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» » The Play on One Yellowbacks (1988–1991)

Short summary

Britain in the very near future. In an abandoned hotel, a young female doctor and a middle-aged male scientist are interrogated separately. The question they are both asked is 'Where is Martin Pitt?'

User reviews


  • comment
    • Author: IWantYou
    I saw this on TV back in 1990 so my memory of details is hazy.

    I remember it as a hard-hitting drama on the "underground" metropolitan police force (in London, UK) - much in the tone of the 1997 US movie "Conspiracy Theory". The title word refers to authoritarian automobiles that are painted canary yellow due to a clerical mistake of a bulk order of paint that needed to be used up.

    Sorry, can't remember much more except the wonderful scene where the character played by Janet McTeer is forced to quaff vast quantities of alcohol (in order that her subsequent behaviour might discredit her disclosure of discoveries) by the character played by Imelda Staunton and Janet's acting as she gets "drunker" is just great. Highly recommended.
  • comment
    • Author: Marilbine
    The film centres around a slightly futuristic U.K. in which people who have a medical condition (never actually called AIDS/HIV but heavily hinted at) are put in isolation camps in Wales and the North east of England. Some friends of those with the condition and some medical practitioners who have been treating them have helped patients to escape the collection squads and are now being interrogated at an isolated country house. Tim Roth plays a very sadistic enforcement(secret police ?) officer who tries to bully and torture Janet McTeer into a confession. Roy Marsden is a much more conventional cop who tries the "It has to be done for the sake of the majority" line with Bill Patersons character. It is one of those films that makes you glad people will still help others no matter what the personal dangers, and sad that society would consider the sort of action taken by the authorities.
  • Episode credited cast:
    Janet McTeer Janet McTeer - Dr. Juliet Horwitz
    Roy Marsden Roy Marsden - David Caesar
    Tim Roth Tim Roth - Peter Pike
    Bill Paterson Bill Paterson - Alex McPherson
    Imelda Staunton Imelda Staunton - Cheryl Newman
    Ciarán Hinds Ciarán Hinds - Martin Pitt
    Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
    Luke Hanson Luke Hanson - Colin Skye
    Linda Henry Linda Henry - Carol Fairwater
    Kenny Ireland Kenny Ireland - Norman Jarvis
    Jonny Phillips Jonny Phillips - Philip Colthard (as Jonathan Phillips)
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