Author Edmund Ward brought the world of local party politics to the screen in this powerful and compelling Yorkshire Television Production.
It is election time in Andersley and the party faithful gather.
John Killane (Michael Gambon) – the second son of an unambitious Anglican clergyman – becomes the new Conservative MP for Andersley West and fights a lost cause for reasons even he is not sure about.
Sam Brodie (Colin Blakely) – who has held the adjoining seat of Andersley East for Labour for 13 years – watches and bides his time.
The two are now rival lions in an arena where their families and friends and supporters are involved spectators.
The Challengers did not deal only with the lives of Killane and Brodie in the House of Commons and the corridors of power in Westminster. It dealt with constituency life, the shifts and balances and problems that an MP must face in the community which elected him, where he is answerable to the 35,000 people who cast votes and for whom he is a mixture of God, scapegoat, collective voice, wielder of influence and someone to open a jumble sale.
Sam Brodie
Colin Blakely John Killane
Michael Gambon Cliff Lambert
Richard Hampton Peter Chapman
William Gaunt Annie
Joanna Van Gyseghem Jane
Hilary Heath Sir Joseph
Bill Owen Joe
Alex Scott
Episodes
The Tomorrow Business | Who’s Been Eating My Porridge? | History Does Not Pay the Rent
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