Memorable TV Plays

'Cathy Come Home' was the first TV play that i remember and really emotive. I think Ray Brookes was in it and he always made my teenage heart beat a lot faster. I remember him in a play about a polio victim (I think) set in a hospital.

We have 'Abigail's Party' and 'Nuts in May' on DVD and have indoctrinated all three DDs but DSs are unmoved.

Currently, anything by Jimmy McGovern is well worth watching. It seems a shame that good drama seems to be televised more in the afternoons now as I keep forgetting to record it.

Alan Bennet's Talking Heads series of plays. I particularly remember Maggie Smith as the alcoholic vicar's wife in A Bed among the Lentils. I still remember her comment about the virulent competitiveness of flower arranging and that, after drinking all the communion wine, she replaced it with Benylin cough mixture. Thora Hird also starred in one of these splendid one-handers – would it have been A Cream Cracker Under the Sofa?

The year that 'Cathy Come Home' was shown there were several really good plays in the series.
There was a play or series in the early 70's I think called 'the White Rabbit' about a British spy during the war. Kenneth Moore played the lead and did the film on condition it was only shown once I believe. It was very disturbing but also very good drama.
I STILL watch 'Goodbye Mr Tom' if I come across it! The original 'Carrie's War' was good too although I think a series.
One of the loveliest films I remember is a French film with no speaking called 'The Red Balloon' -

'Abigail's Party is one of my favourites. It rased my awareness of Mike Leigh and Alison Steadman, and I always expected something worth watching if they had their names on it.

'Goodbye Mister Tom' with the late much missed John Thaw.