"G.B.H." (1991) TV mini-series

User Rating:

8.7/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

6 June 1991 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Michael Murray is an ambitious and charismatic politician, Jim Nelson is a much loved headmaster of a local school for disturbed children...

Plot Keywords:

School | Headmaster | Entire Title Is Capitalized Acronym | Strike | Politics

Awards:

3 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Robert Lindsay	...	Michael Murray (7 episodes, 1991)
Michael Palin	...	Jim Nelson (7 episodes, 1991)
Dearbhla Molloy	...	Laura Nelson (7 episodes, 1991)
Alan Igbon	...	Teddy (7 episodes, 1991)
Andrew Schofield	...	Peter (7 episodes, 1991)
Philip Whitchurch	...	Franky Murray (7 episodes, 1991)
Julie Walters	...	Mrs. Murray (7 episodes, 1991)
Paul Oldham	...	Joey Thug (7 episodes, 1991)
Tom Georgeson	...	Lou Barnes (7 episodes, 1991)
Chris Hargreaves	...	Scrawny Thug (7 episodes, 1991)
Gary Mavers	...	Billy Thug (7 episodes, 1991)
Wayne Foskett	...	Macker Thug (7 episodes, 1991)
Karl Barry	...	Fifth Thug (7 episodes, 1991)
Paul Daneman	...	Mervyn Sloan (7 episodes, 1991)
Peter-Hugo Daly	...	Bubbles (7 episodes, 1991)
Jane Danson	...	Eileen Critchley (7 episodes, 1991)
Lindsay Duncan	...	Barbara Douglas (6 episodes, 1991)
Edward Mallon	...	Mark Nelson (6 episodes, 1991)
Hayley Fairclough	...	Jessica Nelson (6 episodes, 1991)
Michael Angelis	...	Martin Niarchos (6 episodes, 1991)
Anna Friel	...	Susan Nelson (6 episodes, 1991)
David Ross	...	Mr Weller (6 episodes, 1991)
Jimmy Mulville	...	Researcher (6 episodes, 1991)
Stephen Hall	...	Young Michael Murray (6 episodes, 1991)
Bill Stewart	...	Geoff (5 episodes, 1991)
Gareth Tudor Price	...	Richard Grenville (5 episodes, 1991)
Michelle Atkinson	...	Young Barbara (5 episodes, 1991)
John Henshaw	...	Minder 1 (4 episodes, 1991)
Al Brierley	...	Minder 2 (4 episodes, 1991)
Sean Naughton	...	Minder 3 (4 episodes, 1991)
Paul Butterworth	...	Terry - Director of Education (4 episodes, 1991)
Ayesa Toure	...	Monica (4 episodes, 1991)
Julia St. John	...	Diane Niarchos (4 episodes, 1991)
Colin Douglas	...	Frank Twist (4 episodes, 1991)
Clifford Rose	...	Judge Critchley (4 episodes, 1991)
Ian Hartley	...	Joel (4 episodes, 1991)
Christopher Halliday	...	McKenzie (4 episodes, 1991)
Daniel Massey	...	Grosvenor (3 episodes, 1991)
Judith Barker	...	Margie (3 episodes, 1991)
Kelvin Jordon	...	Tommy (3 episodes, 1991)
Paula Bartlett	...	Rachel (3 episodes, 1991)
Michael Fernandez	...	Jake (3 episodes, 1991)
Debra Gillett	...	Sylvia (3 episodes, 1991)
John Shrapnel	...	Dr Jacobs (3 episodes, 1991)
Norman Mills	...	Red Neck Councillor (3 episodes, 1991)
Peter Armitage	...	Mr Burns (3 episodes, 1991)
Arthur Spreckley	...	Grandfather Burns (3 episodes, 1991)
Jean Anderson	...	Dr. Goldup (3 episodes, 1991)
Rachel Laurence	...	Hotel Receptionist (3 episodes, 1991)
Jake Abraham	...	Black Waiter (3 episodes, 1991)
William Franklyn	...	Distinguished Gent (3 episodes, 1991)
Noreen Kershaw	...	Maureen Murray (3 episodes, 1991)
Jim Pope	...	Presenter (3 episodes, 1991)
Daniel Street-Brown	...	Robby Burns (2 episodes, 1991)
Serena Harragin	...	Miss Hutchinson (2 episodes, 1991)
Chris Darwin	...	Barry (2 episodes, 1991)
Ken Kitson	...	Vince (2 episodes, 1991)
James Tomlinson	...	Stan (2 episodes, 1991)
Amanda Mealing	...	Beth (2 episodes, 1991)
Dee Orr	...	Schoolmistress (2 episodes, 1991)
Cliff Howells	...	Cartwright / ... (2 episodes, 1991)
Anthony Benson	...	Norman - Treasurer (2 episodes, 1991)
Phil Rowlands	...	Bluff Policeman (2 episodes, 1991)
Kulvinder Ghir	...	Ravi (2 episodes, 1991)
Ray Emmet Brown	...	West Indian (2 episodes, 1991)
David Scase	...	Caretaker 2 (2 episodes, 1991)
Edward Clayton	...	Chief Constable (2 episodes, 1991)
Peter Faulkner	...	Radio Journalist (2 episodes, 1991)

Runtime:

567 min (7 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:15

Filming Locations:

Fleetwood, Lancashire, England, UK

Company:

Channel 4 Television Corporation

Trivia:

Alan Bleasdale originally offered the role of Michael Murray to Michael Palin. At that time, Robert Lindsay was busy working on a film in the USA and was not available. When Lindsay became available a few weeks later because his US project had fallen through, Bleasdale offered him the role of Michael Murray, saying that it was the part that he (Bleasdale) had always wanted Lindsay to play. Rather embarrassed, he asked Palin to play Jim Nelson instead. Michael Palin freely admits that Robert Lindsay portrayed Michael Murray far better than he (Palin) would have done.

Quotes:

[Jake, an unruly hyperactive boy, has been annoying all the guests at the hotel when the Nelsons and the Niarchoses are staying. He throws a model aircraft which lands in Diane Niarchos's lap and then bangs into her as he retrieves it]
Diane Niarchos: [to Laura Nelson] That child is the finest advert for contraception I've ever seen.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Extras: Jonathan Ross (#2.6)" (2006)

Best Drama of the '90s

'GBH' set a formidable standard for TV drama to follow when it was first shown on Channel 4 in 1991, and nothing managed to better it. It is, superficially, the story of two men. The first is Michael Murray (Robert Lindsay), the brash leader of the council of an unnamed Northern city (but blatantly inspired by the Derek Hatton regime in 1980s Liverpool- only Hatton was never this fascinating!). Murray is, it seems a man who runs the town like a gangster and a 'baddie'. The other is Jim Nelson (Michael Palin in his best ever dramatic performance) the idealistic headmaster of a school for special needs children). The arena is set for a funny two-hour film about politicians and the common man. But 'GBH' is 11 hours long; we are taken into the deepest recesses of the two protagonists' minds- Murray is hounded by a memory from his schooldays and even in his brief moment of triumph suddenly shouts 'I wish I was a good man!' Nelson, although standing up to Murray, becomes shocked at his own courage, which leads to him seeking psychiatric help. Meanwhile, the scope of the series widens from local to national, with both men caught in a plot of ever-increasing complexity where our feelings for characters deepen with the revelations about them onscreen. Robert Young directs the series with astonishing cinematic flair and Alan Bleasdale shows again why he is as good a television writer as Dennis Potter, if not better. The incredible scope of the series puts it in the same league as the greatest mini-series of all, 'Edge of Darkness'. It encompasses heartbreaking tragedy (the electrocution scene) with hilarious comedy (Murray, stricken with a twitch and a 'Strangelove' arm, trying to find condoms in a hotel full of 'Doctor Who' fans) with consummate ease. It remains hard to find nowadays- the discontinued VHS release has been sold for exorbitant amounts - but it remains the jewel of 90s television and is not to be missed if you get the chance to see it.