UK
Upstairs, Downstairs is a British television drama series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975.
Set in a large townhouse in Edwardian, First World War and interwar Belgravia in London, the series depicts the lives of the servants “downstairs” and their masters—the family “upstairs”. Great events feature prominently in the episodes but minor or gradual changes are also noted. The series stands as a document of the social and technological changes that occurred between 1903 and 1930.
Secret Eaters is a British documentary television series about overeating. It is shown on Channel 4 and presented by Anna Richardson. There are 14 episodes in two series, airing starting 2013. The format for each 46 minutes episode is similar. With their permission, a couple people with eating habit problems are videoed in their home over a week. The subjects do not suspect that private investigators are also following and videoing them elsewhere. At the end of the week, in a set looking like a cafe, the true, substantial amount of what the subjects have eaten is revealed. The subjects are given some days to change their habits, and are brought back, showing considerable weight loss. This drama is intercut with a separate short story where the presenter and food experts test each episode some factor causing overeating.
Seconds from Disaster is a US/UK-produced documentary television programme that investigates historically relevant man-made and natural disasters of the 20th century. Each episode aims to explain a single incidental by analyzing the causes and circumstances that ultimately effected the disaster. The program uses re-enactments, interviews, testimonies, and CGI to analyze the sequence of events second-by-second for the audience.
Narrators for the show are Ashton Smith, Richard Vaughan and Peter Guinness.
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Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, often referred to as Captain Scarlet, is a 1960s British science-fiction television series produced by the Century 21 Productions company of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, John Read and Reg Hill. First broadcast on ATV Midlands from September 1967 to May 1968, it has since been transmitted in more than 40 other countries, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Characters are presented as marionette puppets alongside scale model sets and special effects in a filming technique that the Andersons termed “Supermarionation”. This technology incorporated solenoid motors as a means of synchronising the puppet’s lip movements with pre-recorded dialogue.
Set in 2068, Captain Scarlet presents the hostilities between Earth and a race of Martians known as the Mysterons. After human astronauts attack their city on Mars, the vengeful Mysterons declare war on Earth, initiating a series of reprisals that are countered by Spectrum, a worldwide security organisation. Spectrum boasts the extraordinary abilities of its primary agent, Captain Scarlet. During the events of the pilot episode, Scarlet acquires the Mysteron healing power of “retro-metabolism” and is thereafter considered to be virtually “indestructible”, being able to recover fully from injuries that would normally be fatal.
The adventures of the eponymous Lovejoy, a likeable but roguish antiques dealer based in East Anglia. Within the trade, he has a reputation as a “divvie”, a person with an almost supernatural powers for recognising exceptional items as well as distinguishing genuine antique from clever fakes or forgeries.
In this five-part reality event series, 11 British strangers are shocked to discover they are not going on a fun new reality show called “Summer Camp’” but actually participating in a horror whodunnit. Each night someone will be ‘murdered’ – and they must determine who the secret murderer is amongst them.
Guy-Am-I, an inventor, and his friend Sam-I-Am go on a cross-country trip that would test the limits of their friendship. As they learn to try new things, they find out what adventure brings.
Using highly advanced colourisation techniques, critical moments from World War II, from Stalingrad to The Battle of Britain, are shown in a whole new light.
The Sweeney is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. The programme’s title derives from Sweeney Todd, which is Cockney rhyming slang for “Flying Squad”.
The programme was shot entirely on 16mm film by Thames Television’s film division, Euston Films. It originally aired on ITV between 2 January 1975 and 28 December 1978 in the 9-10pm weekday slot with repeated showings at the same time until the early 1980s. It starred John Thaw as Detective Inspector Jack Regan, and Dennis Waterman as his partner Detective Sergeant George Carter. Such was its popularity in the UK that it spawned two theatrically released feature film spin-offs, Sweeney! and Sweeney 2.
The series aired during a dark period for the real-life Flying Squad. In the late 1970s, the Flying Squad was publicly censured for being involved in bribery, police corruption and excessively close links with the criminal fraternity. Unlike the unwavering high standards seen in the fictional Sweeney, the actual commander of the Flying Squad, Detective Chief Superintendent Kenneth Drury was convicted of five counts of corruption and jailed for eight years on 7 July 1977. An internal investigation, called Operation Countryman, was then launched to stamp out more corruption. A further 12 officers were convicted and many others resigned.
Adventure Inc. is a dramatised adventure television series produced primarily in Canada which aired from 30 September 2002 to 12 May 2003. It was a co-production of Fireworks Entertainment, Tribune Entertainment, M6, Amy International, and Tele München. The series premise was inspired by the work of modern-day explorer Barry Clifford.
Distribution was by syndication throughout the United States and by Global in Canada. Following its only season, the episodes were aired in Canada on Space.
June Clarke loses the money from the sale of her house to fraudsters and attends a support group for victims of such scams where she meets old school mate Des Grigsby. He persuades her to take a job caring for the mother of respected businessman Kirk Wiley, who he suspects is involved in the criminal enterprise that targeted both of them.
Amongst the vibrant international community of the eponymous Spanish island, a British and a German detective with very different approaches to policing have a clash of personalities. Despite – or perhaps because of – their very different approaches, the sleuths form a perfect complementary partnership as they seek to solve a new crime on the island each week.
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Observational documentary series following the work of staff at three very different veterinary practices located within the ancient Kingdom of Mourne in Northern Ireland.
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Minder is a British comedy-drama series about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV. The show ran for ten series between 29 October 1979 and 10 March 1994, and starred Dennis Waterman as Terry McCann, an honest and likable bodyguard and George Cole as Arthur Daley, a socially ambitious, but highly unscrupulous importer-exporter, wholesaler, used-car salesman, and anything else from which there was money to be made whether inside the law or not. The show was largely responsible for putting the word minder, meaning personal bodyguard, into the UK and Australian popular lexicon. The characters often drank at the local members-only Winchester Club, where owner and barman Dave acted, often unwillingly, as a message machine for Arthur, and turned a blind eye to his shady deals. The series was notable for using a range of leading British actors, as well as many up-and-coming performers before they hit the big time; at its peak was one of ITV’s biggest ratings winners.
In 2008, it was announced that Minder would go into production for broadcast in 2009 for a new version, although none of the original cast would appear in the new episodes. The new show focused on Arthur’s nephew, Archie, played by Shane Richie. The series began broadcast on 4 February 2009. In 2010, it was announced that no further episodes would be made following lukewarm reception to the first series.
Gold Digger tells the story of wealthy 60 year old Julia as she falls in love with Benjamin, a man 25 years her junior. As this six part series progresses the impact their unconventional relationship has on her family is explored and the secrets of their past are revealed. Has Julia finally found the happiness she’s always deserved? Or is Benjamin really the gold digger they think he is?
Set against the stunning Scottish landscape in and around Dundee, three compelling female characters — Emma Hedges, Prof. Sarah Gordon and Prof. Kathy Torrance — join forces to uncover the truth about an unsolved murder case that’s very close to home.
On an isolated English farm in 1657, Fanny lives a quiet life with her oppressive husband John and their young son. One day their life is rocked with the arrival of young couple Thomas and Rebecca who claim to have been robbed and need a place to stay. But are these strangers really who they say they are?
Ryan is a struggling son dealing with a constant internal battle regarding the inevitable loss of his Mother, and Sunny is desperate to escape the suffocating life that is depicted for her by her overbearing parents due to her being on the Autism spectrum. Both characters (and subsequently estranged family members) find themselves car-sharing to a funeral in Scotland. They have 3 days to feel comfortable in each other’s company while feeling comfortable in their own skin.
A feuding fairy King and Queen of the forest cross paths with four runaway lovers and a troupe of actors trying to rehearse a play. As their dispute grows, the magical royal couple meddle with mortal lives leading to love triangles, mistaken identities and transformations… with hilarious, but dark consequences.
Gemma’s childhood, a teenage troublemaker, turns into motherhood in Motherwell, a rusty Scottish steel town, a place where people either get knocked up or locked up, where innocent games can easily turn into serious crime.
A lonely shoe salesman and an eccentric performance artist struggle to connect in this unique take on contemporary life.
Prepare for a genre-bending horror mockumentary when a vlogger gains viral fame after one of his eerie videos contains an alleged out-of-this-world haunting. Following YouTuber Graham as he investigates the darker supernatural side of the web and dealing with the effects of being famous on the internet, this trip down a hellish rabbit hole includes interviews, cat videos, ripped YouTube content, fun nonsense, archive material, tension and unusual scares. Following in the footsteps of maverick independent filmmakers, this bold new feature is the perfect balance of horror and reality giving the found footage format a needed shot in the arm.
Lynn and Lucy are lifelong best friends, their relationship as intense as any romance. Neither has ventured far from where they grew up. Lynn, who married her first boyfriend and whose daughter is fast growing up, is delighted when the charismatic, volatile Lucy has her first baby boy. Lucy, however, does not react to being a mother as Lynn expects. Soon, they find their friendship is tested in extreme circumstances.
2038: George Almore is working on a true human-equivalent AI. His latest prototype is almost ready. This sensitive phase is also the riskiest. Especially as he has a goal that must be hidden at all costs: being reunited with his dead wife.
King Arthur returns home after fighting the Roman Empire. His illegitimate son has corrupted the throne of Camelot and King Arthur must reunite with the wizard Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table to fight to get back his crown.
