1 9 7 6 (UK)
12 x 60 minute episodes
Set in fictitious Carlisle Crescent, a middle-class residential West London street, this £700,000 series from Thames Television delivered 12 soapy hour-long afternoon plays about the people who lived in ‘the crezz’.
The Crescent was peopled by trendy advertising executives, a couple of homosexuals, a sci-fi writer, an Irish labouring family, an au pair and a half-demented doctor.
The focal point was the communal Gardens Committee chaired by lecturer Charles Bronte (Joss Ackland). Although desperately keen to foster a sense of cohesion, he was often forced to mediate in the disputes that arose among the Crescent’s residents. Resentment, rivalry and jealousy were never far from the surface
Created by BAFTA-nominated writer and playwright Clive Exton, the lighthearted series analysed their personal lives and monitored their inter-relationships, with one household taking centre stage in each episode.
With further scripts by Willis Hall (Billy Liar, Budgie), William Trevor (Play for Today) and Alick Rowe, The Crezz featured an exceptional ensemble cast that included stand-out performances from Ackland, Peter Bowles and Nicholas Ball.
Unfortunately, after five weeks on the air, ITV shunted the series from its primetime schedule (8 pm) to a late-night slot.
Charles Bronte
Joss Ackland
Jackie Bronte
Elspet Gray
Esther Bronte
Briony McRoberts
Emma Antrobus
Isla Blair
Cyril Antrobus
Anthony Nicholls
Dr Balfour-Harvey
Hugh Burden
Brenda Pitman
Janet Key
Colin Pitman
Nicholas Ball
Lady Clarke
Aimée Delamain
Ken Green
Peter Bowles
Sue Green
Carole Nimmons
Episodes
The Longest Day | The Spanish Succession | All Good Nature | Night Manoeuvres | Fire Down Below | Voices from the Past | Gone to the Dogs | Bent Doubles | The Battle of Harvey Street | A Flash of Inspiration | The Newcomers | Pitman’s Folly
