Martin and Andy travel back to the early Eighties to uncover the birth of Agatha Christie on television. Before Joan Hickson's Miss Marple and David Suchet's Poirot came Tommy and Tuppence, two bright young adventurers from the Roaring Twenties

2.15 Orde Wingate

Mar 9th, 2024 1h 39m

This month Martin & Andy tackle a 1976 curio: a 3-part examination of the Zionist military leader Orde Wingate.Wingate is played by Barry Foster (Van de Valk, Fall of Eagles) in a drama scripted by Don Shaw (Survivors), script edited by Louis

2.14 The Nightmare Man

Feb 10th, 2024 1h 26m

After a longer break than intended An A to Z of UK Drama is back for the continuation of its second series, starting off the second half of the alphabet with the letter N and The Nightmare Man...As the fog closes in on a remote Scottish islan

2.13 Moonbase 3

Jun 24th, 2023 1h 47m

The year is 2003 and Earth's intrepid humans have managed to set-up several bases on the moon. There they face the implacable enemy that is the silence and darkness of space - a serious and apparently underestimated threat to the mental wellbei

2.12 The Lotus Eaters

May 28th, 2023 2h 9m

Summer is finally here, so Andy & Martin are off on their hols to Crete to spend some time at Shepherd's Bar in Agios Nickolaos! Back in 1972 The Lotus Eaters was the flagship new BBC2 drama and the first of Michael J. Bird's quartet of Mediter

2.11 Kessler

1 Apr 22nd, 2023 2h 7m

Following their Secret Army episode last season, here Andy & Martin tackle its spin-off Kessler. The pair agree that its a very different show to its parent, which doesn't always hit the mark, but nevertheless boasts some fine acting, especiall

2.10 Jemima Shore Investigates

Mar 25th, 2023 1h 41m

Why, why, why? Jemima!!! This month Andy and Martin plunge themselves head first into the poorly-made Thames drama Jemima Shore Investigates and probably wish that they had not been so curious about it. Andy gets off lightly though, having only

2.9 Inspector Alleyn Mysteries

Feb 25th, 2023 1h 29m

This time Andy & Martin delve into Ngaio Marsh's Alleyn Mysteries which aired on the BBC in the early Nineties. Having watched the 1990 pilot 'Artists in Crime' and a 1993 episode 'Final Curtain' they are able to compare the performances of S

2.8 Harry's Game

Jan 21st, 2023 1h 33m

We return from our Christmas break for more of our second season of an A to Z of UK TV Drama...We begin 2023 by looking back at the Granada mini-series Harry's Game. First broadcast in 1982, this hard-hitting drama is best remembered now for

2.7 The Ginger Tree

Nov 14th, 2022 1h 30m

This month Andy and Martin review the 1989 adaptation of Oswald Wynd's novel The Ginger Tree, a 4-million pound co-production with NHK Tokyo and WGBH Boston. Starring Samantha Bond and Daisuke Ryu, this 4-part series tells the tale of Mary Mack

2.6 Fox

Oct 15th, 2022 1h 58m

Andy & Martin get their cock-er-nee on as they explore the London-set family saga Fox, executive-produced by Verity Lambert. Written by Trevor Preston (The Sweeney) and directed by Jim Goddard (Out) and boasting a stellar cast - Peter Vaughan,

2.5 Enchanted April

Sep 10th, 2022 1h 26m

For those who appreciate wisteria and sunshine... an advertisement in a newspaper captures the attention of two constrained and unhappy women from the London of the early 1920s: Lottie Wilkins (Josie Lawrence) and Rose Arbuthnott (Miranda Richa

2.4 The Day of the Triffids

Aug 13th, 2022 1h 59m

Andy and Martin turn their attention to a cult sci-fi classic from 1981: John Wyndham's post-apocalyptic tale of man versus plant: The Day of the Triffids. The pair consider how the series has aged, how it compares to similar dramas and what el

2.3 Cousin Bette

Jul 16th, 2022 1h 29m

While Andy is returning to an old favourite and a third viewing, Martin is seeing this 1971 adaptation of Honore de Balzac’s Cousin Bette for the first time. As with Barchester his worst fears are unfounded, in fact he, like confirmed fan Andy,

2.2 The Barchester Chronicles

Jun 18th, 2022 2h

The second episode of this new series of their podcast sees Andy and Martin visit sleepy Barsetshire and the quiet cathedral town of Barchester, where ecclesiastical and romantic intrigue is going to set tongues wagging and cassocks whirling.

2.1 Abigail's Party

May 14th, 2022 1h 51m

Andy and Martin return for another series of an A to Z of UK television drama and in time-honoured fashion are keeping it alphabetical. First up is the iconic Mike Leigh Play for Today: Abigail’s Party. Devised for the stage, and performed ov

27. The Zoo Gang

Jun 14th, 2021 1h 34m

We made it! The final episode of the first series of 'An A to Z of UK TV Drama' is in the can. Rather than choosing the rather obvious Z Cars we thought instead that with this instalment that we'd take a much overdue trip into the world of ITC

26. Yellowthread Street

May 14th, 2021 1h 12m

This Hong Kong-set series was one of the top-rated shows of 1990. Going out on ITV in the first quarter of the year this 13-part cop show was a big hit with audiences including an 18-year-old Andy but it passed Martin by completely. But how doe

25. The XYY Man

Apr 14th, 2021 1h 26m

It was always going to be The XYY Man for letter X, giving Andy the opportunity to finally take the cellophane off his DVD boxset. The series is about a repeat offender called Spider Scott, played by Stephen Yardley, who has an extra Y chromoso

24. The Woman in Black

Mar 14th, 2021 1h 40m

For the first time in this series Andy & Martin turn their attention to the ghost story genre with an examination of the the critically acclaimed 1989 Nigel Kneale adaptation of Susan Hill's novella The Woman in Black. This version sees Adrian

23b. Interview with David Tucker (director of all of A Very Peculiar Practice)

Feb 14th, 2021 51m 2s

Andy interviews David Tucker who directed every single episode of A Very Peculiar Practice and the sequel film A Very Polish Practice. He counts the experience as joyous and shares his memories of casting, filming and shaping the series.

23a. A Very Peculiar Practice

Feb 14th, 2021 2h 14m

In this episode we celebrate the BAFTA-nominated A Very Peculiar Practice and explore 'the swamp of fear and loathing' that is Lowlands University. Starring Peter Davison, Graham Crowden, Barbara Flynn, David Troughton, Amanda Hillwood and Joan

22. Ultraviolet

Jan 14th, 2021 1h 27m

Andy and Martin find themselves in their new slot of the 14th day of every month and thankfully (workload-wise) an episode with no extras to edit! This time we explore the culty 1998 6-part Channel 4 drama, Ultraviolet, written and directed by

21b. Interview with Lavinia Warner (Tenko's creator)

Dec 26th, 2020 59m 48s

Andy is excited to be speaking to none other than the creator of Tenko about her memories of creating the series while in her Twenties. She recalls how an edition of This is Your Life and a subsequent documentary 'Women in Captivity' brought ma

21a. Tenko Reunion

Dec 26th, 2020 2h 6m

Andy and Martin stutter a bit at 'T' in their alphabetical journey through archive TV, following up last time's Tenko episode with the Christmas finale to the popular series, first shown 35 years ago today. They decide that the Reunion special