Alice

1946 - United Kingdom

Very early BBC TV outing for Lewis Carroll's classic fantasy produced by George More O'Ferrall and transmitted live from Alexander Palace as a Christmas treat on 21 December 1946. Subtitled 'Some of her Adventures in Wonderland' this 40 minute broadcast was adapted by English novelist and playwright Clemence Dane (the pseudonym of Winifred Ashton) and shown twice (performed live) before disappearing into the ether forever.

15 year-old Vivian Pickles (who went on to have a distinguished career and, at the time of writing is 87 years-old and living in London) played Alice and supporting cast included Erik Chitty (as White Rabbit), twenty years before he appeared as 'Smithy' in Please Sir! and a young Miriam Karlin (as Cook) some years before she starred as the stroppy shop steward who became something of a national institution in The Rag Trade.

Published on November 27th, 2018. Written by Laurence Marcus (source BBC Genome) for Television Heaven.

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Play and Single Dramas

After the Funeral (1960)

November 26th, 2018

When Alun Owen's play 'After the Funeral' was read by Sydney Newman, head of drama for ABC Television, and William Kotcheff, the television director, they were so taken by his conception of Wales and the Welsh, they decided to see for themselves.

ABC Armchair Thriller (1967)

November 26th, 2018

'ABC Armchair Thriller', although sometimes listed alongside the later 'Armchair Thriller' series (1978 & 1980), is a separate series from the later Thames productions, which it preceded by 11 years.

Kid Flanagan (1948)

December 28th, 2018

A young boxer's career is destroyed by a scheming woman in this one-off BBC play that also starred Sid James.

Journey's End (1937)

April 5th, 2020

Adapted from R.C. Sheriff's successful play, Journey's End is set against the background of life in the trenches during World War One and concentrates on a group of officers behind British lines at St. Quentin, France.

The Troubled Air (1953)

April 5th, 2020

The Troubled Air was Irwin Shaw's novel chronicling the rise of McCarthyism in the USA and in particular the anti-Communist witch-hunt among radio-programme workers.

Pretty Polly (1966)

April 4th, 2020

Noel Coward's short story starring Lynn Redgrave as an ugly duckling who only later turns into a most possessing young swan.

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