# The Guardians (ITV 1971)



## blacknorth (Jun 15, 2010)

Very happy to see that Network DVD have released this legendary 1971 LWT series. The set is quite expensive but well worth seeing if you like political drama or simply enjoy watching political dystopias come unstuck: I consumed my copy, and I intend to consume it again soon. 

Amazon.com: The Guardians - Entire Series - 4-DVD Set [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ]: Cyril Luckham, David Burke, Derek Smith, Edward Petherbridge, Gwyneth Powell, Joan Heal, John Collin, Lynn Farleigh, Robert Morris, William 

Following a period of mass unemployment, hyperinflation, social disorder and industrial unrest, democracy has been swept away amid a raft of security measures; law and order have been restored under a new regime, whose totalitarian rule is enforced by uniformed paramilitaries known as the Guardians. Behind the slogan `Make Britain Great', the outwardly benign regime suppresses all opposition, while the Guardians, taking orders from their shadowy leader, the General, have become the true holders of power. There are voices of dissent, however; a loose affiliation of resistance groups, collectively known as Quarmby, has begun a clandestine struggle against the regime. But opposing factions quickly emerge within the movement - and with them, the inescapable moral dilemmas faced by all those who must use force to achieve their ends. The Guardians' chilling vision of an Orwellian near-future has remained unseen since its original airing in 1971. Created by Rex Firkin and Vincent Tilsley, whose combined credits include "The Prisoner", "Manhunt", "The Death of Adolf Hitler" and "The Forsyte Saga", the series anticipated many more recent dramatisations featuring similarly dystopian landscapes, and has been praised for its insightful, intelligent handling of its subject; the grey area in which resistance tactics may disturbingly mirror those of the oppressor is acknowledged, and ambivalent, doubt-ridden characters exist on both sides.

A resistance movement in which everyone is known as Quarmby, my my. It's amusing to see a number of diffident Quarmbys turn up as guest stars each week, including the great Peter Barkworth at one point.


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