Episodes
Long Distance Information
October 11, 1979
A fanatical Elvis Presley fan is working as a disc jockey when his idol dies
Cries from a Watchtower
October 18, 1979
A watchmaker finds his livelihood is threatened by cheaply imported digital watches.
Comedians
October 25, 1979
Budding comedians take an evening class taught by a retired performer and, for their final exam, must perform for an impresario in a nightclub.
Even Solomon
November 1, 1979
Stephen Piper is a quiet young man. A virgin, he shows no interest in sex, and is cruelly scorned by an aggressive female neighbour when he rebuffs her advances. He lives with his mother, an overbearing woman who mocks him for being wet. But Stephen has a secret. An accurate and heartfelt depiction of the challenges he faces and a fascinating glimpse at the gender politics of the day.
Just a Boy's Game
November 8, 1979
In Glasgow, a young man's sole aim is to be as tough as his dying grandfather once was
Billy
November 15, 1979
A 4-year-old boy is abused by his father
A Hole in Babylon
November 29, 1979
Exploration of the events leading up to 1975 Spaghetti House siege in London and the motivation of its three protagonists, T-Bone Wilson, Archie Pool, and Trevor Thomas.
The Slab-Boys
December 6, 1979
The story of a young man who works in a carpet factory
Katie: The Year of a Child
December 13, 1979
A teenage girl from a family of Irish Travellers is left to look after her brothers and sisters while her father is away.
The Network
December 20, 1979
What do Rose from Devon and Christina from Stuttgart have in common? And in what way is their fate linked to that of wealthy Fiona Dunkerley?
Chance of a Lifetime
January 3, 1980
A young man quits school and joins the army.
Keep Smiling
January 10, 1980
Family picnics should not be like this: bugging devices, men with X-ray eyes. Mary doesn't understand what terrifies Simon, nor the bizarre events of the next six months.
Dreams of Leaving
January 17, 1980
A journalist moves to London and gets caught up in the big city and his romance with a rich debutante.
Thicker Than Water
January 24, 1980
Various characters have adventures on the way to a black pudding festival in Normandy.
Murder Rap
January 31, 1980
An Englishman's home is his castle, and Wally aims to prove it.
Instant Enlightenment Including VAT
February 7, 1980
Weekend enlightenment seminars serve as a form of brainwashing.
No Defence
February 14, 1980
Mr. Germanou arrives from Cyprus with his family to settle in England. But on his arrival he's arrested for an historical rape with seemingly no defence.
That Crazy Woman
February 21, 1980
Twenty years ago, at the age of 56, this extraordinary woman became a national hero by walking from John O'Groats to Land's End. One of the last great English eccentrics (even though she was Russian) in the last days of English innocence.
A Gift from Nessus
February 28, 1980
The marital and career problems of a middle-aged, middle-class man in Glasgow in the 1960s
Kate, the Good Neighbour
March 6, 1980
A compassionate elderly woman comes to the realization that she can no longer care for herself or others.
Buses
March 13, 1980
A story about the regulation of the bus industry in 1930
Shadows on Our Skin
March 20, 1980
The problems of an 11-year-old boy living in the Catholic part of Londonderry
Ladies
March 27, 1980
The A Shift at the MHS department store are organising a wedding gift presentation for Elaine. But what's on Miriam's mind, and why does she seem so out of sorts?
The Vanishing Army
April 3, 1980
A story about the highs and lows of peacetime army life
Not for the Likes of Us
April 10, 1980
"I dunno, years of putting up with it, waiting on you all, for what? Eh? To become a 14-stone invisible woman?"
The Executioner
April 17, 1980
Jan and Meg Citron are on holiday in Germany. Their car is stopped by the police. A simple traffic offence? But their seemingly innocent past is ripped open and life will never be the same again.
The Imitation Game
April 24, 1980
During World War II, an idealistic young woman joins the Army Transport Service
A Walk in the Forest
May 14, 1980
A writer gets involved with a Soviet dissident
