The ninth edition of the A-Z of British Television series focuses, obviously, on the letter I, and all the wonderful (in one case weird) shows that come with it. This article takes a glance at a top level cop show in Inspector Morse, the fall and fall of Alan Partridge, when Z-listers seek fame on I’m a Celebrity..., the BBC churning out a rather good costume drama I, Claudius and what happens when the Royal Family are allowed to compete in foolish It’s a Knockout games.
Inspector Morse (ITV: 1987-2000)
One thing TV doesn’t lack is detective mysteries but in a massively saturated market few stand out as being truly amazing. Inspector Morse was one such example. Morse – played by cop show veteran John Thaw – captured the public’s imagination with well written stories and a central character that was smart but occasionally made mistakes. He was laid to rest in 2000, two years before Thaw dies of cancer.
Despite being one of the longest running crime dramas on British TV (13 years in total) there were only 33 episodes made, a sign of quality of quantity over most US shows that have that many outings per year. The legacy continues as spin-off Lewis (Kevin Whately in the titular role as Morse’s former sidekick) has recently finished its third series.
I’m Alan Partridge (BBC Two: 1997-2002)
Starting out life as the incompetent sports reporter for On The Hour (later The Day Today), the Alan Partridge character (Steve Coogan) became one of the most popular comedy creations of the ‘90s (originally conceived by the team of Coogan, Armando Iannucci, Stewart Lee and Richard Herring). He was eventually awarded his own chat show – Knowing Me, Knowing You...with Alan Partridge – although faced unemployment after punching the fictional commissioning editor of BBC Two Tony Hayers during his shoddy Christmas Special.
What followed was I’m Alan Partridge which showed the inept star trying to regain his fame, aided by his long-suffering assistant Lynn (Felicity Montagu), while presenting a graveyard slot on Radio Norwich and living in a hotel. Although the second series didn’t live up to expectations this was still a brilliantly funny sitcom full of instantly quotable lines (“back of the net”, “smell my cheese you mother”).
I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here (ITV1: 2002-)
In an age where television is chocked full of programmes contained the unfortunate phenomenon of “celebrity” within the title this sub-genre has pretty much become a parody of itself, especially when reality TV is concerned. All of which makes the success of I’m a Celebrity... more confusing as, like the others, it contains Z-list has-beens and nobodies all vying to make a name for themselves.
Perhaps it has something to do with the presenters Dick & Dom, sorry Ant & Dec or the humiliating “bushtucker trials” the contestants have to complete but either way it’s a ratings winner for ITV and a new series is being prepared for November. More importantly it is single-handedly responsible for proliferating the careers of Myleene Klass, Carol Thatcher, Joe Pasquale and reality TV producers in general. For that it can’t be forgiven.
I, Claudius (BBC Two: 1976)
Period dramas are all the rage in TV land, however few of them mange to base their plots on real events and people, rather get lost in their own whimsy. I, Claudius (or I, Clavdivs as Stephen Fry called it on an episode of QI due to the use of Latin letters) is based on the novels by Robert Graves and takes historically accurate accounts of Claudius’s life with infrequent dramatic license, featuring Derek Jacobi’s BAFTA winning performance in the lead.
Not only did it boast a fantastic ensemble cast of Bernard Hill, Christopher Biggins, Brian Blessed, John Hurt and Siân Phillips this remains as one of the few British dramas to make a positive impact in the USA. I, Claudius suffered a handful of imitations (for example The Cleopatras) as the BBC attempted to capitalise on its fame but they failed to capture the atmosphere and compelling nature.
It’s a Knockout (BBC One: 1967-1982, 1990, S4C: 1991-1994 Channel 5, 1999-2001)
It’s a Knockout was the British edition of a Europe-wide game show project conceived by French President Charles de Gaulle to give youngsters the chance to meet and create friendship links between countries. The result was an utterly absurd but fun mix of events, scenes of adults making fools of themselves and Stuart Hall’s fits of laughter that found a mainstream audience.
One famous charity special featured members of the British Royal Family and was met with a negative reaction from press and public. Channel 5 revived the format in 1999 but it fared as greatly as any show fronted by Keith Chegwin would and It’s a Knockout was subsequently axed two years later.
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