Oxbridge Blues
| Oxbridge Blues | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Frederic Raphael |
| Theme music composer | Richard Holmes |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Production | |
| Producer | James Cellan Jones |
| Cinematography | John Hooper |
| Running time | 75 minutes |
| Production company | BBC |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC2 |
| Release | 14 November – 19 December 1984 |
Oxbridge Blues is a British television mini-series, produced by the BBC and first shown in 1984. It is an anthology of seven 75-minute teleplays, most of which focus on relationships of one kind or another. Most of the teleplays except one take place in England; "He'll See You Now" takes place in the U.S., and "Sleeps Six" takes place in England and France. The series won the 1987 CableACE Award for Best Dramatic Series, and individual episodes garnered several other awards and nominations.[1]
The eponymous first teleplay in the series, "Oxbridge Blues", was nominated for a BAFTA television award for Best Single Drama. The series was broadcast in the U.S. on A&E in 1986 and on PBS in 1988.[2] In Australia, the series was broadcast on ABC in 1987.[3]
The seven teleplays are dramatized from short stories by the novelist Frederick Raphael, and he described the series as "mostly kind of chamber pieces — modest dramas about love and sex and honour and marriage".[2] Raphael directed one episode, James Cellan Jones directed four, and Richard Stroud directed two.
In December 1984, the BBC published the seven teleplays together in book form, entitled Oxbridge Blues and Other Plays for Television.[4]
Episodes
Each episode of Oxbridge Blues is a separate and unrelated story, with different characters in each.
| # | Title | Director | Original airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Oxbridge Blues" | James Cellan Jones | 14 November 1984 | |
|
Two rival brothers find their fame and fortune is dramatically altered when one becomes a best-selling sex novelist. | ||||
| 2 | "That Was Tory" | Richard Stroud | 21 November 1984 | |
|
Old passions and new jealousies provoke an odd coupling between a married man and the wife of his good friend. | ||||
| 3 | "Similar Triangles" | James Cellan Jones | 28 November 1984 | |
|
The thrill is gone for two adulterous lovers when the spouse of one dies. | ||||
| 4 | "He'll See You Now" | Frederic Raphael | 28 November 1984 | |
|
A neurotic actress is tempted into a more intimate relationship with her analyst. | ||||
| 5 | "The Muse" | Richard Stroud | 5 December 1984 | |
|
A wimpish cartoonist takes on the rough-'n-tumble personality traits of his most popular character. | ||||
| 6 | "Cheap Day" | James Cellan Jones | 12 December 1984 | |
|
A chance meeting with a handsome stranger tempts a happily married woman into testing the water of infidelity. | ||||
| 7 | "Sleeps Six" | James Cellan Jones | 19 December 1984 | |
|
An idyllic holiday in the South of France turns into an ordeal for a film producer and his loving wife. | ||||
Main cast
- Ian Charleson – Victor Geary ("Oxbridge Blues")
- Rosalyn Landor – Wendy ("Oxbridge Blues")
- Amanda Redman – Maxine ("Oxbridge Blues")
- Michael Elphick – Curly Bonaventura ("Oxbridge Blues")
- Malcolm Stoddard – Philip Geary ("Oxbridge Blues"); Michael ("Similar Triangles")
- Kate Fahy – Eileen ("Similar Triangles"); Lizzie (Cheap Day")
- Ciaran Madden – Laura ("Cheap Day"); Rachel ("Similar Triangles")
- Norman Rodway – Alec ("Cheap Day"); Narrator ("Similar Triangles")
- Geoffrey Palmer – Fred ("Cheap Day")
- Christopher Good – James ("Cheap Day")
- Ben Kingsley – Geoff Craven ("Sleeps Six")
- Diane Keen – Sherry Craven ("Sleeps Six")
- Jeremy Child – Philip Witham ("Sleeps Six")
- Jackie Smith-Wood – Lady Jane Witham ("Sleeps Six")
- Susan Sarandon – Natalie ("He'll See You Now")
- Barry Dennen – Dr. Stein ("He'll See You Now")
- David Suchet – Colin ("The Muse")
- Frances Tomelty – Angela Lane ("The Muse")
- Carol Royle – Tory ("That Was Tory"); Ellen ("The Muse")
- John Bird – Clive ("That Was Tory")
- Joanna Lumley – GiGi ("That Was Tory")
Music
The series theme music was composed by Richard Holmes, and sung by the English group Cantabile.
Awards and nominations
- The series won the 1987 CableACE Award for Best Dramatic Series.[1]
- The first episode, "Oxbridge Blues", was nominated for a BAFTA television award for Best Single Drama.[5][1]
- Susan Sarandon won the 1987 CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Dramatic Series for her performance in the episode "He'll See You Now".[1]
- Frederic Raphael won the 1987 CableACE Award for Best Writing a Dramatic Series, for episode "Sleeps Six".[1]
- Ben Kingsley was nominated for a CableACE Award for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series for his performance in the episode "Sleeps Six".[1]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f Oxbridge Blues – Awards
- ^ a b Blau, Eleanor. "TV Notes." New York Times. April 28, 1988.
- ^ Hooks, Barbara. "Oxbridge Blues Are Not Easy to Come By." The Age. August 27, 1987.
- ^ Raphael, Frederic. Oxbridge Blues and Other Plays for Television. BBC Books, 1984.
- ^ Television Nominations 1984 at BAFTA
External links
- Oxbridge Blues at IMDb
- Oxbridge Blues at TV.com
- Oxbridge Blues at the BFI