Man At The Top

Man at the Top takes up the continuing story of Joe Lampton, the aggressively ambitious anti-hero of John Braine's bestselling novel Room at the Top, its award-winning film adaptation of 1958, and 1965 sequel Life at the Top. Kenneth Haigh's portrayal of Joe Lampton earned him a BAFTA nomination, while accomplished film and stage actress Zena Walker is Joe's long-suffering wife, Susan. 

This intense, compelling drama series was created and co-written by John Braine, and George Markstein features among the producers. Thirteen years on from his marriage to the pregnant Susan - a condition of his continuing promotion by Susan's father and his then boss, Mr. Brown - Joe Lampton has a new home in Surrey's stockbroker belt and a career as a management consultant. As pushy and hard-headed as ever, he will go to any lengths to keep a grip on his position. Joe remains married to Susan and the couple now have two children, but his attentions rarely remain fixed and he does not fail to take advantage of all that his status and connections bring within his reach; this inevitably includes the attractive and available women he encounters. A single event, however, causes Joe to re-assess his life - with far-reaching consequences. A feature film based on the TV series was produced by Hammer / Dufton Films in 1973

Published on January 2nd, 2019. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.