Quiz Monkey
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Quiz Monkey |
See also Crime Drama.
| Talking Heads (two series of dramatic monologues, BBC, 1988 and 1998) |
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Alan Bennett |
| (Boys From) The Black Stuff |
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Alan Bleasdale |
| Auf Wiedersehen Pet |
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Dick Clement |
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Ian La Frenais | |
| Downton Abbey: creator, producer and writer |
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Julian (Lord) Fellowes |
| Nuts in May (1976), Abigail's Party (1977) |
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Mike Leigh |
| Cathy Come Home (1966): director |
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Ken Loach |
| Line of Duty (BBC, 2012–21), Bodyguard (BBC, 2018–): creator and writer |
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Jed Mercurio |
| A Voyage Around My Father (autobiographical play, originally for TV 1963) |
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John Mortimer |
| House of Cards, To Play the King (both are series): writer |
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David Nobbs |
| The Beiderbecke Affair (1983), The Beiderbecke Tapes (1987), The Beiderbecke Connection (1988) – each a comedy–drama series |
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Alan Plater |
| Vote, Vote, Vote for Nigel Barton (1965) was the first drama – based on his own experiences as an election candidate – by |
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Dennis Potter |
| Pennies from Heaven (1978), The Singing Detective (1986), Blackeyes (1989), Lipstick on your Collar (1993), Cold Lazarus (1996), Karaoke (1996) – all series; see also Brimstone and Treacle (writer died from cancer in 1994) | ||
| Bar Mitzvah Boy, The Evacuees, The Knowledge, Spend Spend Spend (TV plays); London's Burning (original one–off drama); also wrote several early episodes for Coronation Street; died 2004 |
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Jack Rosenthal |
| Daughter of Albion, One for the Road |
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Willy Russell |
| Cathy Come Home, Edna the Inebriate Woman |
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Jeremy Sandford |
| Professional Foul (BBC2, 1977) |
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Tom Stoppard |
| Scott and Bailey (ITV, 2011–16); Last Tango in Halifax (BBC, 2012–20); Happy Valley (BBC, 2014–23) |
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Sally Wainwright |
| Seminal Mike Leigh drama, 1977, starring Alison Steadman as Beverley, largely improvised; title character never seen (being Beverley's daughter, whose party is being held next door) |
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Abigail's Party |
| BBC, 2017: based on a novel by Louise Doughty, stars Emily Watson as scientist Dr. Yvonne Carmichael |
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Apple Tree Yard |
| Created by former That's Life presenter Kieran Prenderville (1996–2001) |
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Ballykissangel |
| War drama miniseries (2001 – based on the true story of an actual unit in the US Army): created and produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, following their success with the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan; title is a quotation from Shakespeare's Henry V |
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Band of Brothers |
| "Some people stand in the darkness, afraid to step into the light": opening line of the theme song to |
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Baywatch |
| 1980s comedy drama series starring Ray Brooks as small–time gambler Robby Box |
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Big Deal |
| 1979 TV play by Dennis Potter (repeated in 2005 as part of a celebration of 1970s TV drama); about a group of children playing in the woods, all played by adults |
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Blue Remembered Hills |
| Title is a phrase from the poetry collection A Shropshire Lad, by A. E. Housman | ||
| Dennis Potter play, withheld by the BBC in 1976 as it depicted the rape of a disabled woman; filmed for the cinema in 1982 with Sting in the lead role; the TV version was shown by the BBC in 1986 |
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Brimstone and Treacle |
| BBC1, 1972–6: based around the Hammond family and their road haulage business |
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The Brothers |
| 1971–2: written by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall; starred Adam Faith as a cockney petty criminal (real name Ronald Bird), and Iain Cuthbertson as his Machiavellian Glaswegian associate Charlie Endell |
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Budgie |
| Warner Bros network, 1997–2003: created by Joss Whedon (who also co–wrote Toy Story); set in the fictional California town of Sunnydale; featured characters included Rupert Giles, Spike, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris and Anya |
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
| Started in 1967 as an edition of Armchair Theatre, entitled A Magnum for Schneider; title character had a sidekick called Lonely |
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Callan |
| BBC One, from 2012: based on the memoirs (published in 2002) of Jennifer Worth |
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Call the Midwife |
| 1966 play in the BBC's Wednesday Play series, written by Jeremy Sandford and directed by Ken Loach, about homelessness: coincidentally gave a welcome boost to the launch of the homelessness charity Shelter, a few days after its first broadcast; a Radio Times readers' poll in 1998 voted it the "best single television drama", and an industry poll in 2000 rated it as the second best British TV programme ever made (behind Fawlty Towers) |
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Cathy Come Home |
| ITV series, 1987: starred Nigel Havers as a suave conman, Rosemary Leach as his gullible victim, and Bernard Hepton as his vengeful pursuer |
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The Charmer |
| BBC mini–series, 1994 (and 1996 sequel), about a factory worker (Jed Sheppard) who becomes a country & western singer. Written by Jimmy Nail, who also starred and had a hit with the theme song |
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Crocodile Shoes |
| Dynasty spin–off, 1985–7 – starred Charlton Heston |
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The Colbys |
| 1960s series featuring Clarence the cross–eyed lion |
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Daktari |
| 1979 ITV series about a bomb disposal squad in London during World War II – starring Anthony Andrews as Lt. Brian Nash |
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Danger UXB |
| Based on a novel of the same title, the title coming from Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, which begins "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day .." |
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The Darling Buds of May |
| Set in Wisteria Lane, Fairview |
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Desperate Housewives |
| BBC series, 1984–7: starred Nerys Hughes as Megan Roberts, the title character |
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The District Nurse |
| March from Trevor Duncan's A Little Suite: theme tune to |
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Dr. Finlay's Casebook |
| BBC1, 2015 and 2017: stars Suranne Jones as a successful GP who suffers personal betrayal |
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Doctor Foster |
| US drama series, 1993–8: stars Jane Seymour in the title role – a physician who leaves Boston in search of adventure in the Old American West, settling in Colorado Springs, Colorado |
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Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman |
| ITV, 2016: Julian Fellowes adaptation of an Anthony Trollope novel, starring Tom Hollander in the title role |
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Doctor Thorne |
| Roscoe P. Coltrane, Jefferson Davies and Boss Hogg appeared in |
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The Dukes of Hazzard |
| ITV series 1978–80, about the German occupation of Guernsey in World War II |
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Enemy at the Door |
| 1981–6: starred Lee Majors as Colt Seavers, Hollywood stuntman and part–time bounty hunter |
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The Fall Guy |
| 2006 BBC4 biography of Kenneth Williams, starring Michael Sheen |
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Fantabulosa! |
| Based on a series of epic novels by George R. R. Martin, collectively entitled A Song of Ice and Fire; title of the TV series is that of the first book in the series, first published in 1996 (less the indefinite article) |
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Game of Thrones |
| BBC1, 2019: based on the real–life story of the Halifax industrialist Anne Lister – often called "the first modern lesbian" for her clear self–knowledge and openly lesbian lifestyle |
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Gentleman Jack |
| HBO, 2012–17: comedy–drama, created by and starring Lena Dunham, following the lives of four young women living in New York City |
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Girls |
| ABC, 2005 to date (Series 19 scheduled to begin in October 2022): Miranda Bailey and Richard Webber are the only characters, other than the title character, to have appeared in every series (to date) of |
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Grey's Anatomy |
ITV, 1969–76: starred Gerald Harper (previously known as Adam Adamant) in the title role, a paternalistic
landowner who sets about correcting local injustices |
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Hadleigh |
| ITV, 2017: set in a five–star London hotel during World War II; intended to fill the gap left by Downton Abbey, but cancelled after one series |
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The Halcyon |
| Netflix, 2013–18: political thriller series starring Kevin Spacey as Congressman Frank Underwood – adapted from the 1990 BBC miniseries of the same title; terminated after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against Spacey |
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House of Cards |
| BBC series, 1991–4: two sisters running a dressmaking business in the 1920s |
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House of Eliott |
| Always there – a top 20 hit for Marti Webb in 1986 – was the theme tune to |
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Howards' (sic) Way |
| Roger Moore got his big break (1958) in |
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Ivanhoe |
| Based on Paul Scott's Raj Quartet |
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The Jewel in the Crown |
| 1993 Dennis Potter series set in Whitehall during the Suez crisis: gave Ewan McGregor his first major role |
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Lipstick on your Collar |
| Sicknote and Bayleaf were the nicknames of characters in |
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London's Burning |
| BBC2, 1972–3: set on Crete and filmed in Aghios Nikolaos, it starred Ian Hendry and Wanda Ventham as a married couple, Erik and Ann Shepherd, who ran a tavern called Shepherd's Bar; in the final episode it was revealed that Ann was a "sleeper agent" of British Intelligence, and Erik a broken–down drunk whom she was made to marry as part of her cover story; a clash with Soviet and Chinese agents resulted in both of them having to leave Crete. Title comes from Homer |
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The Lotus Eaters |
| Based on a series of novels by Jonathan Gash; title character (played by Ian McShane) was a disreputable but likeable antiques dealer, who drove a battered Morris Minor convertible called Miriam |
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Lovejoy |
| Sky TV black comedy thriller series, 2011–, starring Max Beesley, Marc Warren, Philip Glenister and John Simm |
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Mad Dogs |
| 2007–15: US series, set in the 1960s, created by Matthew Wiener and starring Jon Hamm as advertising executive Don Draper; other characters include Peggy Olson (Draper's secretary in the early episodes, later a competitor), his colleague and frequent antagonist Pete Campbell, his ex–wife Betty (Francis), office manager Joan Holloway (later Harris), and senior partner Roger Sterling (Draper's one–time mentor) |
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Mad Men |
| Starred Patrick Duffy as amnesiac Mark Harris (1977–8) |
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Man from Atlantis |
| BBC miniseries, 2018: inspired by a non–fiction book, written by the BBC correspondent Misha Glenny and first published in 2008; starred James Norton as Alex Godman, the British–raised son of a Russian mafia boss |
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McMafia |
| BBC1, August–September 1986: adapted by Alan Bleasdale from a controversial book by William Allison and John Fairley; a speculative account of the First World War exploits of Percy Toplis (played by Paul McGann) |
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The Monocled Mutineer |
| Netflix series, beginning in 2015, starring Wagner Moura as drug baron Pablo Escobar |
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Narcos |
| 2016 BBC1 spy drama mini–series – based on a 1993 novel of the same title by John le Carré: won Golden Globe awards for Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman and Hugh Laurie |
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The Night Manager |
| Famous theme tune was an excerpt from Khachaturian's ballet Spartacus |
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The Onedin Line |
| First shown in 2013, became Netflix's most–watched original series (to date): a comedy–drama, based on Piper Kerman's 2010 memoir about her experiences at a minimum–security federal prison; set in Litchfield Penitentiary, in upstate New York (the real–life prison was FCI Danbury, in Connecticut); stars Taylor Schilling as Piper Chapman |
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Orange is the New Black |
| BBC, 2013–22: inspired by a real–life street gang operating in Birmingham in the late 19th and early 20th centuries |
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Peaky Blinders |
| 1987 Channel 4 series, based on Tom Sharpe's 1974 novel – starring David Jason as Skullion, the porter of a fictional Cambridge college |
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Porterhouse Blue |
| ITV, 1965–9: starred Patrick Wymark as hard–nosed businessman John Wilder (the character had previously appeared in The Plane Makers, 1963–5) |
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The Power Game |
| ITV, 1977: starred Anthony Valentine as E. W. Hornung's gentleman burglar |
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Raffles |
| The story of a pop group called The Little Ladies |
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Rock Follies |
| Series starring Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris as gardening detectives (2003–6) |
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Rosemary and Thyme |
| Based on a newspaper column by Candace Bushnell, represented in the series as Carrie Bradshaw |
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Sex and the City |
| ITV, 1993–2008: based on the novels of Bernard Cornwell, starred Sean Bean as the title character, a fictional British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars |
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Sharpe |
| 1980 miniseries, based on James Clavell's novel; starred Richard Chamberlain as John Blackthorne (Anjin–san); Michael Hordern played Friar Domingo |
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Shogun |
| BBC, 1986: title character, played by Bob Hoskins, was called Philip E. Marlowe |
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The Singing Detective |
| BBC1, 2009: two–part drama series, based on an Orange prize–winning novel of the same title by Andrea Levy |
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Small Island |
| Controversial Dennis Potter play of 1969, starring Colin Blakeley as Jesus |
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Son of Man |
| Tagline "MI5 – not 9 to 5" (BBC, 2002–11) |
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Spooks |
| Netflix, 2021: Korean survival drama in which 456 players, all deeply in debt, risk their lives to play a series of deadly children's games for the chance to win a prize of 45.6 billion won (£28.1 million) |
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Squid Game |
| US (cable) legal drama, first broadcast in 2011: Meghan Markle played paralegal Rachel Zane, leaving after her engagement to Prince Harry was announced (2017) |
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Suits |
| Australian wartime family drama, set in Melbourne (1976–83) |
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The Sullivans |
| 1973–6: starred Iain Cuthbertson as the Procurator Fiscal in a small Scottish town |
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Sutherland's Law |
| BBC, 2016–17: set in 1814, stars Tom Hardy as James Delaney, who returns to England after twelve years in Africa with fourteen stolen diamonds, following the death of his father and as the war with the United States nears its end |
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Taboo |
| BBC1, 1969–71: starred Lisa Goddard and Susan Jameson (and Angela Down) as three characters sharing a flat in "Swinging London"; theme music was Light Flight by Pentangle |
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Take Three Girls |
| BBC2, 1996–7: created by Amy Jenkins, broadcast at the height of the 'Cool Britannia' phenomenon; centred on the lives of a group twenty–something law graduates sharing a house in London – a "popular word–of–mouth hit"; Series 1 was repeated in 2020 following the death of executive producer Tony Garnett |
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This Life |
| 1983 miniseries: starred Richard Chamberlain as Father Ralph de Bricassart, a young, ambitious priest assigned to a remote Australian parish as punishment for insubordination – based on a 1977 novel by Colleen McCullough |
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The Thorn Birds |
| BBC, 1988: TV film starring Colin Firth, about the taking of a high point near Port Stanley by British forces during the Falklands war, and the experiences of a Scots Guards officer who was left hemiplegic after being shot in the head during the battle |
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Tumbledown |
| American action drama series, 2001–10 (with a short–lived revival in 2014): starred Kiefer Sutherland as counter–terrorist agent Jack Bauer |
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24 |
| 1988, Channel 4: based on a novel by Chris Mullin, teleplay by Alan Plater, starring Ray MacAnally as a left–wing politician who becomes Prime Minister |
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A Very British Coup |
| Three separate series, 1959 to 1995, based on the Para Handy stories of Neil Munro – named after Para Handy's boat (a 'Clyde puffer') |
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The Vital Spark |
| Created by Earl Hammer Jr. from his novel Spencer's Mountain (filmed 1963 starring Henry Fonda): piloted in a TV movie called The Homecoming: a Christmas Story (1971) |
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The Waltons |
| 1983 blockbuster miniseries, based on Herman Wouk's follow–up novel to The Caine Mutiny: starred Robert Mitchum as Victor 'Pug' Henry, a naval officer and confidante of President F. D. Roosevelt, and Ali McGraw as as Natalie Jastrow, who marries Pug's second son |
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The Winds of War |
| Italian–produced English–language series, starring Jude Law as the fictional Pope Pius XIII and Diane Keaton as his personal secretary, Sister Mary; broadcast on Sky Atlantic in October and November 2016 |
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The Young Pope |
| Adam Adamant | Title role |
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Gerald Harper | |
| Theme song sung by |
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Kathy Kirby | ||
| All Creatures Great and Small (BBC1, 1978–90 – not to be confused with the Channel 5 series which started in 2020) | Setting (fictional town) |
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Darrowby | |
| Pub |
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Drover's | ||
| James Herriot |
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Christopher Timothy | ||
| Herriot's senior partner |
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Siegfried Farnon | ||
| played by |
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Robert Hardy | ||
| Siegfried's irresponsible younger brother |
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Tristan | ||
| played by |
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Peter Davison | ||
| Helen Herriot (series 1–3) |
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Carol Drinkwater | ||
| Helen Herriot (series 4–7) |
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Linda Bellingham | ||
| Mrs. Pumphrey's pampered Pekingese |
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Tricki Woo | ||
| Ally McBeal | Title role played by |
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Callista Flockhart | |
| Theme song sung by |
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Vonda Shepherd | ||
| Set in (US city) |
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Boston | ||
| Angels | Name of the hospital |
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St. Angela's | |
| Auf Wiedersehen Pet | Barry, the "Brummie " electrician (sparks) from Wolverhampton |
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Timothy Spall | |
| Bomber (from the West Country) |
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Pat Roach | ||
| Bomber's real name |
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Brian Busbridge | ||
| Denis |
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Tim Healy | ||
| Moxey, the Liverpudlian plasterer |
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Christopher Fairbank | ||
| Neville |
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Kevin Whately | ||
| Leonard Jeffrey Osborne (invariably known as Oz) |
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Jimmy Nail | ||
| Wayne, the Cockney plasterer |
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Gary Holton | ||
| Singer and co–writer of the opening and closing theme songs (Breakin' Away and That's Livin' Alright); also sang As Time Goes By as the theme song for the 1990s BBC comedy series starring Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer |
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Joe Fagin | ||
| Setting for the first series (1983, German city) |
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Dusseldorf | ||
| Setting for the second series (1986): UK and |
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Spain | ||
| Series 3 (2002) featured the demolition of the famous Transporter Bridge in |
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Middlesbrough | ||
| Wayne's son in Series 3 (played by Noel Clarke) |
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Wyman | ||
| Series 4 (BBC, 2004): set in |
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Cuba | ||
| "Cuban" scenes were filmed in |
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Dominican Republic | ||
| Final 2–part special (Christmas 2004): set in |
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Thailand | ||
| Baywatch | David Hasselhoff's character |
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Mitch Buchannon | |
| Pamela Anderson's character |
|
'CJ' Parker | ||
| Bodyguard (BBC1, 2018) | Male lead (Afghanistan War veteran Sgt. David Budd): played by |
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Richard Madden | |
| Female lead (Home Secretary Julia Montague) |
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Keeley Hawes | ||
| Bouquet of Barbed Wire (ITV, 1976) | Prue |
|
Susan Penhaligon | |
| Prue's father, Peter |
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Frank Finlay | ||
| Boys from the Blackstuff (BBC2, 1982) | The series's most memorable character: catchphrase "I could do that – gizza job!";
memorable quote "I'm desperate, Dan" |
|
Jimmy 'Yosser' Hughes | |
| ... played by |
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Bernard Hill | ||
| Chrissie (previously played Carol's brother, Lucien Boswell, in The Liver Birds) |
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Michael Angelis | ||
| Chrissie's wife, Angie (arguably her breakthrough role) |
|
Julie Walters | ||
| Brass (ITV, 1973–4) | Setting (fictional Lancashire mining town) |
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Utterly | |
| Character played by Timothy West |
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Bradley Hardacre | ||
| Brideshead Revisited | Charles Rider |
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Jeremy Irons | |
| Sebastian Flyte |
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Anthony Andrews | ||
| Lord Marchmain |
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Laurence Olivier | ||
| Budgie (ITV, 1971–2) | Title role |
|
Adam Faith | |
| Budgie's suave and Machiavellian Glaswegian associate |
|
Charlie Endell | ||
| Played by |
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Iain Cuthbertson | ||
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Title role |
|
Sarah Michelle Gellar | |
| Buffy's Watcher – played by Anthony Head (usually known by his surname) |
|
(Rupert) Giles | ||
| Buffy's 'love interest', in Series 1 to 3: a vampire, he leaves Buffy after realising that he will never be able to give her a normal life; goes on to make amends for his sins and to search for redemption in his own spin–off series; played by David Boreanaz |
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Angel | ||
| Callan | Title role |
|
Edward Woodward | |
| Callan's first name |
|
David | ||
| Call the Midwife (BBC, 2012–) | Narrator (as the author, Jennifer Worth) |
|
Vanessa Redgrave | |
| Casanova (BBC TV 1971) | Title role |
|
Frank Finlay | |
| Casualty | Setting (city) |
|
Holby | |
| The last surviving character from the original episode |
|
Charlie Fairhead | ||
| ... played by |
|
Derek Thompson | ||
| The Charmer (1987) | Title role |
|
Nigel Havers | |
| Cilla (ITV mini–series, 2014) | Cilla Black |
|
Sheridan Smith | |
| Cold Feet (ITV, 1997–2003 and 2016–) | Adam Williams |
|
James Nesbitt | |
| Pete Gifford |
|
John Thomson | ||
| Jenny Gifford |
|
Fay Ripley | ||
| Rachel Bradley (original series only – not in the 2016 revival) |
|
Helen Baxendale | ||
| David Marsden |
|
Robert Bathurst | ||
| Karen Marsden |
|
Hermione Norris | ||
| The Crown (Netflix, 2016–) | The Queen (Elizabeth II) | Seasons 1 and 2 |
|
Claire Foy |
| Seasons 3 and 4 |
|
Olivia Colman | ||
| Season 5 |
|
Imelda Staunton | ||
| Princess Margaret | Seasons 1 and 2 |
|
Vanessa Kirby | |
| Season 3 |
|
Helena Bonham Carter | ||
| Prince Philip (the Duke of Edinburgh) | Seasons 1 and 2 |
|
Matt Smith | |
| Seasons 3 and 4 |
|
Tobias Menzies | ||
| Season 5 |
|
Jonathan Pryce | ||
| Winston Churchill (series 1 to 3) |
|
John Lithgow | ||
| Played by Emma Corrin in Series 4 and Elizabeth Debicki in Series 5 and 6 |
|
Lady/Princess Diana | ||
| The Darling Buds of May | Pop Larkin |
|
David Jason | |
| Ma Larkin |
|
Pam Ferris | ||
| Ma & Pop Larkin's eldest daughter, Mariette |
|
Catherine Zeta Jones | ||
| Desperate Housewives | Narrator |
|
Mary Alice Young | |
| Played by |
|
Brenda Strong | ||
| Susan Mayer (later known as Susan Delphino) |
|
Teri Hatcher | ||
| Lynette Scavo |
|
Felicity Huffman | ||
| Bree Van de Kamp |
|
Marcia Cross | ||
| Gabrielle Solis |
|
Eva Longoria | ||
| Dr. Finlay's Casebook | Doctor Finlay |
|
Bill Simpson | |
| Doctor Cameron |
|
Andrew Cruikshank | ||
| Their housekeeper, Janet MacPherson |
|
Barbara Mullen | ||
| Set in (fictional town) |
|
Tannochbrae | ||
| Tannochbrae was filmed in |
|
Callander | ||
| Dr. Kildare | Title role |
|
Richard Chamberlain | |
| Dr. Kildare's mentor |
|
Dr. Gillespie | ||
| Dr. Gillespie played by |
|
Raymond Massey | ||
| Doc Martin | Martin's surname |
|
Ellingham | |
| Downton Abbey (ITV, 2010–15) | Downton Abbey is the seat of the Earl of |
|
Grantham | |
| His family name |
|
Crawley | ||
| His first name |
|
Robert | ||
| The Earl was played by |
|
Hugh Bonneville | ||
| Lady Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess: played by |
|
Maggie Smith | ||
| Hampshire stately home that is filmed as Downton |
|
Highclere Castle | ||
| Name of the cook (played by Lesley Nicol) |
|
Mrs. (Beryl) Patmore | ||
| Name of the butler (played by Jim Carter) |
|
Mr. (Charles) Carson | ||
| The Earl of Grantham's beloved pet labrador – put down in Series 5, suffering from cancer (its name had acquired controversial overtones) |
|
Isis | ||
| The Durrells (ITV, 2016–19) | Louisa Durrell (the mother) |
|
Keeley Hawes | |
| Edge of Darkness (BBC series, 1985) | Detective Ronald Craven |
|
Bob Peck | |
| Edna the Inebriate Woman (1971) | Title role played by |
|
Patricia Hayes (d. 1998) | |
| Edward and Mrs. Simpson (1978) | Edward VIII / Duke of Windsor |
|
Edward Fox | |
| Edward the Seventh (ITV, 1975) | Title role (as an adult) |
|
Timothy West | |
| Queen Victoria |
|
Annette Crosbie | ||
| Elizabeth R (1970s) | Title role |
|
Glenda Jackson | |
| Enemy at the Door (ITV, 1978–80) | Set in |
|
Guernsey | |
| An Englishman Abroad (BBC one–off drama, 1983) | Screenplay |
|
Alan Bennett | |
| Guy Burgess |
|
Alan Bates | ||
| Played herself (Australian–American actress who met Burgess while touring the Soviet Union in 1958) |
|
Coral Browne | ||
| ER (1994–2009) | Creator (executive producer, and writer of the original one–off drama – based on his own experiences as a hospital doctor) |
|
Michael Crichton | |
| Dr. Doug Ross (1994–9) |
|
George Clooney | ||
| A Family at War (ITV, 1970–2) | Name of the family |
|
Ashton | |
| The Forsyte Saga (BBC, 1967) | Soames |
|
Eric Porter | |
| Young Jolyon |
|
Kenneth More | ||
| Irene |
|
Nyree Dawn Porter | ||
| Game of Thrones (HBO, 2011–) | Lord of Winterfell (in Series 1 only) – played by Sean Bean |
|
Eddard 'Ned' Stark | |
| Second child and eldest daughter of the above: raised as a lady, and traditionally feminine, she often finds herself used as a pawn in the machinations of the other characters; played by Sophie Turner |
|
Sansa Stark | ||
| Illegitimate son of Sean Bean's character, who joins and eventually leads the Night's Watch guarding the northern borders; played by Kit Harington |
|
Jon Snow | ||
| Distant cousin of the former king, Aerys II, who seized the throne from him and crushed his dynasty; played by Mark Addy; killed in the first novel/series |
|
Robert Baratheon | ||
| Wife of the above, who becomes queen regnant (the first in the history of the Seven Kingdoms) after all her children die, and is the last monarch to sit on the Iron Throne; killed in the Battle of Kings Landing, along with her twin brother Jaime; played by Lena Headey |
|
Cersei Lannister | ||
| Youngest daughter of Aerys II, and one of the last surviving members of his family; the 'mother of dragons'; played by Emilia Clarke |
|
Daenerys Targaryen | ||
| Described by the New York Times as "a dwarf ... a cynic, a drinker, an outcast and unquestionably the novels' most intelligent presence"; played by Peter Dinklage |
|
Tyrion Lannister | ||
| Glee (Fox, 2009–15) | Name of the school |
|
William McKinley High | |
| Real–life city in Ohio, in which the series (including the fictional school) was set |
|
Lima | ||
| Name of the Glee Club |
|
New Directions | ||
| Grey's Anatomy | Set in (real–life US city) |
|
Seattle | |
| First name of the title character (played by Ellen Pompeo) |
|
Meredith | ||
| Cristina Yang (one of the principal colleagues of the title character) |
|
Sandra Oh | ||
| Happy Valley (BBC, 2014 and 2016) | Strong–willed police sergeant Catherine Cawood |
|
Sarah Lancashire | |
| Catherine's sister, Clare Cartwright (a recovering alcoholic and heroin addict) |
|
Siobhan Finneran | ||
| Hazell | Writers: Gordon Williams and |
|
Terry Venables | |
| Hazell was played by |
|
Nicholas Ball | ||
| Holby City | Mark Williams (2005–11) |
|
Robert Powell | |
| Homeland | US Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody |
|
Damian Lewis | |
| CIA case officer Carrie Mathison |
|
Claire Danes | ||
| House of Cards | Prime Minister David Urquhart: played by (d. 2007) |
|
Ian Richardson | |
| I, Claudius (BBC2, 1976) | Title role |
|
Derek Jacobi | |
| Livia (Claudius's grandmother) |
|
Sian Rees | ||
| Augustus |
|
Brian Blessed | ||
| Caligula |
|
Jon Hurt | ||
| Nero |
|
Christopher Biggins | ||
| Jesus of Nazareth (ITV, 1977) | Jesus |
|
Robert Powell | |
| The Virgin Mary |
|
Olivia Hussey | ||
| Mary Magdalene |
|
Anne Bancroft | ||
| Roman Centurion |
|
Ernest Borgnine | ||
| The Adulteress |
|
Claudia Cardinale | ||
| Balthazar |
|
James Earl Jones | ||
| Melchior |
|
Donald Pleasence | ||
| Barabbas |
|
Stacy Keach | ||
| Joseph of Arimathea |
|
James Mason | ||
| Judas Iscariot |
|
Ian McShane | ||
| Nicodemus |
|
Laurence Olivier | ||
| Herod Antipas |
|
Christopher Plummer | ||
| Caiaphas |
|
Anthony Quinn | ||
| Simeon |
|
Ralph Richardson | ||
| Pontius Pilate |
|
Rod Steiger | ||
| Herod the Great |
|
Peter Ustinov | ||
| John the Baptist |
|
Michael York | ||
| Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa! (BBC4, 2006) | Title role |
|
Michael Sheen | |
| Kung Fu | 'Grasshopper' was played by |
|
David Carradine | |
| London's Burning | Writer of the original one–off drama |
|
Jack Rosenthal | |
| Fire station |
|
Blackwall | ||
| Watch |
|
Blue | ||
| Nickname of firefighter Mike Wilson – played by James Hazeldine |
|
Bayleaf | ||
| Nickname of Bert Quigley (a chronic hypochondriac, played by Richard Walsh) |
|
Sicknote | ||
| Lou Grant | … was a spin–off from (sitcom) |
|
Mary Tyler–Moore Show | |
| Title role |
|
Ed Asner | ||
| Paper that he worked on (in real life, last published in 1960) |
|
Los Angeles Tribune | ||
| The Love Boat | Name of the cruise ship (usually – there were others) |
|
Pacific Princess | |
| Man at the Top | Joe Lampton |
|
Kenneth Haigh | |
| Minder | The eponymous character |
|
Terry McCann | |
| Played by |
|
Dennis Waterman | ||
| Theme song (sung by Waterman) |
|
I could be so good for you | ||
| "The world's your lobster" was a classic line spoken by (character) |
|
Arthur Daley | ||
| Arthur Daley played by |
|
George Cole | ||
| Arthur's "pet" name for his wife |
|
'er indoors | ||
| Arthur Daley's club |
|
The Winchester | ||
| Steward at the Winchester |
|
Dave | ||
| played by |
|
Glyn Edwards | ||
| Arthur's nephew – who replaced Terry for the last 3 series |
|
Ray (Daley) | ||
| Police Inspector played by Patrick Malahide |
|
Chisholm | ||
| 2009 Channel 5 revival: Arthur's nephew Archie was played by |
|
Shane Richie | ||
| Archie's minder (played by Lex Shrapnel) |
|
Jamie Cartwright | ||
| Mo (2010) | Title role (Mo Mowlam, the popular but controversial Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, who suffered from a brain tumour and died in 2005 aged 55) |
|
Julie Walters | |
| The Naked Civil Servant (1975) | Title role (eccentric writer and raconteur Quentin Crisp) |
|
John Hurt | |
| The Onedin Line | James Onedin |
|
Peter Gilmore | |
| Anne Onedin |
|
Anne Stallybrass | ||
| Name of the schooner – Onedin's first ship |
|
Charlotte Rhodes | ||
| Captain of the ship |
|
William Baines | ||
| Our Friends in the North (BBC2, 1996) | Set in |
|
Newcastle–upon–Tyne | |
| Nicky Hutchinson, who returns to Newcastle at the start of the series after volunteering for the summer (of 1964) in the US civil rights movement |
|
Christopher Eccleston | ||
| Geordie Peacock |
|
Daniel Craig | ||
| Peak Practice | Name of the surgery |
|
The Beeches | |
| Peaky Blinders (BBC, 2014–22) | Name of the central family |
|
Shelby | |
| Planet of the Apes | Ape played by Roddy McDowall – named after a Greek physician of the 2nd century AD; also the surname of the surgeon in the 1968 Planet of the Apes film |
|
Galen | |
| Pride and Prejudice (BBC1, 1995) | Elizabeth Bennet |
|
Jennifer Ehle | |
| Mr. Darcy |
|
Colin Firth | ||
| Mrs. Bennet |
|
Alison Steadman | ||
| Rita, Sue and Bob Too (BBC1, 1986) | Rita: went on to star in Coronation Street (as Josie Philips, 1989–90), Clocking Off (BBC, 2000–2002), Benidorm (ITV, 2007–2015), Downton Abbey (ITV, 2010–2013) and Happy Valley (BBC, 2014–), and (as Mrs. Swift) in the film The Selfish Giant (2013) |
|
Siobhan Finneran | |
| Sue: also played Tina Fowler in Coronation Street (1989–90), Yvonne Sparrow in Goodnight Sweetheart (1993–6), Connie Harper in Merseybeat (BBC, 2001–4) |
|
Michelle Holmes | ||
| Bob: also played Nevison Gallagher in Happy Valley |
|
George Costigan | ||
| Bob's wife, Michelle: also starred in The Full Monty (1997), Naked (1993), and as Janet Scott in Scott & Bailey (ITV, 2011–16) |
|
Lesley Sharp | ||
| Robin Hood (2006) | Sheriff of Nottingham |
|
Keith Allen | |
| Robin of Sherwood (1984–6) | Robin Hood (series 1 & 2) |
|
Michael Praed | |
| Robin Hood (series 3) |
|
Jason Connery | ||
| Will Scarlett |
|
Ray Winstone | ||
| Little John |
|
Clive Mantle | ||
| The Royal | Name of the hospital |
|
St. Aidan's | |
| Sex and the City | Set in (real–life US city) |
|
New York | |
| Narrator |
|
Carrie Bradshaw | ||
| Played by |
|
Sarah Jessica Parker | ||
| Character introduced as a "40–ish movie producer" known for dating a multitude of younger men; played by British–Canadian actress Kim Cattrall |
|
Samantha Jones | ||
| "art dealer with a Connecticut blue-blooded upbringing", played by Kristin Davis |
|
Charlotte York | ||
| "Harvard–educated lawyer with a cynical take on relationships and men – a fiery career–minded red–head", played by Cynthia Nixon |
|
Miranda Hobbes | ||
| Nickname of the character played by Chris Noth – the narrator's primary on–and–off love interest – said to be based on Ron Galotti, former publisher of GQ and Talk; his name is eventually revealed to be John James Preston |
|
(Mr.) Big | ||
| The Singing Detective | Singing star (actually he was miming!) |
|
Bob Hoskins | |
| Sherlock (BBC1, 2010–) | Sherlock Holmes |
|
Benedict Cumberbatch | |
| Dr. Watson |
|
Martin Freeman | ||
| Detective Inspector Lestrade |
|
Rupert Graves | ||
| Mycroft Holmes |
|
Mark Gatiss | ||
| Mrs. Hudson |
|
Una Stubbs | ||
| Squaring the Circle | Played by Bernard Hill |
|
Lech Walesa | |
| St. Elsewhere (1982–8) | Starred as Dr. Philip Chandler; went on to win two Oscars |
|
Denzel Washington | |
| Tales of the Unexpected | was based on the stories of |
|
Roald Dahl | |
| Telford's Change | The eponymous banker was played by |
|
Peter Barkworth | |
| William Tell | Title role |
|
Conrad Phillips | |
| Testament of Youth (1979) | Vera Brittain |
|
Cheryl Campbell | |
| Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; also Smiley's People | Smiley |
|
Alec Guinness | |
| 24 | US President, played by Dennis Haysbert |
|
David Palmer | |
| Twin Peaks | Eccentric FBI agent with a fondness for coffee and cherry pie |
|
Dale Cooper | |
| Played by |
|
Kyle MacLachlan | ||
| Homecoming Queen, whose body was found in the pilot episode |
|
Laura Palmer | ||
| Played by |
|
Sheryl Lee | ||
| Margaret Lanterman – "crazy" woman, apparently with supernatural powers |
|
The Log Lady | ||
| Sheriff (played by Michael Ontkean) |
|
Harry S. Truman | ||
| Upstairs, Downstairs | Name of the family |
|
Bellamy | |
| Address of the house |
|
165 Eaton Place | ||
| Name of the cook |
|
Mrs. Bridges | ||
| Played by |
|
Angela Baddeley | ||
| Name of the butler |
|
Hudson | ||
| Played by |
|
Gordon Jackson | ||
| Lady Marjorie Bellamy dies on the |
|
Titanic | ||
| The West Wing | Name of the President (for most of the series) |
|
Josiah Edward 'Jed' Bartlet | |
| Played by |
|
Martin Sheen | ||
| Wolf Hall (BBC2, 2015) | Thomas Cromwell |
|
Mark Rylance | |
| Henry VIII |
|
Damian Lewis | ||
| Anne Boleyn |
|
Claire Foy | ||
| When the Boat Comes In | Set in (fictional north–east town) |
|
Gallowshield | |
| First World War veteran Jack Ford |
|
James Bolam | ||
| Theme song sung by |
|
Alex Glasgow | ||
| The World of Wooster (BBC, 1965–7) | Bertie Wooster |
|
Ian Carmichael | |
| Jeeves |
|
Dennis Price | ||
© Haydn Thompson 2017–23