Philip Jackson

Acting

Philip Jackson

Born

1948-06-18 (78)

Place of birth

Retford, Nottinghamshire, England, UK

Known for

Acting

Credits

100 titles

Philip Jackson (born 18 June 1948) is an English actor, known for his many television and film roles, most notably as Chief Inspector Japp in the television series Agatha Christie's Poirot and as Abbot Hugo, one of the recurring adversaries in the cult 1980s series Robin of Sherwood. Jackson was born in Retford, Nottinghamshire. He started acting while studying Drama and German at the University of Bristol, and has worked in the theatre in Leeds, Liverpool and London. His stage work includes Pozzo in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot at the Queen's Theatre in the West End in 1991 and Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds in 2010. He was n…

Known for

Film credits

2020s · 4 titles

Agatha Christie: 100 Years of Poirot and Miss Marple poster
6.7

British writer Agatha Christie (1890-1976) published her first novel in 1920, in which the eccentric Belgian private sleuth Hercule Poirot made his debut. Later, in 1927, the first short story starring the gentle spinster Miss Jane Marple appeared. A fascinating journey through popular culture in search of the footprints of two of the most charismatic characters in crime and mystery literature.

Agatha Christie: 100 Years of Poirot and Miss Marple

2020

Your Move poster
9.0

A 1960s period thriller centring around a gang of ex-airforce servicemen who now run a nefarious smuggling operation.

Your Move

2023

The Peacock poster
4.6

When investment banker Linda Bachmann and her team arrive at Lord and Lady Macintosh's country estate, the signs are not good for a relaxing weekend in Scotland: the annual balance sheet is lousy, colleagues are suspicious of themselves and their boss, and it works the rumor that soon a compliance employee will restructure the team. To top it all off, the property is not very comfortable, cook Helen's skills cannot hide that, and the methods of the young seminar leader Rebecca also seem rather questionable. When first the Lord's favorite peacock and then the Lady's favorite goose disappear, further arguments and chaos are inevitable. And finally it starts to snow...

The Peacock

2023

Becoming Victoria Wood poster
6.0

A feature length documentary celebrating the life of Britain’s beloved comedy icon Victoria Wood delving into the complex inner world of this national treasure nearly ten years after her passing. Victoria Wood remains one of Britain’s most cherished entertainers – a northern comic genius whose work reshaped the landscape of British humour. But behind the joyous persona – the singer, the satirist, the sharp-witted writer – lay a young woman navigating insecurity, anger, and self-doubt. Told in her own words and through the voices of those who knew her best, the film uncovers the formative experiences and personal battles that powered Victoria’s unmatched ability to make the nation laugh. The film will explore never-before-seen archive material and previously unheard audio recordings, to paint a vivid portrait of the woman behind the fame.

Becoming Victoria Wood

2026

2010s · 10 titles

My Week with Marilyn poster
6.7

London, 1956. Genius actor and film director Laurence Olivier is about to begin the shooting of his upcoming movie, premiered in 1957 as The Prince and the Showgirl, starring Marilyn Monroe. Young Colin Clark, who dreams on having a career in movie business, manages to get a job on the set as third assistant director.

My Week with Marilyn

2011

The Best Offer poster
7.8

Virgil Oldman is a world renowned antiques expert and auctioneer. An eccentric genius, he leads a solitary life, going to extreme lengths to keep his distance from the messiness of human relationships. When appointed by the beautiful but emotionally damaged Claire to oversee the valuation and sale of her family’s priceless art collection, Virgil allows himself to form an attachment to her – and soon he is engulfed by a passion which will rock his bland existence to the core.

The Best Offer

2013

Peterloo poster
6.7

An epic portrayal of the events surrounding the infamous 1819 Peterloo Massacre, where a peaceful pro-democracy rally at St Peter’s Field in Manchester turned into one of the bloodiest and most notorious episodes in British history. The massacre saw British government forces charge into a crowd of over 60,000 that had gathered to demand political reforms and protest against rising levels of poverty.

Peterloo

2018

Spike Island poster
6.3

Teenage musicians travel to England's Spike Island in the hope of attending an outdoor performance by their favorite band, the Stone Roses.

Spike Island

2012

Friend Request Pending poster
7.7

FRIEND REQUEST PENDING is a short comedy drama about the mature generation dating in our modern social networking world. It's a tale of love but more importantly life long friendship. The twelve-minute tale tells the story of Mary (Judi Dench) and Linda (Penny Ryder) who spend an afternoon discussing the pleasures, pitfalls and problems with using social networking to try and woo the local choirmaster Trevor (Philip Jackson).

Friend Request Pending

2011

Above the Clouds poster
5.0

On her 18th birthday, headstrong and artistic Charlie makes a startling discovery—the man married to her mother, isn't her father. Recruiting Oz, a rough sleeper whose only possession is his driving licence, she embarks on an epic road trip from Margate to the Isle of Skye to track down her biological father. On the journey they both learn more than they bargained for.

Above the Clouds

2018

Believe poster
6.1

A young, gifted soccer player who gets into trouble for a petty crime is brought to the attention of former Manchester United coach Matt Busby, who comes out of retirement to help the boy and his teammates.

Believe

2013

The First Men in the Moon poster
5.9

Mark Gatiss's adaptation of HG Wells's science fiction classic. July 1969, and as the world waits with bated breath for the Apollo astronauts to land on the Moon, a young boy meets 90-year-old Julius Bedford. He's a man with an extraordinary story of how, way back in 1909, he got to the Moon first, and, together with the eccentric Professor Cavor, discovered a terrifying secret deep beneath its seemingly-barren surface.

The First Men in the Moon

2010

Stars in Shorts poster
6.0

Seven short films, all of which feature name actors, including Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, Colin Firth, Lily Tomlin, Keira Knightley, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and more.

Stars in Shorts

2012

City State poster
5.3

A police woman lost in violence, a mechanic revenging for his lost son, a crime kingpin with a heart condition, a corrupt officer in love with a prostitute will destroy each other.

City State

2011

2000s · 16 titles

The Best Man poster
5.4

When writer's block derails the literary dreams of Olly Pickering, he has to move in with his friend Murray after losing all his money. Things start to look up when Olly's college pal James asks him to be the best man at his wedding. Prior to the nuptials, Olly is drawn to a woman whom he thinks is the bride's sister -- only she turns out to be the bride, Sarah. Can Murray, who dislikes James, help get Sarah and Olly together?

The Best Man

2005

Mother Teresa of Calcutta poster
6.6

The inspirational portrayal of Mother Teresa, a simple nun who became one of the most significant personalities of the 20th Century. Armed with a faith that could move mountains, Mother Teresa followed her calling to help the poor, the lepers, the dying and the abandoned children in the slums of Calcutta, challenging many authorities - including the church - along the way.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

2003

I Want Candy poster
5.1

Two hopeful lads from Leatherhead trying to break into the movies stumble upon the opportunity of a lifetime. Frustrated by their arty film teacher, wannabe producer Joe and his talented but neurotic director friend Baggy head to London to sell what they know is a script made of gold.

I Want Candy

2007

Mike Bassett: England Manager poster
7.0

After England's football (soccer) manager has a heart attack, Mike Bassett is hired as the new manager and promptly announces the team will win the World Cup.

Mike Bassett: England Manager

2001

Fanny Hill poster
5.9

Orphaned by smallpox, young Lancashire country lady Fanny Hill cheerfully accepts her friend Esther Davies's offer to join the London 'working girls' with Mrs. Brown, a madam who recruits her as charmingly fresh enough to wait, in-living, on gentlemen.

Fanny Hill

2007

A Little Trip to Heaven poster
5.4

Insurance investigator Abraham Holt travels to a tiny town in rural Minnesota to look into a particularly unusual insurance claim stemming from a horrific car accident. As Holt examines the scene of the wreck, it all seems a bit too perfect. And when he interviews Isold Mcbride and her shifty husband, Fred -- the impoverished beneficiaries of the massive, recently initiated life-insurance policy -- he begins to suspect that something is amiss.

A Little Trip to Heaven

2005

Crime and Punishment poster
6.7

Former student Raskolnikov is pushed to murder when struggling to pay the rent on his apartment. When the murder is being investigated by the police, Raskolnikov struggles between trying to hide his guilt and the pressure to confess.

Crime and Punishment

2002

Cruise of the Gods poster
5.1

Andy Van Allen, former hero of the cult 80s futuristic TV show Children of Castor, is now working as a hotel porter. When Andy receives an unusual offer - the Children of Castor fan club-organised cruise around the Greek islands, with him as the principal celebrity - a combination of Andy's cynicism, his fans' adoration, a misguided sexual encounter and an unexpected reunion with his more famous co-star, Nick Lee, ensure the paradise cruise is far from plain sailing.

Cruise of the Gods

2002

No artwork available
5.2

A period drama/thriller about a surveyor and his fiancée who arrive in a remote Malaysian trading post and encounter a closed-fisted ivory trader and her ill-meaning family.

The Intended

2002

Grow Your Own poster
6.5

A refugee family are given an allotment plot and are met with suspicion by the people who have worked the gardens for years

Grow Your Own

2007

Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings poster
7.0

The comedienne stars in this festive sketch show, alongside a host of celebrity guests.

Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings

2000

Around The World In 80 Days poster
NR

Travel back in time to a scene set in London in 1872, where a young Phileas Fogg is about to wager a fortune in the hope of completing an impossible challenge, to travel around the world in 80 days or less. Together with his new man servant, Passpartout, the two men set sail across the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans in hope of finishing their journey in time and winning their bet. However, trouble is afoot when a mysterious gentleman thief steals over £50,000 from the Bank of England. The hunt is on to find him and Inspector Fix suspects Fogs to he the bank robber and begins tailing him. Will this jeopardise Phileas Fogg's plans - an he complete his journey around the world in 80 days? Enjoy Jules Verne's classic tale of discovery and adventure.

Around The World In 80 Days

2000

Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley poster
6.6

A light hearted look at future Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's rise from research chemist in 1949 to becoming MP for Finchley in 1959, encompassing her early relationship and marriage to oil millionaire Denis Thatcher.

Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley

2008

Coogan's Runner poster
7.0

Video diary from behind the scenes of 2002's "Cruise of the Gods."

Coogan's Runner

2003

Second Nature poster
5.1

Everything is not as it seems for a man who recovers from a plane crash in which his family is killed. After plastic surgery and rehabilitation, he determines that he worked for a secret agency for which he was an assassin. His former boss puts him back to work to assassinate a political leader, but when he proves unable to pull the trigger, it is he who becomes the target for assassins. As he avoids capture, the story unfolds about his true past and the reason why he has a tattoo of "chilly willy" inside his lip.

Second Nature

2003

No artwork available
6.5

Hairdresser Maria is fixated by The Sound of Music - it was the film she saw the night she was jilted 18 years ago. In a bid to confront her demons, Maria decides to travel to Salzburg, but with her mother and teenage offspring in tow she gets more than she bargained for.

Von Trapped

2004

1990s · 11 titles

Cousin Bette poster
5.5

In 19th century Paris, Bette Fischer, a poor and homely spinster, forms an alliance with the seductive courtesan Valerie Marneffe to orchestrate revenge on her handsome and wealthy relatives.

Cousin Bette

1998

Brassed Off poster
7.0

A Yorkshire coal mine is threatened with closure and the only hope is for the men to enter their Grimley Colliery Brass Band into a national competition. They believe they have no hope until Gloria appears carrying her Flugelhorn. At first mocked for being a woman, she soon becomes the only chance for the band to win.

Brassed Off

1996

Little Voice poster
6.5

After the death of her father, Little Voice or LV becomes a virtual recluse, never going out and hardly ever saying a word. She just sits in her bedroom listening to her father's collection of old records of Shirley Bassey, Marilyn Monroe and various other famous female singers. But at night time, LV sings, imitating these great singers with surprising accuracy. One night she is overheard by one of her mother's boyfriends, who happens to be a talent agent. He manages to convince her that her talent is special and arranges for her to perform at the local night club, but several problems arise.

Little Voice

1998

Girls' Night poster
6.8

Two British best friends and in-laws Dawn and Jackie work together at a factory. When Dawn is diagnosed with a brain tumor Jackie shares $100,000 she's got from her secret lover with Dawn to fulfil her dream - a visit to Las Vegas. They buy two tickets and fly there...

Girls' Night

1998

What Rats Won't Do poster
5.0

Soon to be married lawyer Kate Beckenham has landed the case of a lifetime. Her courtroom opponent turns out to be the charming Jack Sullivan, who has never lost a single case.

What Rats Won't Do

1998

The Opium War poster
6.3

The story of the Opium War between China, in the waning days of the Qing Dynasty, and the British Empire, in the 1830s, and the subsequent takeover of Hong Kong by Britain; through the eyes of the key figures, fiercely nationalistic Lin Zexu, and opportunistic British naval diplomat Charles Elliot.

The Opium War

1997

The Last Dance poster
5.2

Blackpool, a dancing contest, a dead woman. This is the opening scene of this movie, which then continues by telling us the story preceding this sad accident - or is it a murder? We will get to know the tensed relationship of the dancing contestant couple Tove and Claes, and see how there lives are affected by Liselott and Lennart, their opponents and friends.

The Last Dance

1993

Bad Behavior poster
5.6

The McAllister family house is the setting for Gerry and Ellie's grapples with work, children and how to get the bathroom fixed. Both have reached the stage where reason cannot be heard above the ticking clock of experience and ambition. When temptation comes, how will they react?

Bad Behavior

1993

Thacker poster
NR

A Gothic comedy, featuring a distinguished cast, and starring Leslie Phillips and Margaret Tyzack. Retired colonial army officer George Thacker has high hopes of recapturing his memories of an idyllic English village life after a lifetime of meting out justice in the Far East. But instead of peace and quiet, he is greeted by violence, voodoo and a distressed damsel, brandishing a shotgun. Worst of all, the ghost of his old flame, Edith, still haunts him, threatening both his marriage and his life.

Thacker

1992

Our Boy poster
6.4

A parent's grief has no bounds. Our Boy tells the moving and tragic story of one couple’s struggle to come to terms with the disappearance and death of their only son. Woody, Sonia and their son, Lee, live contentedly in West Ham, London. When Lee is killed in a hit-and-run everyone grieves but Woody’s grief has no limit. His best friend, Phil, counsels revenge, while in the view of the ambitious Detective Constable Spence, Woody himself is the prime suspect. Woody searches for a way to react with extraordinary and touching results. Features award-winning performances by Ray Winstone and Pauline Quirke.

Our Boy

1998

No artwork available
6.2

A teen, jailed in an adult prison in Britain, takes his own life in July 1990.

15: The Life and Death of Philip Knight

1993

1980s · 11 titles

The Fourth Protocol poster
6.3

Led by Kim Philby, Plan Aurora is a plan that breaches the top-secret Fourth Protocol and turns the fears that shaped it into a living nightmare. A crack Soviet agent, placed under cover in a quiet English country town, begins to assemble a nuclear bomb, whilst an MI5 agent attempts to prevent its detonation.

The Fourth Protocol

1987

The Doctor and the Devils poster
6.3

In Victorian England, graverobbers supply a wealthy doctor with bodies to research anatomy on, but greed causes them to seek an easier means of getting the job done.

The Doctor and the Devils

1985

High Hopes poster
7.0

Working-class couple Shirley and Cyril are in conflict over whether they should have children, their problems with 'yuppies' moving into the neighbourhood and outpricing them, and the advent of Cyril's ageing mother's seventieth birthday.

High Hopes

1989

Give My Regards to Broad Street poster
5.2

When the mastertape of McCartney's latest album is misplaced, he must discover its whereabouts in less than 24 hours or else risk losing his recording company to the lowlife Mr. Rath.

Give My Regards to Broad Street

1984

On the Palm poster
NR

Fledge needs a job. He'll take anything. And when Dawlish gives him strange errands to run, for cash in hand, strictly 'on the palm', it's a welcome change from the dole. Until he finds himself digging dirt on an old friend....

On the Palm

1987

The Storyteller: The Luck Child poster
NR

Seeking to avert a prophecy which foretells of a seventh son someday supplanting the current king, the unscrupulous monarch seeks out this luck child and attempts to do away with him. But those blessed with luck cannot be undone.

The Storyteller: The Luck Child

1988

No artwork available
NR

In a cell in a London police station, a suspected I.R.A. bomber, Roche, has been detained for questioning. To help them in the interrogation, the London coppers have summoned Nelson, a detective from Northern Ireland's predominantly Protestant police force, the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

Rat in the Skull

1987

Robin of Sherwood: Robin Hood and the Sorcerer poster
NR

His family massacred by Norman soldiers, Robin takes on the mantle of the Hooded Man, a champion long prophesied. His first challenge is to free Maid Marion from the clutches of the evil, powerful Baron de Belleme. The feature-length pilot for the popular TV series.

Robin of Sherwood: Robin Hood and the Sorcerer

1984

A Pattern of Roses poster
6.0

While his parents are renovating a cottage in an English village, teenager Tim and his friend Rebecca uncover information about the mysterious death of a 15-year-old boy who lived in the house decades prior, and as they dig deeper, Tim begins to find events from the past being mirrored in his own life.

A Pattern of Roses

1983

Glamour Night poster
NR

At the local camera club the men are arriving for a glamour session. The model is on her way. George wants a 'nice friendly evening's photography'. The others have rather different hopes.

Glamour Night

1985

Games Without Frontiers poster
NR

Nobody goes to Amsterdam to wander about. It's either the Rijksmuseum or the red light district. On the boat going home, Clive and Stewart admit to not having spot long in the museums - so what did they get up to in Amsterdam?

Games Without Frontiers

1980

1970s · 7 titles

Undated · 1 titles

Series credits

Midsomer Murders poster
7.5

The peacefulness of the Midsomer community is shattered by violent crimes, suspects are placed under suspicion, and it is up to a veteran DCI and his young sergeant to calmly and diligently eliminate the innocent and ruthlessly pursue the guilty.

Midsomer Murders

1997

Death in Paradise poster
7.4

A brilliant but idiosyncratic British detective and his resourceful local team solve baffling murder mysteries on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie.

Death in Paradise

2011

Agatha Christie's Poirot poster
8.2

From England to Egypt, accompanied by his elegant and trustworthy sidekicks, the intelligent yet eccentrically-refined Belgian detective Hercule Poirot pits his wits against a collection of first class deceptions.

Agatha Christie's Poirot

1989

Agatha Christie's Poirot poster
8.2

From England to Egypt, accompanied by his elegant and trustworthy sidekicks, the intelligent yet eccentrically-refined Belgian detective Hercule Poirot pits his wits against a collection of first class deceptions.

Agatha Christie's Poirot

1989

Casualty poster
6.2

Drama series about the staff and patients at Holby City Hospital's emergency department, charting the ups and downs in their personal and professional lives.

Casualty

1986

Silent Witness poster
7.6

A team of exceptional forensic pathologists and scientists investigate heinous crimes and use their skills to catch the people responsible.

Silent Witness

1996

Silent Witness poster
7.6

A team of exceptional forensic pathologists and scientists investigate heinous crimes and use their skills to catch the people responsible.

Silent Witness

1996

Play for Today poster
6.6

Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted. The individual episodes were between fifty and a hundred minutes in duration.

Play for Today

1970

Shameless poster
7.6

The story of a young group of siblings pretty much abandoned by their parents, surviving by their wits - and humor - on a rough Manchester council estate. Whilst they won't admit it, they need help and find it in Steve, a young middle class lad who falls for Fiona, the oldest sibling, and increasingly finds himself drawn to this unconventional and unique family. Anarchic family life seen through the eyes of an exceptionally bright fifteen year old, who struggles to come of age in the context of his belligerent father, closeted brother, psychotic sister and internet porn star neighbors.

Shameless

2004

BBC Play of the Month poster
5.2

A BBC television anthology series featuring productions of classic and contemporary stage plays usually broadcast on BBC1. Each production featured a different work, often using prominent British stage actors in the leading roles. The series was transmitted from October 1965 to September 1983.

BBC Play of the Month

1965

Heartbeat poster
7.1

Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield, this enduringly popular series interweaves crime and medical storylines.

Heartbeat

1992

Heartbeat poster
7.1

Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield, this enduringly popular series interweaves crime and medical storylines.

Heartbeat

1992

The Day of the Jackal poster
8.2

An unrivalled and highly elusive lone assassin, the Jackal, makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee. But following his latest kill, he meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer who starts to track down the Jackal in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, leaving destruction in its wake.

The Day of the Jackal

2024

A Touch of Frost poster
7.6

Jack Frost is a gritty, dogged and unconventional detective with sympathy for the underdog and an instinct for moral justice who attracts trouble like a magnet. Despite some animosity with his superintendent, Norman “Horn-rimmed Harry” Mullett, Frost and his ever-changing roster of assistants manage to solve cases via his clever mind, good heart, and cool touch.

A Touch of Frost

1992

A Touch of Frost poster
7.6

Jack Frost is a gritty, dogged and unconventional detective with sympathy for the underdog and an instinct for moral justice who attracts trouble like a magnet. Despite some animosity with his superintendent, Norman “Horn-rimmed Harry” Mullett, Frost and his ever-changing roster of assistants manage to solve cases via his clever mind, good heart, and cool touch.

A Touch of Frost

1992

Tales of the Unexpected poster
6.8

A British television anthology of stories, often with sinister and wryly comedic undertones, and a twist at the end. With early episodes written and presented by Roald Dahl, the series featured a plethora of big name guest stars.

Tales of the Unexpected

1979

Last of the Summer Wine poster
7.2

Unencumbered by wives, jobs or any other responsibilities, three senior citizens who've never really grown up explore their world in the Yorkshire Dales. They spend their days speculating about their fellow townsfolk and thinking up adventures not usually favored by the elderly. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse in 1973. The show ran for 295 episodes until 2010. It is the longest running comedy Britain has produced and the longest running sitcom in the world.

Last of the Summer Wine

1973

New Tricks poster
7.3

New Tricks is a British comedy-drama that follows the work of the fictional Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad of the Metropolitan Police Service. Originally led by Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman, it is made up of retired police officers who have been recruited to reinvestigate unsolved crimes.

New Tricks

2004

Screen Two poster
7.1

Series of single made-for-television dramas.

Screen Two

1985

Hustle poster
7.7

A motley group of London con artists pull of a series of daring and intricate stings.

Hustle

2004

Playhouse poster
7.0

A one-hour anthology television series of one-off contemporary and classic dramas produced by the BBC.

Playhouse

1974

Playhouse poster
7.0

A one-hour anthology television series of one-off contemporary and classic dramas produced by the BBC.

Playhouse

1974

Foyle's War poster
7.9

As WW2 rages around the world, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front as he investigates crimes on the south coast of England. Foyle's War opens in southern England in the year 1940. Later series sees the retired detective working as an MI5 agent operating in the aftermath of the war.

Foyle's War

2002

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip poster
6.0

Antiques experts accompany celebrities on a road trip around the UK searching for treasures and competing to make the most money at auction

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip

2011

Shakespeare & Hathaway - Private Investigators poster
7.1

Frank Hathaway, a hardboiled private investigator, and his rookie sidekick Lu Shakespeare form the unlikeliest of partnerships as they investigate the secrets of rural Warwickshire's residents.

Shakespeare & Hathaway - Private Investigators

2018

Little Britain poster
7.1

A zany comedy show with Matt Lucas and David Walliams, featuring characters from all over Little Britain.

Little Britain

2003

Playhouse Presents poster
6.0

Playhouse Presents is a series of self-contained TV plays, made by British broadcaster Sky Arts. The series started airing on 12 April 2012, on Sky Arts 1. Each episode is written by a different writer with a different cast.

Playhouse Presents

2012

Orson Welles' Great Mysteries poster
6.8

Orson Welles’ Great Mysteries is a British television anthology series produced by Anglia Television for the ITV network and broadcast between 1973 and 1974. The series presents standalone adaptations of classic mystery, crime, and supernatural stories drawn from literary sources including Dickens, Conan Doyle, Wilkie Collins, Balzac, Maugham, O. Henry, and others. Each episode is framed by original introductory and closing sequences performed by Orson Welles, who serves as the series’ host and sole recurring on-screen presence. These segments, written and directed by Welles (uncredited), function as stylized narrative framing devices rather than dramatic participation in the stories themselves. The dramatic content of each episode is performed by separate casts and directors, with no continuing characters or serialized narrative, establishing the series as a unified television anthology rather than a collection of standalone films.

Orson Welles' Great Mysteries

1973

Murder Most Horrid poster
6.9

Comedienne Dawn French tackles dark, tongue-in-cheek thrillers as her various characters embark on a different mystery every episode. In one way or another, she is involved with murder — either committing the crime or even getting bumped off herself!

Murder Most Horrid

1991

Murder Most Horrid poster
6.9

Comedienne Dawn French tackles dark, tongue-in-cheek thrillers as her various characters embark on a different mystery every episode. In one way or another, she is involved with murder — either committing the crime or even getting bumped off herself!

Murder Most Horrid

1991

Robin of Sherwood poster
7.6

Herne the Hunter picks Robin of Loxley as his successor in his mission to support the oppressed. Robin builds his army and leads a guerrilla attack to suppress the exploited's Norman tormentors.

Robin of Sherwood

1984

The Vice poster
5.6

The Vice is an ITV police drama about the Metropolitan Police Vice Unit. Spanning five short series from 1999 and 2003, it follows the London Metropolitan police force's vice squad, where prostitution, underage sex, and such organised crime are regular occurrences. Most episodes end where the main villain is caught but often not in a 'naturally' concluded way expected from other TV dramas, and often ending with more unanswered questions than answered. Leader DI Pat Chappel struggles to manage the balance between his private and professional lives — as do the rest of the team. Working in the seedy underworld leads to a continual dilemma — the tension between the Vice Squad and vice-related crimes runs throughout the series and gives the show a rich viewing experience. The line of the team staying on the right side of the law is often blurred, as almost every member at different points submits briefly or permanently to the dubious temptations, sometimes with drastic consequences.

The Vice

1999

The Play on One poster
6.0

A series of television plays, some original, some based on pre-existing plays or novels.

The Play on One

1988

Cuckoo poster
6.7

Cuckoo is every parent's worst nightmare - a slacker full of outlandish, New Age ideas. Ken is the over-protective father of a girl who's impulsively married an American hippie on her gap year.

Cuckoo

2012

Hamish Macbeth poster
7.7

Hamish Macbeth is a comedy-drama series made by BBC Scotland and first aired in 1995. It is loosely based on a series of mystery novels by M. C. Beaton. The series concerns a local police officer, Constable Hamish Macbeth in the fictitious town of Lochdubh on the west coast of Scotland. The titular character was played by Robert Carlyle. It ran for three series from 1995 to 1997, with the first two series having six episodes and the third having eight.

Hamish Macbeth

1995

The Storyteller poster
8.2

The Storyteller, aided by his cynical dog, narrates classic folk tales, fables, and legends.

The Storyteller

1988

Sherwood poster
6.9

Old grudges, new rivalries. A tangled web of murder and revenge spirals in a fractured Nottinghamshire mining community. Powerful drama with Lesley Manville and David Morrissey.

Sherwood

2022

Strangers poster
7.2

Strangers is a 1978–82 ITV police procedural created and principally written by Murray Smith, based on characters created by Kenneth Royce in his novel series and subsequent 1977–78 television adaptation The XYY Man. Don Henderson and Dennis Blanch reprise their roles, respectively, of Detective Sergeant (DS) George Bulman and Detective Constable (DC) Derek Willis. A group of police officers are brought together from across the country to the north of England. There, the fact that they're not well-known gives them the advantage to infiltrate where a more familiar local detective could not. Despite being based around a comparatively small team of detectives, a regular feature in its early years is that few episodes feature the entire team, with most using just two or three regulars in any major role.

Strangers

1978

Churchill's People poster
5.0

Churchill's People is a British anthology series based on A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, Winston Churchill's four-volume history of Britain and its former colonies. 26 episodes were produced by the BBC and initially broadcast from 30 December 1974 to 23 June 1975.

Churchill's People

1974

Bramwell poster
4.2

The story of Eleanor Bramwell , a pioneering female doctor in the late nineteenth century, and the struggles she has with her friends, her colleagues and society. Determined to take the medical profession out of the dark ages, her strongly held opinions often draw her into conflict with the chief surgeon, a man keener on tradition than he is on progress.

Bramwell

1995