Screen One

Screen One is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 between 1989 and 1993.

Following the demise of the BBC's Play for Today which ran from 1970 to 1984, producer Kenneth Trodd was asked to formulate a new series of one-off television dramas. However, while Play for Today's style had often been a largely studio-based form of theatre on television, the new series was to follow the lead taken by Channel 4's television films many of which had been released in cinemas. The result was Screen Two which ran from 1985 to 1994 on BBC2.

In 1989 the Screen One strand began broadcasting on the more mainstream BBC1.

The third series' A Question of Attribution adapted from the Alan Bennett play won the 1992 BAFTA TV award for Best Single Drama and Prunella Scales was nominated for Best Actress.

From the fifth series A Foreign Field starring Alec Guinness, Lauren Bacall and Jeanne Moreau and Wide-Eyed and Legless saw a cinema release. Wide-Eyed and Legless starring Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent was renamed The Wedding Gift in America.

Screen One attracted many names familiar to television and film audiences including Alfred Molina, Sean Bean, David Thewlis, Ray Winstone, Alan Bates, Judi Dench, James Fox, Keith Allen, Bob Peck, Alun Armstrong, Marina Sirtis, David Jason, Brenda Blethyn, James Bolam, Adrian Edmondson, Alison Steadman, Timothy West, Clive Russell and Janet McTeer. The fifth series episode Royal Celebration saw the screen debut of Keira Knightley.

By 1993, the prevailing mood within the BBC was to move away from single dramas and concentrate production on series and serials.

Series One

TX Date Title Director Writer Main cast
10/09/89 One Way Out Robert Young Mick Ford Bob Peck, Denis Lawson, Samantha Bond, Enn Reitel
17/09/89 Nineteen 96 Karl Francis G. F. Newman Keith Barron, Alun Armstrong, Keith Allen, Dudley Sutton, Roger Brierley
24/09/89 The Accountant Les Blair Geoffrey Case Alfred Molina, David Graham
01/10/89 Home Run Nicholas Renton Andy Armitage Michael Kitchen, Tom Georgeson, Keith Barron, Dean Harris, Dominic Jephcott, Christine Kavanagh
08/10/89 She's Been Away Peter Hall Stephen Poliakoff Peggy Ashcroft, James Fox, Michael Carter, Rosalie Crutchley, Donald Douglas, David Hargreaves, Geraldine James, Hugh Lloyd, René Zagger
15/10/89 The Mountain and the Molehill Moira Armstrong David Reid Michael Gough, John Carson, Paul Brooke
22/10/89 Blore M.P. Robert Young Robin Chapman Timothy West, Oscar Quitak, James Warwick, Barry Jackson, Stephen Moore, Ray Winstone, David Jackson
27/12/89 Ball-Trap on the Cote Sauvage Jack Gold Andrew Davies Jack Shepherd, Zoe Wanamaker, Miranda Richardson, Michael Kitchen

Series Two

TX Date Title Director Writer Main cast
02/09/90 News Hounds Les Blair Les Blair (uncredited) Adrian Edmonson, Alison Steadman, Steven Mackintosh
09/09/90 Frankenstein's Baby Robert Bierman Emma Tennant Nigel Planer
16/09/90 The Police Ian Knox Arthur Ellis Oliver Ford Davies, Derek Martin
23/09/90 Sweet Nothing Tony Smith Vincent O'Connell Lee Ross, Charlotte Coleman, Simon Cadell, Victor Maddern, Michael Melia
30/09/90 Can You Hear Me Thinking? Christopher Morahan Monty Haltrecht & Beverley Marcus Judi Dench, Michael Williams, Charmian May, Pik-Sen Lim, Cyril Shaps
07/10/90 One Last Chance Gabrielle Beaumont Andrew Kazamia Marina Sirtis, Bernard Spear, Eileen Way
14/10/90 Sticky Wickets Dewi Humphreys Fletcher Watkins Alun Armstrong, James Bolam, Gillian Elisa, George Sewell, William Thomas
21/10/90 Survival of the Fittest Martyn Friend Julian Mitchell Timothy West, Jean Anderson, Nerys Hughes, Elizabeth Spriggs
11/12/90 Dark City Chris Curling David Lan
01/01/91 Happy Feet Michael Bradwell Michael Bradwell Phyllis Logan, Jim Broadbent, Chris Jury
20/06/91 Skulduggery Phil Davis Phil Davis

Series Three

TX Date Title Director Writer Main cast
01/09/91 Hancock Tony Smith William Humble Alfred Molina, Frances Barber, Clive Russell, Paul Brooke
08/09/91 Tell Me That You Love Me Bruce MacDonald Adrian Hodges Judith Scott, Sean Bean, James Wilby, Michael Cochrane
15/09/91 Filipina Dreamgirls Les Blair Andrew Davies Bill Maynard, Charlie Drake, David Thewlis, Geoffrey Hutchings, Lee Cornes
29/09/91 Ex Paul Seed William Humble Griff Rhys Jones, Geraldine James, Penny Downie, Dermot Crowley, Mary Jo Randle, Bruce Montague, Colin Douglas
06/10/91 Prince David Wheatley Julie Burchill Sean Bean, Janet McTeer
13/10/91 Alive and Kicking Robert Young Al Hunter Ashton Lenny Henry, Robbie Coltrane, Jane Horrocks, Paul Barber
20/10/91 A Question of Attribution John Schlesinger Alan Bennett James Fox, Prunella Scales, Geoffrey Palmer, David Calder, John Cater, Edward de Souza
01/01/92 Adam Bede Giles Foster Maggie Wadey Patsy Kensit, Julia McKenzie, Jean Marsh, Freddie Jones, Paul Brooke, Patsy Byrne, Roy Evans, Edward Jewesbury, Michael Robbins

Series Four

TX Date Title Director Writer Main cast
06/09/92 A Very Polish Practice David Tucker Andrew Davies Peter Davison, David Troughton, Joanna Kanska, Alfred Molina, Gertan Klauber
20/09/92 Born Kicking Mandie Fletcher Barry Hines John Abineri, Nicholas Courtney, Norman Bird, Thomas Craig, George Irving, Terry Wogan, David McAlister, Sheila Ruskin, Garfield Morgan, Norman Mitchell
27/09/92 Black and Blue David Hayman G. F. Newman Linus Roache, Martin Shaw, Iain Glen, Ray Winstone, David Morrissey, Don Henderson, David Thewlis, Madhav Sharma, Colin McFarlane
04/10/92 Seconds Out Bruce MacDonald Lynda La Plante Steven Waddington, Tom Bell, Derek Newark, Jack Watson, Nick Brimble, Frank Mills, Thomas Craig, Tim Barlow, Eric Mason
11/10/92 Running Late Udayan Prasad Simon Gray Peter Bowles, Michael Byrne, James Fleet, Jim McManus, Ian McNeice, Roshan Seth
18/10/92 Losing Track Jim Lee Roger Eldridge Alan Bates, Geraldine James, Michael Culver
25/10/92 Trust Me Tony Dow Tony Sarchet Alfred Molina, Hywel Bennett, Jill Gascoine, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Edna Doré, Harry Towb, Derek Benfield, David Simeon
31/10/92 Ghostwatch Lesley Manning Stephen Volk Michael Parkinson, Sarah Greene, Mike Smith, Craig Charles

Series Five

TX Date Title Director Writer Main cast
05/09/93 Wide-Eyed and Legless Richard Loncraine Deric Longden & Jack Rosenthal Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Thora Hird, Moya Brady
12/09/93 A Foreign Field Charles Sturridge Roy Clarke Alec Guinness, Leo McKern, Geraldine Chaplin, Lauren Bacall, Jeanne Moreau
19/09/93 Down Among the Big Boys Charles Gormley Peter McDougall Billy Connolly, Maggie Bell, Ashley Jensen
26/09/93 Royal Celebration Ferdinand Fairfax William Humble Kenneth Cranham, Minnie Driver, Rupert Graves, Leslie Phillips, Keira Knightley, Gordon Salkilld
03/10/93 Tender Loving Care Dewi Humphreys Lucy Gannon Dawn French, Rosemary Leach, Joan Sims, Peter Jones, Llewellyn Rees
10/10/93 Money for Nothing Mike Ockrent Tim Firth Julian Glover, Martin Short, Christien Anholt, Paul Reynolds, Tim Preece, Wolf Kahler
17/10/93 Wall of Silence Philip Saville Maurice Gran & Laurence Marks Bill Paterson, Warren Mitchell, Timothy Busfield, John Bowe, Brigitte Kahn
24/10/93 The Bullion Boys Christopher Morahan Jim Hitchmough David Jason, Tim Pigott-Smith, Gorden Kaye, Brenda Blethyn, Geoffrey Hutchings, Paul Angelis

Series Six

TX Date Title Director Writer Main cast
02/10/94 Murder in Mind Robert Bierman Jenny Diski Cathryn Harrison, Trevor Eve, Anna Massey, Steven Mackintosh, Bruce Alexander
16/10/94 Doggin' Around Desmond Davis Alan Plater Elliott Gould, Geraldine James, Alun Armstrong, Ewan McGregor, Liz Smith, Ronnie Scott, Stephen Marcus, Jamie Foreman, Larry Lamb, Judy Flynn

External links