Theatre 625

Theatre 625
Title card
GenreDrama, Anthology, television plays
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Original release
NetworkBBC 2
Release3 May 1964 (1964-05-03) –
5 August 1968 (1968-08-05)

Theatre 625 is a British television drama anthology series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1964 to 1968. It was one of the first regular programmes in the line-up of the channel, and the title referred to its production and transmission being in the higher-definition 625-line format, which only BBC2 used at the time.

Overview

Overall, about 110 plays were produced with a duration of usually between 75 and 90 minutes during the series' four-year run, and for its final year from 1967 the series was produced in colour, BBC2 being the first channel in Europe to convert from black-and-white.[1] Some of the best-known productions made for the series include a new version of Nigel Kneale's 1954 adaptation of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (1965); the four-part Talking to a Stranger by John Hopkins (1966) which told the same story from four different viewpoints, and features Judi Dench; and 1968's science-fiction allegory The Year of the Sex Olympics, again by Kneale.

In a 2000 poll of industry experts conducted by the British Film Institute to find the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes of the 20th century, Talking to a Stranger was placed seventy-eighth.[2]

As with much British television output of the 1960s, many editions of Theatre 625 no longer exist (see Lost television broadcast). Some episodes, previously thought lost, were discovered in Washington D.C. in 2010.[3] These recoveries included the remake of 1984. Only three plays, A Slight Ache, A Night Out and Mille Miglia, exist as their original 625-line colour videotapes. All's Well That Ends Well also survives in its original 625-line format, but only the first hour. Some episodes exist as lower-quality colour copies, but most plays survive as black and white 16mm or 35mm telerecordings. In addition, The Fanatics exist in full colour as a 35mm telerecording, and some short sequences on 35mm film survive from other plays.

List of episodes

The main source for compiling this list was the BFI Film & TV database. The website's master list is here. With a certain irregularity in transmission, breaking this list down into specific seasons is likely to be arbitrary, with variants between sources; the BFI website has been followed, except (as noted) where the lostshows website diverged in a few instances. IMDb and the BBC Genome database (of Radio Times listings) have been used as a check, and occasionally as the main source. The information about the episodes survival status in the last column is taken from the TV Archive website and The Kaleidoscope BBC Television Drama Research Guide, 1936–2011,[4] and are correct as of 8 July 2024. A handful of the surviving episodes have been commercially released on DVD; these are footnoted.

In addition to those listed, And Some Have Greatness Thrust Upon Them, by Terence Frisby and directed by Gilchrist Calder, was planned for 1967 but cancelled as a result of Frisby obtaining an injunction against the BBC over a line excised from the script on grounds of indecency, but which Frisby deemed structurally significant to the script he had licensed to the BBC.[5]

Legend: Se = Season; Ep = Episode; AS/A = Archive status/Availability
Abbreviations: tr =Telerecording; seq = sequence(s)); VT = video tape

All known copies are black & white, except where stated otherwise.

Se Ep Title Author Producer Director Performers UK
Transmission
date 		AS/A
1 1 The Seekers:
The Heretics 		Ken Taylor Cedric Messina Alvin Rakoff Michael Bryant,
Derek Godfrey,
Rosemary Leach,
Newton Blick,
Robert James,
Kevin Brennan,
David Hutcheson,
Ivor Salter,
Murray Evans,
Joseph Greig,
Timothy West 		3 May 1964 35mm tr
1 2 The Seekers:
The Idealists 		Michael Bryant,
Patrick Allen,
Suzanne Neve,
John Robinson,
Brian Haynes,
Peter Welch,
David J. Grahame,
Vernon Dobtcheff,
Brian Vaughan 		10 May 1964 35mm tr
1 3 The Seekers:
The Materialists 		Michael Bryant,
Geoffrey Bayldon,
Sylvia Kay,
John Welsh,
John Lee,
Edward Brayshaw,
Ronald Lacey 		17 May 1964 35mm tr
1 4 All the Conspirators:
The Ides of March 		Jerome Kilty based on the novel by Thornton Wilder. Cedric Messina Naomi Capon Hugh Burden,
Tim Preece,
Douglas Wilmer,
Fenella Fielding,
Alexander Davion,
Judy Campbell,
Anna Middleton,
Michael Gough,
Declan Mulholland 		5 Jul 1964 Lost
1 5 All the Conspirators:
The Just 		Albert Camus (play, The Just Assassins) Cedric Messina Alan Cooke James Maxwell,
Ann Lynn,
Lyndon Brook,
John Castle,
David Buck,
Reg Lye,
Roland Brand,
Robert Eddison,
Ruth Dunning 		12 Jul 1964 Lost
2 1 Women in Crisis:
Husband and Wife 		Colin Morris Cedric Messina Naomi Capon Wendy Craig,
John Ronane,
Barry Keegan,
Elizabeth Wallace,
Alison Leggatt,
John Robinson,
Michael Goodliffe,
Edward Fox,
Vivien Heilbron,
Richard Brooke 		20 Sep 1964 Lost
2 2 Women in Crisis:
With Love and Tears 		William Slater Katharine Blake,
Nigel Green,
Alan Baulch,
Margot Robinson,
Margaret Ward,
Margaret Denyer,
Michael Brennan,
Peter Thornton 		27 Sep 1964[6] 16mm tr
2 3 Women in Crisis:
My Grandmother 		George R. Foa Janina Faye,
Dilys Hamlett,
Anthony Singleton,
Philip Latham,
Veronica Turleigh,
John Humphry,
Paul Farrell,
Vi Delmar,
Brian Peck,
Meriel Hobson 		4 Oct 1964 16mm tr
2 4 Carried by Storm Giles Cooper Cedric Messina Donald McWhinnie Simon Ward,
Tim Preece,
Peter Marinker,
Nicholas Courtney,
Pauline Delaney,
Mary Haneffey,
Ronald Lacey,
Roslyn De Winter,
John Dearth,
John Flint,
Brian Badcoe,
Denys Hawthorne,
Nicholas Pennell,
Colin Spaull,
Tim Goodman 		25 Oct 1964 Lost
2 5 Parade's End:
Some Do Not 		Ford Madox Ford (novels);
John Hopkins (adaptation) 		Cedric Messina Alan Cooke Ronald Hines,
Fulton Mackay,
Darroll Richards,
Charles Carson,
Ronald Leigh-Hunt,
Sylvia Coleridge,
Godfrey Quigley,
Jeanne Moody,
Judi Dench,
Annette Robertson,
Tony Steedman
Frank Gatliff,
Inigo Jackson,
Gerry Wain,
Robert James,
Erik Chitty,
Nicholas Pennell 		6 Dec 1964 16mm tr[7]
2 6 Parade's End:
No More Parades 		Jeanne Moody,
Ronald Hines,
Sylvia Kay,
Ronald Leigh-Hunt,
Judi Dench,
Arthur Pentelow,
Fulton MacKay,
Nicholas Pennell,
Talfryn Thomas,
Colin Jeavons,
Tony Steedman 		13 Dec 1964 16mm tr[7]
2 7 Parade's End:
A Man Could Stand Up 		Judi Dench,
Ruth Porcher,
Ronald Hines,
Arthur White,
Michel Ray,
Bryan Hunt,
Charles Houston,
Arthur Lovegrove,
Shane Rimmer,
Edward Burnham,
Douglas Ditta,
Philip Stone,
Derrick Glibert,
Peter Purves,
Tony Steedman,
Barry Jackson,
Maurice Selwyn 		20 Dec 1964 35mm tr[7]
2 8 The Minister John O'Toole Eric Tayler Peter Potter Michael Gough,
Jessica Dunning,
Nadia Cattouse,
Barbara Jefford,
Earl Cameron,
Mark Dignam,
Roger Livesey,
Noel Johnson,
Bernard Horsfall,
Denis Carey,
Thomasine Heiner,
Antony Webb,
Ralph Michael 		3 Jan 1965 Lost
2 9 Poor Bitos Jean Anouilh (play, Pauvre Bitos ou le Dîner de têtes);
Lucienne Hill (translator) 		Cedric Messina Donald McWhinnie John Neville,
Noel Davis,
Rolf Lefebvre,
Penelope Horner,
Anne Cunningham,
Patrick Allen,
Geoffrey Chater,
James Villiers,
Nicholas Pennell,
Gemma Jones,
Tony Calvin 		7 Feb 1965 Lost
2 10 The Physicists Friedrich Dürrenmatt (play), James Kirkup (translation) Peter Luke Cedric Messina Mary Morris,
Tom Watson,
Hayden Jones,
John Bennett,
Michael Kilgarriff,
Neil McCarthy 		14 Feb 1965[8] Lost
2 11 Progress to the Park Alun Owen (play) Cedric Messina Christopher Morahan Ken Jones,
John Scott Martin,
Will Leighton,
Gavin Reed,
Patrick McAlliney,
John McBride,
Walter Swash,
David Nott,
Gerald McAllister,
Malcolm Taylor,
Eddie Mallin,
Peter McEnery,
Patrick Tull 		14 Mar 1965 16mm tr
2 12 No Trams to Lime Street Alun Owen (remake of 1959 TV play) Cedric Messina David J. Thomas Mike Pratt,
Tom Bell,
Anthony Hall,
Clifford Evans,
Ishaq Bux,
Alister Williamson,
Islwyn Morris,
June Barry 		21 Mar 1965 Lost
2 13 A Little Winter Love Alun Owen Cedric Messina Jack Hedley,
Peter Dyneley,
Lelia Goldoni,
Sylvia Kay,
Mike Pratt,
Artro Morris,
Nerys Hughes 		28 Mar 1965 Lost
2 14 Ironhand J. W. Goethe (play Götz von Berlichingen);
John Arden (adaptation) 		Cedric Messina Rudolph Cartier Roger Jones,
William Dysart,
Edward Purdom,
Michael Brennan,
Denis Cleary,
Gertan Klauber,
Marshall Jones,
Stanley Lebor,
Michael Goodliffe,
Nicholas Evans,
John Glyn-Jones,
Graham Leaman,
Ian Ogilvy,
Jerome Willis,
David Dodimead,
Michael Mulcaster,
Derek Sydney,
Roy Pattison 		11 Apr 1965 16mm tr
2 15 Try For White Basil Warner Cedric Messina Alan Gibson Yootha Joyce,
Joss Ackland,
Gary Bond,
Zoe Randall,
Marda Vanne,
Nan Munro,
Maxine Holden 		18 Apr 1965 Lost
2 16 Unman, Wittering and Zigo Giles Cooper Cedric Messina Donald McWhinnie Peter Blythe,
John Sharp,
Peter Howell,
Tamara Kinchco,
Noel Davis,
Ann Way,
Norman Wynne,
Jeremy Ranchev,
Roger Shepherd,
Robert Dodson,
Roger Bradley,
Michael Wenning,
Christopher Witty,
Dane Howell,
Dennis Waterman,
Hywel Bennett,
Norman Bacon 		27 Jun 1965 35mm tr
2 17 Seek Her Out Cedric Messina Alan Gibson Toby Robins,
Anthony Newlands,
Zakes Mokae,
Edward Brayshaw,
John Woodvine,
Robert James,
Peter Diamond 		4 Jul 1965 35mm tr - reels 2 & 3 only of 3
2 18 The Long House Cedric Messina Naomi Capon David Buck,
Caroline Mortimer,
Toke Townley,
Joan Hickson,
Arthur Pentelow,
Thomas Baptiste,
Sheila Grant,
Frederick Piper,
Winifred Dennis,
John Herrington,
Reg Lever 		11 Jul 1965 35mm tr
3 1 Esther's Altar Paul Smith Cedric Messina Alan Gibson Kevin McHugh,
Margaret D'Arcy,
Betty McDowell,
Barry Keegan,
Pauline Delaney,
Audrey Corr,
Jack MacGowran,
Liam Gaffney,
James Caffrey,
Anna Manahan,
Dermot Tuohy,
Graham Leaman 		5 Sep 1965 Lost
3 2 David, Chapter 2[1] M. Charles Cohen Harvey Hart for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Donnelly Rhodes,
Toby Tarnow,
Powys Thomas,
Lynne Gorman 		19 Sep 1965[9] Unknown
3 3 Rosmersholm Henrik Ibsen (play);
Ann Jellicoe (translation) 		Cedric Messina Michael Barry Peggy Ashcroft,
Knut Wigert,
Mark Dignam,
Angela Baddeley,
Morris Perry,
John Laurie 		26 Sep 1965 16mm tr
3 4 Miss Julie August Strindberg (play);
Alan Bridges (adaptation) 		Cedric Messina Alan Bridges Gunnel Lindblom,
Ian Hendry,
Stephanie Bidmead 		3 Oct 1965 35mm tr
3 5 Hermit Crabs Mary Hayley Bell Cedric Messina Gilchrist Calder Annette Crosbie,
Anthony Booth,
Billy Cornelius,[10]
Clyde Pollitt,
Gladys Henson,
Anne Blake,
Bill Cartwright,
William Moore 		10 Oct 1965 Lost
3 6 Enter Solly Gold Bernard Kops (play) Cedric Messina Stuart Burge Bob Monkhouse,
Linda Polan,
Terence Sewards,
Miriam Margolyes,
John Barrard,
Lilly Kann,
Cyril Shaps,
George Layton 		17 Oct 1965 35mm tr sequences only
3 7 The Siege of Manchester Keith Dewhurst Cedric Messina Herbert Wise Alan Dobie,
Doris Wellings,
Eve Pearce,
Eileen Winterton,
Derek Benfield,
André Morell,
Sian Davies,
John Dearth,
Reginald Barratt,
Donald Eccles,
Frazer Hines,
Harry Littlewood,
Kevin Stoney,
Brian Peck,
Jeremy Spenser,
David Valla,
Malcolm Taylor,
Michael Davis 		31 Oct 1965 Lost
3 8 The World of George Orwell:
Keep the Aspidistra Flying 		George Orwell (novel);
Robin Chapman (adaptation) 		Cedric Messina Christopher Morahan Alfred Lynch,
Charles Hodgson,
Winifred Dennis,
Marie Hopps,
Sydney Bromley,
Hilda Barry,
Clive Elliott,
Anne Stallybrass,
Norman Mitchell,
Sydney Arnold,
Sheila Grant,
Bartlett Mullins,
Alec Wallis 		7 Nov 1965 Lost
3 9 The World of George Orwell:
Coming Up for Air 		George Orwell (novel);
Robin Chapman (adaptation) 		Colin Blakely,
Frederick Farley,
Maitland Moss,
Larry Dann,
Carmel McSharry,
Ann Way,
Peggy Aitchison,
Reginald Jessup,
Howard Lang,
Patrick Godfrey,
Clifford Cox 		21 Nov 1965 Lost
3 10 The World of George Orwell:
1984[11] 		George Orwell (novel);
Nigel Kneale (adaptation) 		David Buck,
Joseph O'Conor,
Vernon Dobtcheff,
Jane Merrow,
Cyril Shaps,
Norman Chappell,
Sally Lahee,
John Garrie,
John Mincer,
Peter Bathurst,
John Brandon,
Eric Francis,
Sydney Arnold,
David Grey,
John Abineri,
Michael Sheard,
Brian Badcoe 		28 Nov 1965 NTSC VT of 16mm tr (damage to one scene)
3 11 Portraits From the North:
The Nutter 		Alan Plater Cedric Messina Alan Gibson Milo O'Shea,
Ronald Lacey,
Mike Pratt,
Tristram Jellinek,
Henry Soskin,
Sidney Gatcum,
Faith Curtis,
Ken Parry,
Joseph O'Conor,
Helen Fraser,
Yootha Joyce,
John Cater,
Richard Mathews 		5 Dec 1965 Lost
3 12 Portraits From the North:
Bruno 		Ronald Eyre Cedric Messina Ronald Eyre John Phillips,
Ronnie Barker,
Anne Stallybrass,
Hazel Cooper,
John Gill,
Noel Dyson,
Barry Jackson,
Susan Hanson,
Fred Ferris,
Gary Files,
Barbara Miller 		19 Dec 1965 Lost
3 13 A Piece of Resistance Terence Dudley Cedric Messina Geoffrey Nethercott Lally Bowers,
William Kendall,
Frederick Jaeger,
James Villiers 		26 Dec 1965[12] Lost
3 14 Doctor Knock Jules Romains (play, Knock ou le Triomphe de la médecine)
Harley Granville-Barker (translator) 		Cedric Messina Herbert Wise Mavis Villiers,
Leonard Rossiter,
John Le Mesurier,
Jimmy Gardner,
James Grout,
Graham Armitage,
Robert Gillespie,
Patrick Godfrey 		2 Jan 1966 16mm tr
3 15 Focus Arthur Miller (novel);
Ruth Sheale (adaptation) 		Michael Bakewell Alan Gibson Vivien Merchant,
Ray McAnally,
Sydney Tafler,
Joss Ackland,
Lucille Fenton,
Larry Cross,
Pearl Catlin,
Donald Sutherland,
Glenn Beck,
Martin Miller 		9 Jan 1966 Lost
3 16 The Wesker Trilogy,
Part 1:
Chicken Soup with Barley 		Arnold Wesker (play) Cedric Messina Charles Jarrott Margery Mason,
Clive Revill,
Stanley Meadows,
John Allison,
Sonia Fraser,
Stella Tanner,
Harry Landis,
David Swift 		23 Jan 1966 35mm tr
3 17 The Wesker Trilogy,
Part 2:
Roots 		Arnold Wesker (play) Mary Miller,
Gwen Nelson,
Ewan Hooper,
Doreen Aris,
Billy Russell,
Brian Cant,
Leslie Anderson,
Jonathan Holt,
Maryann Turner 		30 Jan 1966 35mm tr
3 18 The Wesker Trilogy,
Part 3:
I'm Talking About Jerusalem 		Arnold Wesker (play) Sonia Fraser,
Stanley Meadows,
Margery Mason,
John Allison,
John Harvey,
Stella Tanner,
Hilda Kriseman,
Patrick O'Connell,
Jeremy Bulloch,
Jack Wild 		6 Feb 1966 35mm tr
3 19 Kiss on a Grass Green Pillow Rhys Adrian Cedric Messina Alan Cooke Susannah York,
Zena Walker,
Robert Stephens,
Colin Blakely 		13 Feb 1966 Lost
3 20 A Man Like That H. S. Eveling Cedric Messina Peter Duguid Irene Handl,
Norman Bird,
Annette Crosbie,
Jeanne Moody,
Colin Ellis,
Margaret Nolan,
Hazel Coppin,
Stella Tanner,
Terry Wright,
Stephen Moore,
Stephen Dartnell,
Victor Carin,
Nicholas Smith,
John Abineri,
Michael Barrington,
Rosamund Greenwood 		27 Feb 1966 16mm tr
3 21 Simon and Laura Alan Melville Cedric Messina Christopher Morahan Moira Lister,
Ian Carmichael,
Richard Briers,
Henry McGee,
Charles Lloyd-Pack,
Molly Urquhart,
Penny Morrell,
Philo Hauser 		6 Mar 1966[13]
3 22 The Queen and Jackson Donald Bull Cedric Messina John Gorrie George Baker,
Jill Dixon,
Madeleine Christie,
Willoughby Goddard,
Sylvia Coleridge,
James Cossins,
Eric Hillyard,
Arthur Hewlett,
Roy Marsden 		13 Mar 1966 Lost
3 23 A Month in the Country Ivan Turgenev (play);
Elisaveta Fen (translator) 		Cedric Messina Christopher Morahan Vivien Merchant,
Derek Godfrey,
Michele Dotrice,
Hywel Bennett,
Timothy Darwen,
Jan Conrad,
Enid Lorimer,
Susan Field,
Philip Latham,
John Baskcomb 		20 Mar 1966 16mm tr
3 24 The Seagull Anton Chekhov (play);
George Calderon (translation) 		Cedric Messina Alan Cooke Pamela Brown,
Niall MacGinnis,
Annette Crosbie,
Gemma Jones,
Robert Stephens,
Sydney Tafler,
Charles Carson,
Robin Phillips 		27 Mar 1966[14] 16mm tr
3 25 Twelfth Hour Aleksei Arbuzov (play, Dvenadtsaty chas);
Ariadne Nicolaeff (adaptation) 		Cedric Messina Alan Cooke Clifford Evans,
Michael Goodliffe,
Sheila Allen,
Dudley Foster,
Walter Brown,
Hannah Gordon,
Thelma Ruby,
Elizabeth Wallace,
William Holmes,
Mark Jones,
John Barrard 		3 Apr 1966 35mm tr
3 26 The Queen and the Welshman Rosemary Anne Sisson (play) Cedric Messina Basil Coleman Dorothy Tutin,
Derek Godfrey,
Jeremy Brett,
Nicholas Selby,
Gordon Whiting,
Llewellyn Rees,
Fiona Hartford,
Charles Thomas,
Robert Russell,
Jack Wild,
Harry Littlewood 		10 Apr 1966 16mm tr
3 27 Final Demand Hugh Whitemore Cedric Messina Bill Hays Kenneth More,
Michael Forrest,[15]
Ken Wynne 		24 Apr 1966 Lost
3 28 Semi-Detached David Turner (play) Cedric Messina Gilchrist Calder Leonard Rossiter,
Alison Leggatt,
Barrie Ingham,
William Kendall 		1 May 1966 Lost
3 29 She Stoops to Conquer[16] Oliver Goldsmith (play) Brandon Acton-Boyd Roger Jenkins (for the BBC),
Val May (theatre production) 		Patrick Stewart,
Hazel Hughes,
Barbara Leigh-Hunt,
Gawn Grainger,
Anna Carteret 		29 May 1966 16mm tr
3 30 Up and Down Julia Jones Michael Bakewell Mary Ridge George Baker,
Bernard Archard,
Ann Lynn,
John Collin,
Keith Bell,
Marion Mathie,
John Moore 		5 Jun 1966 Lost
3 31 Marianne Rhys Davies (novel);
Harry Greene (adaptation) 		Cedric Messina John Gorrie Nerys Hughes,
Jan Edwards,
Henley Thomas,
Rachel Thomas,
Artro Morris,
Gwyneth Owen,
Salmean Peer 		12 Jun 1966 Lost
3 32 The Melody Suit Christopher Dandy (words);
Derrick Mason (music) 		Michael Bakewell Alan Gibson John Gower,
Patricia Michael,
Michael Maurel 		19 Jun 1966 Lost
3 33 On the March to the Sea Gore Vidal (novel);
 Cedric Messina Alan Gibson Joss Ackland,
Barrie Ingham,
Tony Bill,
Tessa Wyatt,
Tucker McGuire,
Stella Tanner,
Lindsay Campbell,
Richard James,
Peter Madden,
Donald Sutherland 		17 Jul 1966 NTSC VT of 16mm tr
3 34 How to Get Rid of Your Husband Robert Gould Cedric Messina Naomi Capon Maurice Denham,
Priscilla Morgan,
Avis Bunnage,
Denise Coffey,
Marcus Hammond,
Margaret Heald,
Winifred Dennis,
Norman Scace,
Keith Anderson,
Richard Hampton,
Malcolm Taylor,
Don McKillop 		24 Jul 1966 Lost
3 35 Girl of My Dreams Hugh Whitemore Cedric Messina Bill Hays Nicholas Pennell,
Chela Matthison,
Edward Fox,
James Grout,
Kathleen Michael,
Anne Brooks,
Jennifer Jayne,
George A. Cooper,
John D. Collins,
Ian Cunningham 		31 Jul 1966 35mm tr
4 1 Talking to a Stranger,
Part 1:
Anytime You're Ready I'll Sparkle 		John Hopkins Michael Bakewell Christopher Morahan Judi Dench,
Michael Bryant,
Maurice Denham,
Margery Mason,
Emrys James,
Timothy Carlton,
Calvin Lockhart 		2 Oct 1966 35mm tr[17]
4 2 Talking to a Stranger,
Part 2:
No Skill or Special Knowledge is Required 		Maurice Denham,
Michael Bryant,
Judi Dench,
Margery Mason,
Emrys James,
Calvin Lockhart,
Ann Mitchell,
Frederick Pyne,
Barry Stanton 		9 Oct 1966 35mm tr[17]
4 3 Talking to a Stranger,
Part 3:
Gladly My Cross-Eyed Bear 		Michael Bryant,
Judi Dench,
Maurice Denham,
Margery Mason,
Windsor Davies,
Terry Leigh 		16 Oct 1966 35mm tr[17]
4 4 Talking to a Stranger,
Part 4:
The Innocent Must Suffer 		Margery Mason,
Michael Bryant,
Judi Dench,
Maurice Denham,
Mariann Turner,
Emrys James,
Windsor Davies 		23 Oct 1966 35mm tr[17]
4 5 Conquest:
The Encounter 		Brian Rawlinson Michael Bakewell Michael Hayes Barrie Ingham,
Donald Eccles,
Malcolm Webster,
Frederick Jaeger,
Sebastian Breaks,
Michael Pennington,
Hamilton Dyce,
Janet Suzman,
Alan Dobie,
Jane Wenham,
John Nettleton,
Peter Halliday,
David Garfield,
Bernard Hepton,
John Sharp,
Noel Johnson,
George Selway,
John Cater,
Timothy Bateson,
Terence Lodge 		29 Oct 1966 Lost
4 6 Conquest:
The Leopard and the Dragon 		Barrie Ingham,
Donald Eccles,
Malcolm Webster,
Frederick Jaeger,
Sebastian Breaks,
Hamilton Dyce,
Janet Suzman,
Alan Dobie
John Nettleton,
Peter Halliday,
David Garfield,
Noel Johnson,
John Sharp,
George Selway,
John Cater,
Terence Lodge,
Bernard Hepton,
Joby Blanshard 		30 Oct 1966 Lost
4 7 Amerika Franz Kafka (novel);
Hugh Whitemore (adaptation) 		Michael Bakewell James Ferman Michael Wenham,
Bernard Bresslaw,
Harold Goldblatt,
Roy Dotrice,
George Murcell,
Janet Webb,
Pauline Collins,
Carl Jaffe,
George Eugeniou,
Gábor Baraker,
Henry McCarthy,
Vladek Sheybal,
Michele Dotrice,
Warren Mitchell,
Hana Maria Pravda 		6 Nov 1966 Lost
4 8 The Family Reunion[18] T. S. Eliot (play) Michael Bakewell Alan Cooke Alec McCowen,
Mary Morris,
Mary Merrall,
Janet Suzman,
Geoffrey Bayldon,
Sylvia Coleridge,
Victor Maddern,
Maureen Pryor,
Nigel Stock 		27 Nov 1966 35mm tr
4 9 Anatol Arthur Schnitzler Bernard Hepton Christopher Morahan Robert Hardy,
John Wood,
Moira Redmond,
Elvi Hale,
Priscilla Morgan 		4 Dec 1966[19]
4 10 Sword of Honour,
Part One:
Men at Arms 		Evelyn Waugh (novels);
Giles Cooper (adaptation) 		Michael Bakewell Donald McWhinnie Edward Woodward,
Ronald Fraser,
Vivian Pickles,
Paul Hardwick,
James Villiers,
Donald Layne-Smith,
Trader Faulkner,
Tim Preece,
Nicholas Hawtrey,
David Savile,
Clifford Cox,
Jimmy Gardner,
Keith Pyott,
Esmond Webb,
Richard Hampton,
Denis McCarthy 		2 Jan 1967 35mm tr
4 11 Sword of Honour,
Part Two:
Officers and Gentlemen 		Edward Woodward,
Trader Faulkner,
Vivian Pickles,
Anthony Roye,
James Villiers,
Donald Layne-Smith,
Nicholas Hawtrey,
Tim Preece,
Clifford Cox,
Erik Chitty,
Richard Hampton,
Peter Howell,
Dennis Chinnery,
Robert Fyfe,
Douglas Ditta,
Sydney Bromley,
Freddie Jones,
Geoffrey Chater,
James Beck,
John Flint,
Nicholas Courtney,
Ronald Fraser 		9 Jan 1967 35mm tr
4 12 Sword of Honour,
Part Three:
Unconditional Surrender 		Edward Woodward,
John Martin,
Donald Layne-Smith,
Basil Dignam,
Edward Bishop,
Trader Faulkner,
James Villiers,
Anthony Roye,
Freddie Jones,
Vivian Pickles,
George Waring,
Nicholas Courtney,
Denys Hawthorne,
Will Stampe,
Caroline Hunt,
Paul Hardwick,
Robert MacLeod 		16 Jan 1967 35mm tr
4 13 A Slight Ache Harold Pinter (play) Michael Bakewell Christopher Morahan Maurice Denham,
Hazel Hughes,
Gordon Richardson 		6 Feb 1967 625-line VT[20]
4 14 A Night Out[21] Harold Pinter (play) Michael Bakewell Christopher Morahan Tony Selby,
Anna Wing,
Avril Elgar,
John Castle,
Richard Moore,
Peter Pratt,
Kevin Barry,
Billy Russell,
Patrick Cato,
Sydney Arnold,
Chris Chittell 		13 Feb 1967 625-line VT[20]
4 15 The Basement Harold Pinter Michael Bakewell Charles Jarrott Derek Godfrey,
Harold Pinter,
Kika Markham 		20 Feb 1967 35mm tr[20]
4 16 Hotel Torpe François Billetdoux (play) Michael Bakewell Rod Graham Siobhán McKenna,
John Slater,
Ronald Hines,
Hamilton Dyce,
Joby Blanshard,
Natalie Kent,
Peter Pratt,
Judith Arthy,
Yemi Ajibade,
Dorothy Edwards,
Elizabeth Proud,
Derek Seaton,
Philip Voss 		13 Mar 1967 Lost
4 17 As a Man Grows Older Italo Svevo (novel, Senilità);
Barry Bermange (adaptation) 		Michael Bakewell John Gibson Derek Godfrey,
Peter Blythe,
Hilary Hardiman,
Ilona Rodgers 		3 Apr 1967 Lost
4 18 Kain[22] Alan Poolman Lionel Harris Lionel Harris Keith Michell,
J. G. Devlin,
Audine Leith,
Alan White,
Candy Devine,
Roger Cox,
Teddy Plummer,
Michael Williamson 		17 Apr 1967 16mm film
4 19 The Loser Alun Owen Michael Bakewell Stuart Burge Bernard Cribbins,
Geraldine Moffatt,[23]
Godfrey Quigley,
Henley Thomas,
Gwendolyn Watts 		1 May 1967 Lost
4 20 The Winner Michael Bakewell Alan Cooke Susannah York,
T. P. McKenna,
Mark Burns 		8 May 1967 Lost
4 21 The Fantasist Michael Bakewell Peter Hammond James Villiers,
Charlotte Rampling,
Anthony Bate,
Paul Hardwick,
Tim Preece,
Gordon Waller,
Jean Aubrey,
Norman Shelley,
Barbara Couper 		15 May 1967 Lost
4 22 The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists Robert Tressell (novel);
Stuart Douglas (adaptation) 		Michael Bakewell Christopher Morahan John Rees,
Edward Fox,
Bryan Pringle,
Felix Felton,
Bartlett Mullins,
Jeffrey Segal,
Keith Smith,
Robert Bridges,
George Roderick,
Christopher Benjamin,
John Rees,
David Webb,
Freddy Foote,
Kenneth Benda,
David Garth 		29 May 1967 Lost
4 23 The Blood Knot Athol Fugard (play) Michael Bakewell Robin Midgley Athol Fugard,
Charles Hyatt 		12 Jun 1967 16mm tr
4 24 Henry IV Luigi Pirandello (play, Enrico IV);
Robert Muller (adaptation) 		Michael Bakewell Michael Hayes Alan Badel,
Maxine Audley,
Anthony Newlands,
Kika Markham,
Neville Jason,
Hamilton Dyce
Murray Melvin 		26 Jun 1967 Lost
4 25 Firebrand Roger Manvell,
Scot Finch 		Michael Bakewell Rudolph Cartier Ronald Lacey,
Donald Pickering,
Anton Diffring,
Patricia Denys,
Annette Carrell,
Peter Vaughan
Kenneth J. Warren,
David J. Grahame,
Derek Newark,
Cyril Shaps,
Royston Tickner,
Martin Benson 		2 Jul 1967 16mm tr
4 26 The Plough and the Stars Sean O’Casey Lelia Doolan Lelia Doolan 16 Jul 1967[24]
4 27 Tickle Times Julia Jones Michael Bakewell Mary Ridge Diana Coupland,
John Stratton,
David Collings,
Keith Bell,
Angela Crow,
Edmond Bennett,
Mike Pratt,
Catherine Howe,
Miriam Raymond,
Kenneth Ives,
Eric Francis,
Keith Anderson 		30 Jul 1967 Lost
4 28 55 Columns Usha Priyamvada (novel);
James Brabazon (adaptation) 		Michael Bakewell Rod Graham, Shivendra Sinha (co-director) Edward de Souza,
Rani Dubä,
Lalita Ahmed,
Roshan Seth,
Zohra Segal,[25]
Bakshi Prem,
Chitra Neogy,
Esmë Sen,
Devi Shah,
Kelyani Sitaram 		6 Aug 1967 35mm film sequences exist
4 29 Stan's Day Out Rhys Adrian Michael Bakewell James MacTaggart Leslie Dwyer,
Alfie Bass,
Roddy McMillan,
Bryan Pringle,
Michael Robbins 		13 Aug 1967 35mm tr
4 30 The Cupboard Maggie Ross Michael Bakewell Alan Gibson Peter Jeffrey,
Rosemary Leach,
Donald Gee,
Helen Booth,
William Moore,
Charles Lamb,
Ella Milne 		20 Aug 1967 Lost
5 1 The Memorandum Václav Havel (play);
Vera Blackwell (translation/adaptation) 		Michael Bakewell James Ferman Alfred Marks,
Warren Mitchell,
Hattie Jacques,
Judy Cornwell,
Robert Eddison,
Murray Melvin,
John Sharp,
Ronnie Stevens,
Patsy Rowlands,
Sydney Bromley 		24 Sep 1967 Lost
5 2 The Lost Years of Brian Hooper Bernard Kops Michael Bakewell Alan Gibson Hugh Burden,
Margery Mason
Sheila Reid,
Ray Brooks,
Alan MacNaughtan,
Susan George,
Kate Story,
Carl Forgione,
Edward de Souza,
Peter Jesson 		8 Oct 1967 35mm tr
5 3 The Magicians:
Dr Dee, Kelly and the Spirits 		Ken Taylor Michael Bakewell James MacTaggart Alan Dobie,
Frank Finlay,
John Warner,
Caroline Monkhouse,
Rosemary Hall,
Anthony Kemp,
Mary Peach 		15 Oct 1967 Lost
5 4 The Magicians:
The Incantation of Casanova 		Herbert Wise Jeremy Brett,
Antony Webb
Geoffrey Bayldon,
Anne Cunningham,
Patrick O'Connell,
Jacqueline Pearce,
Daphne Anderson,
George Selway 		22 Oct 1967 35mm tr
5 5 The Magicians:
Edmund Gurney and the Brighton Mesmerist 		Peter Hammond Richard Todd,
Ray Brooks,
Anthony Bate,
Lynda Baron,
Diana Fairfax,
John Barcroft,
Barry Wilsher,
Roger Kemp,
John Baker,
John Gill 		29 Oct 1967 Lost
5 6 The Single Passion Ronald Eyre Cedric Messina Stuart Burge Alan Webb,
Rosalie Crutchley,
Michael Pennington,
Christopher Timothy,
Nigel Terry,
John Allison,
Tamara Hinchco,
David Lincoln,
George A. Cooper,
Arnold Yarrow,
Joby Blanshard,
John Bryans 		5 Nov 1967 Lost
5 7 The Burning Bush Geza Herczeg (play);
John Hopkins (adaptation) 		Michael Bakewell Rudolph Cartier Emlyn Williams,
Alan Keith,
Peter Copley,
Peter Woodthorpe,
Stephen Murray,
Marjorie Rhodes,
Daphne Slater,
Ronald Lacey 		12 Nov 1967 Lost
5 8 Kittens Are Brave Giles Cooper Michael Bakewell Donald McWhinnie George Murcell,
Diana Fairfax,
Geoffrey Bayldon 		26 Nov 1967 Lost
5 9 Lieutenant Tenant Pierre Gripari (play) Michael Bakewell Donald McWhinnie Angela Douglas,
Bee Duffell,
Philip Grout,
Jimmy Thompson,
Patrick Tull,
Jimmy Gardner,
David Battley,
Job Stewart,
Harold Innocent,
Brian Steele,
Noel Davis,
Derek Needs,
Henzie Raeburn,
Dudley Jones 		4 Dec 1967 Lost
5 10 Play With a Tiger Doris Lessing (play) Michael Bakewell Stuart Burge Barbara Jefford,
John Turner,
Michael Gough,
Patricia Lawrence,
Jeremy Burnham,
Sharon Cathness 		18 Dec 1967 Lost
5 11 To See How Far It Is:
Murphy's Law 		Alan Plater Michael Bakewell Rod Graham Nigel Davenport,
Norman Rodway,
Ronald Hines,
Donald Gee,
Rhoda Lewis,
John Bryans,
Philip Bond,
Arthur Cox,
Dorothy Edwards 		1 Jan 1968[26] 16mm tr
5 12 To See How Far It Is:
The Curse of the Donkins 		Gilchrist Calder Nigel Davenport,
Norman Rodway,
Stephanie Bidmead,
John Bryans,
Fiona Walker,
Jill Melford,
Clive Francis,
Gareth Robinson,
Richard Armour 		8 Jan 1968[27] 16mm tr
5 13 To See How Far It Is:
To See How Far It Is 		Naomi Capon Nigel Davenport,
Norman Rodway,
Geoffrey Bayldon,
Avril Elgar,
Anne Stallybrass,
Peter Stephens,
John Bryans,
Arthur Cox,
Philip Bond,
Tony Blackburn,
Stephen Jack,
Donald Gee,
Rhoda Lewis,
Patricia Maynard,
Fiona Walker,
Arnold Ridley 		15 Jan 1968[28] 16mm tr
5 14 Albinos in Black Alun Richards Michael Bakewell James Cellan Jones Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies,
Gerald James,
Meg Wynn Owen,
Emrys Jones,
Pauline Delaney,
John Rees,
Charles Williams,
Sheila Irwin,
Willie Jonah,
Ilario Bisi-Pedro 		22 Jan 1968 Lost
5 15 The Swallow's Nest Robert Wales (play, The Cell);
Graham Woodward (adaptation) 		Michael Bakewell Henric Hirsch Annette Crosbie,
Mary Morris,
Ursula Jeans,
Clare Austin,
Nancy Nevinson,
Henry Vidon,
Sheila Whitmill,
Andrea Brett 		29 Jan 1968 Lost
5 16 The Lady is a Liar Diego Fabbri;
Maddalena Fagandini (English version) 		Michael Bakewell George R. Foa Susan Hampshire,
Robert Hardy,
Eithne Dunne,
Stanley Bates,
Sean Barrett,
Anthony Singleton,
Dennis Edwards,
Harriett Johns[29] 		26 Feb 1968 Lost
5 17 To the Frontier Giles Cooper Michael Bakewell Donald McWhinnie David Savile,
Patrick Tull,
Michael David,
Ronald Hines,
Kate Coleridge,
Mike Arrighi,
John Tordoff,
Edina Ronay 		4 Mar 1968 Lost
5 18 Party Games Hugh Whitemore Michael Bakewell Rod Graham Frederick Jaegar,
Eileen Atkins,
Derek Smith,
John Nettleton,
Nancie Jackson,
Roger Mutton,
Paul Angelis,
Raymond Armstrong,
Joby Blanshard,
Roy Pearce 		11 Mar 1968[30] Lost
5 19 The Fall of Kelvin Walker[31] Alasdair Gray Michael Bakewell John Robins Harry H. Corbett,
Corin Redgrave,
Judy Cornwell,
John Phillips,
Peter Copley,
Ronald Adam,
Alan Shallcross,
Roy Evans,
Peter Pratt,
Michael Hawkins,
Aubrey Morris 		22 Apr 1968 Lost
5 20 The Fanatics Stellio Lorenzi (L'Affaire Calas);
Max Marquis (adaptation) 		Michael Bakewell Rudolph Cartier Alan Badel,
Leonard Rossiter,
Rosalie Crutchley,
John Paul,
Alex Scott,
Cyril Shaps,
Tom Criddle,
Richard Caldicot,
Hamilton Dyce,
Bernard Hepton,
Gordon Faith,
Michael Mundell,
Edwin Finn,
Robert James,
Royston Tickner,
Milton Reid 		29 Apr 1968 Colour 35mm telerecording
5 21 Home, Sweet Honeycomb Bernard Kops Michael Bakewell Alan Gibson Michael Crawford,
Maurice Denham,
John Golightly,
Francesca Annis,
Doris Hare,
Brian Wilde,
Laurie Asprey,
Pamela Pitchford,
Faith Curtis,
Roger Jones,
Antony Webb 		13 May 1968 Lost
5 22 The Pistol Shot Alexander Pushkin (short story);
Nicholas Bethell (adaptation) 		Michael Bakewell John Gibson John Ronane,
Peter Jeffrey,
Ann Bell,
Ilona Rodgers,
Michael Bilton,
Peter Marinker,
Philip Bond,
Wesley Murphy,
John Hollis,
David Bowie,
Andrew Robertson 		20 May 1968 Lost
5 23 Life Class Malcolm Quantrill Michael Bakewell John Tydeman Susan George,
Richard Cornish,
Edwin Richfield,
Joe Melia,
Norman Wynne,
Janet Burnell,
Claire Davenport,
Peter Pratt,
Marion Mathie,
Wilfred Carter,
James Cairncross 		27 May 1968 Lost
5 24 All's Well That Ends Well William Shakespeare (play), adapted by John Barton Ronald Travers Claude Whatham (for the BBC) and John Barton (for the RSC) Ian Richardson,
Lynn Farleigh,
Catherine Lacey,
Sebastian Shaw,
Brewster Mason,
Clive Swift,
Ian Hogg,
Colin McCormack,
Dallas Adams,
David Ashford,
David Bailie,
Elizabeth Spriggs,
Caroline Hunt,
Tom Georgeson,
Don Henderson,
David Kincaid 		3 Jun 1968[32] Only the first hour survives,[33] on 625-line VT (held by BFI)
5 25 Wind Versus Polygamy Obi Egbuna (play) Michael Bakewell Naomi Capon Earl Cameron,
Gordon Jackson,
Louisa Sherman,
Lionel Ngakane,
Charles Hyatt,
Rudolph Walker,
Willie Jonah,
Clifton Jones,
Elroy Josephs 		15 Jul 1968[34] Lost
5 26 The Year of the Sex Olympics Nigel Kneale Ronald Travers Michael Elliott Leonard Rossiter,
Suzanne Neve,
Tony Vogel,
Brian Cox,
Vickery Turner,
George Murcell,
Martin Potter,
Lesley Roach,
Hira Talfrey,
Patricia Maynard,
Derek Fowlds,
Wolfe Morris 		29 Jul 1968[35] 16mm tr[36]
5 27 Mille Miglia Athol Fugard Ronald Travers Robin Midgley Michael Bryant,
Ronald Lacey,
Guy Deghy,
George Roubicek,
Douglas Ditta,
Donald Burton,
Fabio Galvano 		5 Aug 1968[37] Colour 625-line vt

See also

References

  1. ^ a b There is at least one exception to the 75-90-minute duration rule. David, Chapter 2 (2.12), a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation production first broadcast there on 20 May 1963 is listed at 60 minutes duration here.
  2. ^ "BFI | Features | TV 100 List of Lists". 11 September 2011. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011.
  3. ^ Lawson, Mark (3 November 2010). "Yesterday's heroes: the lost treasure trove of BBC drama". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  4. ^ Coward, Simon; Down, Richard; Perry, Chris (2011). The Kaleidoscope BBC Television Drama Research Guide 1936–2011. Kaleidoscope Publishing. pp. 2508–2519.
  5. ^ Bently, Lionel; Sherman, Brad (2014). Intellectual Property Law (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 290–291. ISBN 978-0199645558.
  6. ^ Repeated as a Wednesday Play on 23 June 1965, in place of the postponed Vote, Vote, Vote for Nigel Barton.
  7. ^ a b c Released on DVD in the US, 2013.
  8. ^ Originally transmitted on BBC1 21 December 1963.
  9. ^ Details taken from Radio Times, Issue No.2184, 16 September 1965, p. 17
  10. ^ According to the BFI website, the billing was to Bill Cornelius.
  11. ^ 1984 was not Orwell's preferred rendering, but this production used the numerical form.
  12. ^ Repeated as a Wednesday Play on 19 October 1966.
  13. ^ Originally broadcast 19 November 1964 on BBC2 as a Thursday Theatre.
  14. ^ Repeated as a Play of the Month on BBC1, 17 November 1968.
  15. ^ Unlike the BFI, IMDb lists him as Michael Forest, but there was a British actor in this era with relatively extensive television credits who spelt his surname with a second 'r'.
  16. ^ Television version of a production at the Theatre Royal, Bristol.
  17. ^ a b c d Released on DVD in The Judi Dench Collection, BBC boxed set.
  18. ^ The BFI website and IMDb are remiss in not indicating the author of this work, but the character's names indicate that it must be the play by T.S. Eliot.
  19. ^ Originally broadcast 18 March 1965 on BBC2 as a Thursday Theatre.
  20. ^ a b c Released on DVD by the BFI in the Pinter at the BBC boxed set, 2019.
  21. ^ Remake of Armchair Theatre: A Night Out (1960).
  22. ^ This was the first joint production between the BBC and the Australian Broadcasting Commission. See the BFI database page.
  23. ^ Credited as 'Moffatt' on this occasion (BFI website).
  24. ^ Broadcast in the Theatre 625 timeslot but not billed as such in the Radio Times (according to BBC Genome database); it was a Telefís Éireann production.
  25. ^ Credited as 'Zohra Segal' according to the BFI website.
  26. ^ Repeated as a Wednesday Play on 25 March 1970.
  27. ^ Repeated as a Wednesday Play on 1 April 1970.
  28. ^ Repeated as a Wednesday Play on 8 April 1970.
  29. ^ More usually credited as 'Harriette Johns', according to both the BFI and IMDb websites.
  30. ^ Repeated as a Wednesday Play on 29 April 1970. See the BFI outline page.
  31. ^ The play was later adapted by Alastair Gray as a novel, The Fall of Kelvin Walker: A Fable of the Sixties (1985).
  32. ^ Broadcast in the Theatre 625 timeslot but not billed as such in the Radio Times (according to BBC Genome database), however the BFI lists it under Theatre 625; it was a BBC/RSC production. Repeated 19 February 1970.
  33. ^ "All's Well That Ends Well". British Universities Film and Video Council. Retrieved 9 May 2022. This source also identifies it as a Theatre 625 production and the first BBC television production of a Shakespeare play transmitted in colour.
  34. ^ Repeated as a Wednesday Play on 27 May 1970 and as a Play for Today on 1 April 1971.
  35. ^ Repeated as a Wednesday Play on 11 March 1970.
  36. ^ The Year of the Sex Olympics was released on DVD by the BFI in 2003.
  37. ^ Repeated as a Wednesday Play on 14 January 1970.