The 50 Greatest Television Dramas (2007) (TV)

Directors:

Toby Dye
Shelley Lawrence

Release Date:

3 February 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

Cast

Miriam Margolyes	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Aaronovitch	...	Himself
Paul Abbott	...	Himself
Joe Ahearne	...	Himself
Jon Amiel	...	Himself
Anthony Andrews	...	Himself
Michael Angelis	...	Himself
Annabelle Apsion	...	Herself
George Baker	...	Himself
Joe Don Baker	...	Himself
John Barrowman	...	Himself
Carlos Bernard	...	Himself
Alan Bleasdale	...	Himself
Brian Blessed	...	Himself
Steven Bochco	...	Himself
Peter Bogdanovich	...	Himself
Lorraine Bracco	...	Herself
David Chase	...	Himself
Sarah Clarke	...	Herself
Lorcan Cranitch	...	Himself
Gemma Craven	...	Herself
Charles Dance	...	Himself
Phil Daniels	...	Himself
Jack Davenport	...	Himself
Andrew Davies	...	Himself
Russell T. Davies	...	Himself
Drea de Matteo	...	Herself
Anne-Marie Duff	...	Herself (as Anne Marie Duff)
Brian Eastman	...	Himself
Christopher Fairbank	...	Himself
Peter Flannery	...	Himself
Mark Frost	...	Himself
Louis Gossett Jr.	...	Himself (as Louis Gossett Jnr.)
Piers Haggard	...	Himself
Derek Hatton	...	Himself
Sally Head	...	Herself
Trevor Hicks	...	Himself
John Hurt	...	Himself
Marina Hyde	...	Herself
Robert Iler	...	Himself
Mick Jackson	...	Himself
Geraldine James	...	Herself
Alkarim Jivani	...	Himself
John Judd	...	Himself
Troy Kennedy-Martin	...	Himself (as Troy Kennedy Martin)
Peter Kosminsky	...	Himself
Ian La Frenais	...	Himself
Verity Lambert	...	Herself
David Leland	...	Himself
Damian Lewis	...	Himself
David Liddiment	...	Himself
Robert Lindsay	...	Himself
Kyle MacLachlan	...	Himself
Jackie Malton	...	Herself (as DCI Jackie Malton)
Anamaria Marinca	...	Herself
Jean Marsh	...	Herself
Margaret Matheson	...	Herself
Tim McInnerny	...	Himself
Christopher Morahan	...	Himself
Abi Morgan	...	Herself
Don Mullan	...	Himself
Carey Mulligan	...	Herself
Chris Mullin	...	Himself (as Chris Mullin MP)
Daniela Nardini	...	Herself
James Nesbitt	...	Himself
Bill Paterson	...	Himself
John Patterson	...	Himself
Maxine Peake	...	Herself
Siân Phillips	...	Herself
Stephen Poliakoff	...	Himself
Mark Redhead	...	Himself
John Salthouse	...	Himself
Nicola Shindler	...	Herself
James Sikking	...	Himself
John Simm	...	Himself
Tony Sirico	...	Himself
Alison Steadman	...	Herself
Mark Strong	...	Himself
Joel Surnow	...	Himself
David Tennant	...	Himself
Kenith Trodd	...	Himself
Steve Van Zandt	...	Himself
Johnny Vegas	...	Himself
Bruce Weitz	...	Himself
Richard D. Winters	...	Himself (as Maj. Richard D. Winters Rtd.)
Herbert Wise	...	Himself
Mal Young	...	Himself

Also Known As:

The 50 Greatest TV Dramas (UK) (informal short title)

Runtime:

180 min (including commercials)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Company:

Mono

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the section on "Doctor Who" (1963), David Tennant is incorrectly identified by the caption as the Eighth Doctor; he is actually the Tenth Doctor.

Movie Connections:

Features "Doctor Who: The Web Planet (#2.16)" (1965)

Top of the class!

Why can't other arts programming be made to the same calibre as this? I must admit that I didn't really expect much from another list show but after seeing the calibre of the interviewees on the trailer (John Hurt, Robert Lindsay etc) I thought I'd give it a go and was very pleasantly surprised. Apart from being beautifully shot there was a real integrity to both the pool of dramas included, covering over 40s years and every one a bona fide classic and to the people chosen to talk on them. Reading like a who's who of TV, for practically every drama in the list we heard first hand about the production from either the makers or the stars – or more often than not both. What's more for once the programme makes didn't assume that the audience at home was stupid – it was intelligent as well as entertaining. I didn't agree with all the rankings and some of my more obscure favourites were no way to be seen on the list but then again there were some dramas I had never heard of and will now definitely seek out. You're never going make a list that pleases everyone all the time but as an inspiring reference for the great drama that's made for TV you could do much worse than check this out.