G.B.H. (1991) User Reviews

The very best of British

[pgilchrist1 · 10/10 · 17 February 2004]

This is British drama at it's ultimate. There has been little to touch it since it's release. Bleasedale's script is full of twists and turns taking you from outright hatred and revulsion of the main characters through pity, sympathy and finally on to adoration.

The story is truly mesmerising, on the face of it a plain story of extreme left-wing politics in local government. So very typical of the late 70's and early 80's Britain and led to the phrase "Loony Left".

As the story progresses we learn that not all is quite what it seems. Michael Murray (Robert Linsay) is shown to be just as much of a pawn of the system, as the wretched Jim Nelson (Michael Palin) who he tries to take down in the first few episodes.

The acting is powerful, and way beyond what is expected of a TV drama. Look out for many of Bleasedale's favourite actors throughout the story.

Sadly this was one of the last real dramas produced and funded by UK Channel 4 before they were forced by the UK government to produce more 'popular' programming. A move that eventually forced C4 from becoming the major source of funding for British film, into nothing more than a proud sponsor.

The best-written mini-series ever.

[beauvallet · 10/10 · 9 November 1999]

Putting aside Robert Lindsay's much deserved BAFTA for his portrayal of sleazy politician Michael Murray, this show is worth watching because Alan Bleasdale's script is simply phenomenal. Even when the plot actually on occasion does move where you think it will -- you'll still be surprised, amazed, amused, angered. In short, this must be something like the Elizabethan audiences felt when they first watched Hamlet. The script is densely layered, mounting complexities upon issues upon personalities. And for all that, one doesn't have to be a genius to understand it and be moved through a number of emotions and reactions before finally being hung out to dry. It's brilliant.

Excellent, darkly comic drama

[alisont-29757 · 9/10 · 6 March 2021]

It seemed fairly obvious to me, coming from Merseyside, that Michael Murray was loosely based on Derek Hatton. I was just a daft teen during his régime, but this enlightened me. The acting is excellent, although Lindsay Duncan is a wee bit wooden. The two main actors, Michael Palin and Robert Lindsay couldn't have been better cast. A grim and gritty portrayal of the dirty extremist side of zealots in politics. Not a faction to be applauded. Lots of wonderful dark comedy - nothing slapstick; intelligent writing instead. Alan Bleasdale is the Master of Grim Northern humour. Nobody can best him. A show I only turned on because I love Palin, but so glad I watched it right through. A word of warning: concentrate. There are unexpected twists & turns, and I had to rewind to let it sink in. Superb!

Best Drama of the '90s

[northmoor1 · 5 July 2002]

'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.

Fantastic drama series

[fortean2 · 10/10 · 7 July 2006]

This is Alan Bleasdale at his very best - 'GBH' ranks up there with other outstanding drama series such as 'The Singing Detective' and 'Edge of Darkness'. While GBH is a drama it's not all deadly serious - as with real life, 'lighter' situations develop naturally from circumstances that are anything but, yet the situations are so natural, the script so flawless and the performances and the direction so perfect that everything flows together beautifully.

GBH is a very analytical and well observed view of politics, power, and how it affects the people involved.

It's first class - I wish that more TV drama was as good as this!

STILL RELEVANT

[gerrybuckels · 10/10 · 29 May 2020]

During CoVid-19 lockdown I have re-watched GBH for first time since it was shown in 1991. I had forgotten just how good it is but also realised how relevant it still is today. So many references to things happening now, or one step away! On a personal note my mother appears as an extra in the series, so a double pleasure.

Superb quality TV drama

[Lupercali · 8/10 · 6 January 2004]

GBH is a remarkable miniseries: superbly written, directed and acted. The characterisations are especially outstanding, with some of the most genuinely nasty bad guys I've ever seen; though many of the main characters are multi-faceted, and evolve before your eyes as the series unfolds.

In part it's a story about how The Left can be manipulated by the Far Right; in other ways it is a character study, particularly of Palin's character - even if occasionally the comedy sits just a little uneasily with the drama. Given the series' intensity though, it's faintly amazing that they were able to get with some scenes at all.

I do have a few criticisms of GBH. At times it can be painfully slow, with some scenes which are stretched out for minutes, to no real purpose. Also, the eccentric, obnoxious hotel owner is obviously inspired by Basil Fawlty, and his antics get just a little distracting.

I would give GBH about 8.5, but to quote a record review I remember reading (actually it was of an Elvis Costello album, and Costello provides background music to the series), "by the standards of mortal craftsmanship, this is a wondrous thing indeed."

enthralling drama

[UtopianUK · 10/10 · 3 April 2011]

G.B.H. had me hooked from the start. The story has a lot of depth - and is never less than exciting. All the cast suit their roles perfectly. The two central characters are played with great skill and passion by Robert Lindsay & Michael Palin; I think both of them really enjoyed playing their characters immensely.

The script is intelligent, thought-provoking, and also has a dark comical edge to it. I can't think of many dramas that have delivered such an entertaining roller coaster of emotions.

G.B.H. is a brilliant creation, that fully deserves its 'classic' status.

The Dr Who Convention

[Lupercali · 8/10 · 1 February 2004]

Just an addendum to my review: someone commented on the important scene which takes place during a Dr Who convention. 28 years previously, G.B.H. executive producer Verity Lambert had been the legendary original producer of Dr Who, who recruited William Hartnell as the first Doctor. There's no way that scene was a coincidence :)

A hidden gem

[anhjoet · 9/10 · 4 December 2021]

I discovered this series here, and was pleasantly surprised. Sure it has aged a little, as a 90s series, but the script is both original and well-written, the actors are pretty good, and the direction efficient. Kept me hooked from start to end.

Prescient and dated.

[benprichardsdotcom · 7/10 · 1 October 2021]

Ah, I haven't rewatched this since it came out in 1991. Back then I was a 13 year old and to see it now 30 years later is to watch an entirely different programme.

Honestly, I thought it was better than it is, I know I loved it back in 1991 or I thought I did. I can't imagine how I grasped all the adult themes in GBH but something must have resonated. Perhaps it hasn't aged well, perhaps thanks to the age of the internet and Americanised television I'm used to a faster paced more visceral experience. This is me saying I don't think it has aged well, but this isn't because I don't have the patience for subtlety crafted film-making because I certainly do.

In GBH there's a lot of clunkiness that I wasn't aware of before, I felt that Alan Bleasdale was whisking us off on a tangents that deviated unhelpfully from the plot. It is also an incredible feat that Bleasdale managed to create some +7hrs of television without a single likeable character!

Jim Nelson is a scab and we're supposed to sympathise with him, he still broke the picket despite knowing of the general strike. Martin the poet is perhaps the only half-likeable character and he's an adulterer. Only Alan Igbons' Teddy sticks out in my mind although I enjoyed the character of Peter but you certainly couldn't like him.

Ultimately G. B. H. Is very idiosyncratic and of it's time. A time where Labour and Conservative were unmistakably opposed. In the first episode I was struck by just how much Michael Murray foreshadowed Tony Blair, and well, the rest is history. One last note on the shady conspiratorial nature of the MI5 involvement - given what we know today and what we saw happen to Labour under Jeremy Corbyn's meteoric rise and equally meteoric descent. The institutions of power will not allow a true left government to govern this country again. The vested interests of the clandestine elite have a power we can barely imagine yet I can imagine their reach being even more pervasive than before thanks to social media and news addiction.

engrossing, wonderful, powerful etc etc

[mattjtemp · 9 August 2004]

I dont know what it was in the 90's but UK TV produced GBH, Our Friends in the North and Prime Suspect.

My favourite was GBH, it is so substantially long that all characters receive the fleshing out they deserve, some episodes are hard hitting drama, others are on a smaller more personal level and others are out and out hilarious (one commentator mentions the daleks scene which was verging on slapstick in the midst of high drama and yet it worked perfectly).

Simple to follow yet complicated plot, great all round performances cemented by towering contributions from Robert Lynsey and Michael Palin, while the script wears its heart on its sleeve it does not become too sentimental, nor does it lecture.

Perfect television, and criminally unreleased on dvd, Channel 4 would make a packet if they repeated it then released a spec edition.

Comical view of local government in the 1980's

[Dotman · 18 September 1998]

GBH is an excellent view of the would-be overlords of local government in the UK, using everybody (whether within or without the overlord's grand plan) to achieve the goal of power.

The situation is viewed through the eyes of the elected local government official who is played like a puppet by the would-be power-mongers of the day (pseudo-socialists trying to hijack every situation to make the tory government of the day look ridiculous) regardless of the casualties caused by their actions.

The elected official starts out as a hard character, whose weak spots are exposed by the puppeteers through a relentless barrage of political and psychological attacks, gradually exposing the child within the hard exterior - and ultimately concluding with the deposition of said character - who departs with most of (if not all) of the audience's sympathy.

This is a riot of a screenplay, placing first our hatred, and then our sympathy with main character - often with bizarre & humorous consequences.