Screenplay (TV series)


Screenplay is a drama anthology television series broadcast on BBC Two between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993.

Background

After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, feature length filmed dramas, including Screenplay. Various writers and directors were utilized on the series. Writer Jimmy McGovern was hired by producer George Faber to pen a series five episode based upon the Merseyside needle exchange programme of the 1980s. The episode, directed by Gillies MacKinnon, was entitled Needle and featured Sean McKee, Emma Bird, and Pete Postlethwaite. The last episode of the series was titled "Boswell and Johnson's Tour of the Western Islands" and featured Robbie Coltrane as English writer Samuel Johnson, who in the autumn of 1773, visits the Hebrides off the north-west coast of Scotland. That episode was directed by John Byrne and co-starred John Sessions and Celia Imrie. Some scenes were shot at Lennoxlove House in East Lothian and others in the Scottish Borders.

Anthology titles

Season 1

Season 2

Season, EpisodeAirdateTitleNotes
S2, Ep115 July 1987The Trial of Klaus Barbie
S2, Ep222 July 1987Land
S2, Ep329 July 1987Lily My LoveBill Paterson as Colin
S2, Ep45 August 1987Cariani and the CourtesansPaul McGann as Giovanni Cariani
Simon Callow as Raimondi
Diana Quick as Tullia
S2, Ep512 August 1987Our Lady Blue
S220 August 1987Roach Motel
S2, Ep626 August 1987White Lady
S28 September 1987Next
S2, Ep716 September 1987The Shutter Falls
S221 September 1987A View from a Window
S2, Ep823 September 1987Christine
S2, Ep930 September 1987The Interrogation of John
S2, Ep107 October 1987RoadNeil Dudgeon as Brink
Jane Horrocks as Louise
David Thewlis as Joey
Lesley Sharp as Valerie

Season 3

Season 4

Season, EpisodeAirdateTitle
S4, Ep15 July 1989Testimony of a Child
S4, Ep212 July 1989A Night on the Tyne
S4, Ep319 Jul 1989Loving Hazel
S4, Ep426 July 1989The Attractions
S4, Ep52 August 1989Chinese Whispers
S4, Ep69 August 1989The Act
S4, Ep716 August 1989Scout
S4, Ep823 August 1989The Spirit of Man
S4, Ep930 August 1989Beyond the Pale
S4, Ep106 September 1989The Hen House
S4, Ep1113 September 1989Seeing in the Dark
S4, Ep1220 September 1989A Small Mourning

Season 5

Season 6

Season, EpisodeAirdateTitle
S6, Ep13 July 1991Redemption
S6, Ep210 July 1991Broke
S6, Ep317 July 1991Events at Drimaghleen
S6, Ep424 July 1991The Fallout Guy
S6, Ep531 July 1991Murder in Oakland
S6, Ep614 August 1991The Hour of the Lynx
S6, Ep728 August 1991Clubland
S6, Ep84 September 1991Arise and Go Now'
S6, Ep911 September 1991Message to Major
S6, Ep1018 September 1991Journey to Knock''

Season 7

Season 8

Season, EpisodeAirdateTitle
S8, Ep122 September 1993Love Lies Bleeding
S8, Ep229 September 1993The Merrihill Millionaires
S8, Ep36 October 1993The Vision Thing
S8, Ep413 October 1993Safe
S8, Ep520 October 1993Not Even God Is Wise Enough
S8, Ep627 October 1993Boswell & Johnson's Tour of the Western Isles

Notable productions