About Face

About Face

1989 - United Kingdom

A series of 12 unconnected half-hour sitcoms, all written by different writers, created as a starring vehicle for Maureen Lipman who had previously had a huge hit with Agony, but for the past two years had been starring in a series of hit TV commercials for British Telecom as Beattie (a play on BT and suggested by Lipman herself who thought the name more apt than Dora, as created by Richard Phillips, an advertising copywriter who devised the campaign). There were two series of About Face, 1989 and 1991 and the first appeared less than two weeks before Victoria Wood launched a similar series on BBC1. During the run Lipman played a South London telephonist, a Cypriot immigrant, an overworked doctor and Margaret Thatcher. The last show in the series was written by her husband, Jack Rosenthal

Guest stars included Michael Gambon, Phyllidia Law, John Wells, Keith Barron, Libby Morris, Stephanie Cole, Martin Clunes and Bernard Hill. 

Published on November 26th, 2018. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.

Read Next...

Surgical Spirit

Sheila Sabatini is a brilliant surgeon, but her sharp tongue gets her into trouble with fellow consultant surgeons, mainly because she likes to unearth their lazy and hypocritical behaviour at every opportunity

Also released in 1989

A J Wentworth

The final starring vehicle for the masterful comedic talents of the incomparable, Arthur Lowe.

Also tagged British Sitcom

George and Mildred

Domestic sitcom about a work-shy husband and his sex-starved, upwardly aspiring but ultimately frustrated wife.

Also tagged British Sitcom

Faces of Jim

Jimmy Edwards series of one-off sitcoms that introduced a minor supporting character actor who would go on to become 'the guv'nor' of British comedy...Ronnie Barker.

Also tagged Comedy Anthology

Campion

Margery Allingham's 1930s private detective, Albert Campion, has had several versions on BBC television. Here's a rundown on each of them...

Also released in 1989

The Army Game

Hugely successful series from Granada TV that started in 1957 as a fortnightly live sitcom, which was moved to a weekly spot when it became so popular. The series followed the misfortunes of a mixed bag of army conscripts.

Also tagged British Sitcom

Maid Marian and Her Merry Men

In 1989, Tony Robinson brought us the true story of a famous legend. Robin was a cowardly and incompetent ex-tailor from Kensington and Marian, an idealistic freedom fighter, was the brains behind the Merry Men. Anything else is pure fiction...

Also released in 1989

Marriage Lines

Marital ups and downs of a newly-wed couple starring Richard Briers and Prunella Scales

Also tagged British Sitcom

The Shakespeare Collection

In 1978, Cedric Messina persuaded the British Broadcasting Corporation to take on the task of filming the whole canon of William Shakespeare's plays for television, under the title The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare.

Also starring Maureen Lipman