Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Drama
    Drama TV Shows - 1980s 2 Mins Read

    First Among Equals

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 8 6 (UK)
    10 x 60 minute episodes

    Granada spared no expense with their production of First Among Equals, an adaptation of a Jeffrey Archer novel which gave us a magnificent replica of the House of Commons – so realistic that visiting MP Joan Lester found herself bowing to the Speaker as she entered.

    The drama revolved around four fictional MPs starting out in 1964. One of them would become Prime Minister: the principled Tory, the complete Conservative swine, the deeply dull Labour man or the Scottish socialist who seemed to have it made – so we knew his world would be the first to collapse.

    firstamongequals5

    There was additional intrigue when producer Mervyn Watson made two endings and ruled that only he and Granada’s managing director, David Plowright, would elect the Prime Minister in the final week.

    In the end, it was the now not so dull Labour man Gould (Tom Wilkinson) rather than the decent Tory, Kerslake, who walked into Number 10.

    Archer had picked Gould in the British version of his book, but Kerslake won in the American edition.

    David Plowright had another hard decision to make too – whether to blow up the House of Commons. Their £200,000 set, complete with Leader of the Opposition’s office, smoking room, whip’s office, Members’ Lobby and corridor with statues had to go to make room for the sets of Lost Empires.

    It would have gone up in flames had not the producers of Yorkshire Television’s parliamentary comedy The New Statesman heard about it at the ninth hour and sent up their lorries.

    Andrew Fraser
    David Robb 
    Charles Seymour 

    Jeremy Child 
    Raymond Gould 

    Tom Wilkinson
    Simon Kerslake 

    James Faulkner
    Fiona Seymour 

    Jane Booker 
    Elizabeth Kerslake 

    Joanna David
    Alec Pimkin 

    Clive Swift 
    Louise Fraser 

    Diana Hardcastle
    Joyce Gould

    Anita Carey

    Related Posts

    • New Statesman, The
      New Statesman, The
      1 9 8 7 - 1 9 9 4 (UK) 27 x 30 minute episodes 1 x 70 minute episode It…
    • A Very British Coup
      A Very British Coup
      1 9 8 8 (UK) 3 x 60 minute episodes A Very British Coup followed the destabilising of an elected Left-Wing…
    • Days of Hope
      Days of Hope
      1 9 7 5 (UK) 4 x 90 minute episodes The 1975 BBC production Days of Hope presented four plays about events in…
    • House Of Cards
      House Of Cards
      1 9 9 0 (UK) 4 x 60 minute episodes This superb BBC drama serial charted the rise to Number 10 of…
    • Jackanory Playhouse
      Jackanory Playhouse
      1 9 7 2 - 1 9 8 5 (UK) 65 x 30 minute episodes Jackanory Playhouse was a halfway-house approach…
    • Pallisers, The
      Pallisers, The
      1 9 7 4 - 1 9 7 5 (UK) 26 x 50 minute episodes A Forsyte Saga imitation - complete with Susan…
    • Police Rescue
      Police Rescue
      1 9 9 0 - 1 9 9 4 (Australia) 65 x 60 minute episodes Perhaps the most successful Australian cop show…
    • Clapperboard
      Clapperboard
      1 9 7 2 - 1 9 8 2 (UK) 483 x 30 minute episodes Clapperboard debuted in 1972 and provided…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleFBI, The
    Next Article Winds Of War, The

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Evel Knievel
      Evel Knievel always insisted reports suggesting every bone in […]
    • Pogs
      Throwing a small metal disc at a pile of lighter discs was an […]
    • Little Mermaid, The (1989)
      Plucky mermaid Ariel, daughter of King Triton, is unhappy with […]
    • Berrenger’s
      1 9 8 5 (USA) This short-lived night-time drama series from NBC […]
    • Life on Earth
      1 9 7 9 (UK) 13 x 60 minute episodes David […]
    • Jamiroquai
      Best known for a video where a room tries to escape from him, […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.