# Obscure British 1970s TV play directed by Ridley Scott



## Aersling (Mar 24, 2022)

Current events reminded me of a TV play I saw as a teenager (late 70s /early 80s) 

It was a counterfactual history about a beleaguered C19 England on the verge of war. 

The twist was that England was not an island nation, but was a small Duchy: sitting precariously between the Prussian, Hapsburg and Russian Empires, approx where Belarus is now. 

The point of it I guess was to show how much the British psyche has been shaped by the geographical fortuity of being an island nation; and how that shapes our views on the choices and fates of our continental neighbours. 

Particularly our opinions on "*quarrel(s) in a far away country, between people of whom we know nothing*". 

I once read an article about it, and I have a feeling that it was directed by Ridley Scott, but this was many moons ago. 

I have searched for information about it several times over the years, but I can't find anything online it in the obvious places. 

If anyone can remember it's name, or where I might find something about it online I would be eternally grateful to them! 

Many thanks, 

Aersling.


----------



## Danny McG (Mar 24, 2022)

I remember watching it but I can't remember title or any details - I think late 1980 because I was bottle feeding my eldest kid while trying to follow the story


----------



## HareBrain (Mar 24, 2022)

There's nothing like this listed under Ridley Scott's name at IMDB.


----------



## Aersling (Mar 24, 2022)

Nice 


Danny McG said:


> I remember watching it but I can't remember title or any details - I think late 1980 because I was bottle feeding my eldest kid while trying to follow the story


Nice to know that, I was beginning to think I'd made it up! The timing would make sense, because I think it was a response to the democracy movements in Central Europe like Solidarity, and Charter 77?
I'd love to see it again what with everything that's going on just now....


----------



## Aersling (Mar 24, 2022)

HareBrain said:


> There's nothing like this listed under Ridley Scott's name at IMDB.


No sadly. The Ridley Scott thing might be a red herring, or he might have been on cinematography rather than the director. Thanks for your help anyway


----------



## Venusian Broon (Mar 24, 2022)

Pretty sure it was shown on Channel 4 and in the 1980s (obviously!) 

I do remember seeing a snippet...alas I cannot remember the title at all.


----------



## Aersling (Mar 24, 2022)

Venusian Broon said:


> Pretty sure it was shown on Channel 4 and in the 1980s (obviously!)
> 
> I do remember seeing a snippet...alas I cannot remember the title at all.


That's interesting thanks. I assumed it was either BBC2 or C4, although I thought it might have been a bit before C4 started. I remember it was a costume drama, and mainly shot in a (studio) grand house, possibly 1840s judging from what I remember of the dress. Gosh it's maddening! 
Cheers for the reply


----------



## Venusian Broon (Mar 24, 2022)

Aersling said:


> That's interesting thanks. I assumed it was either BBC2 or C4, although I thought it might have been a bit before C4 started. I remember it was a costume drama, and mainly shot in a (studio) grand house, possibly 1840s judging from what I remember of the dress. Gosh it's maddening!
> Cheers for the reply


Yeah, I fragmentary remember there being a lot of snow outside the grand house (it was near Russia, so that figures!) and some dapper dandy in a 19C dress uniform.

I had a look through Film 4 and Film on 4 and nothing came up. It's definitely obscure!


----------



## Aersling (Mar 24, 2022)

Yeah. A very British response to the situation at the time. On a very different vibe, just watched a Storyville film called The Distant Barking Of Dogs about the 2014 war in the Donbas... A harrowing watch but grimly beautiful. 
Cheers again


----------



## GregP (Mar 25, 2022)

This is extraordinary! I arrived on this forum (which I had never heard of before) on the trail of some other info altogether, but looked through some recont postings and found this. I too remember this tv play, and I am certain it was Channel Four, early days , mid 1980s not long after it started. I have been trying to track this down for absolute years, unfortunately with no success. I'm pretty sure it was presented as a standalone and not part of anything like Film on 4. I wasn;t connecting Ridley Scott (or anyone else really) to this, but if your suspicion is strong enough then not finding anything in IMDB (which can be quite weak on UK television sometimes) shouldn't stop you researching. 

So glad to find someone else who remembers this play as strongly as I do. Now, you don't by any chance have any memory of a British juvenile novel of the 1950s involving controversy over Cardiff as the capital of Wales, and peashooters...


----------



## Aersling (Mar 25, 2022)

Woohoo! Thank you for more proof that I wasn't completely imagining it! 

I came across this site when I was looking for a scifi short story I'd forgotten the name of, which kept coming back to me every time I saw Donald Trump on TV ('Mr Costello, Hero' by Theodore Sturgeon it turned out, well worth a look). I'd spent weeks trying to find it, but came on here and got the title within a few hours! 

I'm not sure why that TV play has stuck with me for so many years, but I remember the reveal of the map of Europe with England slap bang in the middle of it so well...
I feel emboldened to write to C4 now to see if there is any record of the broadcast, so if I have any luck I'll report back on here! 

Re. the 50s juvenile novel I'm afraid I have nothing, (unless there is a book in the Anthony Buckeridge canon called "Jennings Goes To Swansea"?) but good luck with the search! 

Aersling


----------



## JunkMonkey (Mar 25, 2022)

I just scrolled through all the BBC's  Play for Today








						Play for Today (TV Series 1970–1984) - IMDb
					






					www.imdb.com
				



without seeing anything that looked right:
If you really want to poke about in the BBC listings archive:





						Home - BBC Programme Index
					






					genome.ch.bbc.co.uk


----------



## M. Robert Gibson (Mar 25, 2022)

This looks like a promising resource for TV searches








						Television
					

We care for a huge archive of British television programmes, collected since the late 1950s.



					www.bfi.org.uk
				




The advanced search page can be found here





						Collections Search | BFI | British Film Institute |   Advanced search
					






					collections-search.bfi.org.uk


----------



## M. Robert Gibson (Mar 25, 2022)

Hah!  Guess what I've found by using the expert search?






						Collections Search | BFI | British Film Institute
					






					collections-search.bfi.org.uk
				




The House (Original)
1984-09-27 (Television)
Director: Mike Figgis

Set in 1884, and based on the assumption that Britain is one of the Baltic states between Russia and Latvia, making it part of Europe instead of an off-shore island. It is winter 1884. To gain access to the sea, England has declared war on Latvia and believes herself to be winning. But Russia has sided with Latvia and England is doomed. The action takes place on New Year's Eve in a country house on the Anglo-Latvian border. The guests are a cross section of the ruling classes.


----------



## Aersling (Mar 25, 2022)

M. Robert Gibson said:


> Hah!  Guess what I've found by using the expert search?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Superb!!! And it was Mike Figgis? I knew there was a Geordie connection somewhere, thank you so much I am so happy! 

SFF Chronicles RULEZ!!!!


----------



## Aersling (Mar 25, 2022)

M. Robert Gibson said:


> Hah!  Guess what I've found by using the expert search?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My God, what a great cast? No wonder it stuck in the memory for so long


----------



## Aersling (Mar 25, 2022)

JunkMonkey said:


> I just scrolled through all the BBC's  Play for Today
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for your help!


----------



## Aersling (Mar 25, 2022)

GregP said:


> This is extraordinary! I arrived on this forum (which I had never heard of before) on the trail of some other info altogether, but looked through some recont postings and found this. I too remember this tv play, and I am certain it was Channel Four, early days , mid 1980s not long after it started. I have been trying to track this down for absolute years, unfortunately with no success. I'm pretty sure it was presented as a standalone and not part of anything like Film on 4. I wasn;t connecting Ridley Scott (or anyone else really) to this, but if your suspicion is strong enough then not finding anything in IMDB (which can be quite weak on UK television sometimes) shouldn't stop you researching.
> 
> So glad to find someone else who remembers this play as strongly as I do. Now, you don't by any chance have any memory of a British juvenile novel of the 1950s involving controversy over Cardiff as the capital of Wales, and peashooters...


I told you this site was amazing! 






						Collections Search | BFI | British Film Institute
					






					collections-search.bfi.org.uk


----------



## Danny McG (Mar 25, 2022)

M. Robert Gibson said:


> The House (Original)
> 1984-09-27 (Television)
> Director: Mike Figgis


So it must have been my second  kid that I remember bottle feeding while trying to watch this drama.

He'd have been five months old at the time of transmission


----------



## Aersling (Mar 25, 2022)

Danny McG said:


> So it must have been my second  kid that I remember bottle feeding while trying to watch this drama.
> 
> He'd have been five months old at the time of transmission


And I was convinced I watched it on a rainy Bank Holiday at my mums, but I'd just started my degree in Newcastle in September 84, I'm amazed I wasn't in the pub when it aired!


----------



## Mon0Zer0 (Mar 25, 2022)

This one? (can only watch on youtube so click to go through to the video)


----------



## Aersling (Mar 25, 2022)

Aersling said:


> Superb!!! And it was Mike Figgis? I knew there was a Geordie connection somewhere, thank you so much I am so happy!
> 
> SFF Chronicles RULEZ!!!!





Aersling said:


> Current events reminded me of a TV play I saw as a teenager (late 70s /early 80s)
> 
> It was a counterfactual history about a beleaguered C19 England on the verge of war.
> 
> ...


Thanks to everyone for all your help. We now know it was a TV film by Mike Figgis on C4 from 1984 called The House, and what's more... It's on YouTube!!


----------



## GregP (Mar 27, 2022)

Aersling said:


> Superb!!! And it was Mike Figgis? I knew there was a Geordie connection somewhere, thank you so much I am so happy!
> 
> SFF Chronicles RULEZ!!!!


Well, that's amazing. I'd really like to know what your search pattern was for this. I have tried the BFI site more than once over the years and found nothing. Either searchability has improved since I last tried or I was using hopelessly wrong search terms (not impossible).
Anyway I AM SO PLEASED (yay!) that you found it. That;s at least two of us very happy people now. AND its on YouTube. That's amazing.

Just realised I have replied to the wrong person - too excitable!  So THANK YOU M Robert Gibson, you are today's Great Man around here.


----------



## Aersling (Mar 27, 2022)

Absolutely!


----------



## M. Robert Gibson (Mar 27, 2022)

GregP said:


> I'd really like to know what your search pattern was for this



My secret?
I used the Expert Search




__





						Collections Search | BFI | British Film Institute |   Expert search
					






					collections-search.bfi.org.uk
				




I then added the following criteria, since we knew it was Channel 4 play about England, from the 80s




and explored each entry that  looked promising

Simple eh?


----------



## Aersling (Mar 27, 2022)

Didn't know this was even a thing, but it's in the bookmarks bar now, thanks


----------

