedies that are anything but funny". Financial Times. Retrieved 26 December 2024 – via ProQuest.
  3. ^ a b Clydesdale, Lindsay (2 January 2004). "The Razz: Video and DVD reviews: Pillow talk is fine drama ; BEDTIME SERIES". Daily Record. Glasgow. Retrieved 26 December 2024 – via ProQuest.
  4. ^ a b "Bedtime: Telegraph entertainment Complete Series 1-3 DVD box set". The Daily Telegraph. 1 June 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2024 – via ProQuest.


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