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Lovejoy

British television comedy drama series (1986–1994)

Summary

British television comedy drama series (1986–1994)

Field	Value
image	Lovejoy-cast.jpg
caption	The main cast from the series 1 to 5 (from left), Dudley Sutton, Ian McShane, Chris Jury, and Phyllis Logan.
genre	Comedy drama, mystery
runtime	50 minutes
creator	{{Plainlist	* John Grant
*Ian La Frenais<ref>{{cite news	url	https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/ian-mcshane-i-dont-even-like-antiques-2099558.html	title=Ian McShane: 'I don't even like antiques'	date=9 October 2010	work=The Independent.	publisher=Independent Print Limited	access-date=28 April 2012}}}}
starring	{{Plainlist	*Ian McShane
country	United Kingdom
language	English
company	BBC
Tamariska Productions
WitzEnd Productions
network	BBC1
first_aired
last_aired
first_aired2
last_aired2
num_series	6
num_episodes	71
list_episodes	List of Lovejoy episodes

Ian La Frenais}}
Chris Jury
Phyllis Logan
Dudley Sutton Tamariska Productions WitzEnd Productions Lovejoy is a British television comedy-drama mystery series, based on the novels by John Grant under the pen name Jonathan Gash. The show, which ran to 71 episodes over six series, was originally broadcast on BBC1 between 10 January 1986 and 4 December 1994, though there was a five-year gap between the first and second series. It was adapted for television by Ian La Frenais.

Overview

The series concerns the adventures of the eponymous Lovejoy, a roguish antiques dealer based in East Anglia, and was filmed around Long Melford. Within the trade, he has a reputation as a "divvy", a person with almost unnatural powers of recognising exceptional items as well as distinguishing genuine antiques from fakes or forgeries.

Episodes

Main article: List of Lovejoy episodes

Characters

Lovejoy, played by Ian McShane, a less than scrupulous, yet likeable rogue antique dealer
Eric Catchpole, played by Chris Jury (series 1–5; guest, series 6), Lovejoy's younger, enthusiastic, but ever so slightly dim, assistant
Tinker Dill, played by Dudley Sutton, "barker" and tout who is friends with Lovejoy
Lady Jane Felsham, played by Phyllis Logan (series 1–5; guest, series 6), has a friendly, flirtatious relationship with Lovejoy, often helping him with his deals
Charlie Gimbert, played by Malcolm Tierney (series 1, 4–5), Lovejoy's landlord and the owner of a local auction house, he is also Lovejoy's nemesis and rival within the antiques trade
Beth Taylor, played by Diane Parish (series 5–6), Lovejoy's new apprentice following the departure of Eric Catchpole
Charlotte Cavendish, played by Caroline Langrishe (series 5–6), an auctioneer who becomes Lovejoy's love interest

Broadcast history

The series was notable for its style and pace. Lovejoy would frequently break the fourth wall, revealing his thoughts and motives by addressing the audience directly. The first series was shown on BBC1 in the first half of 1986. It concluded with a two-part special.

Despite the first series being a moderate ratings success, Lovejoy was not brought back until January 1991. The delay was partly due to a financing disagreement between executive producer and BBC management which resolved in 1989 after personnel turnover.{{cite web

During the fifth series, several cast changes were made. Phyllis Logan left the show in the second episode and Chris Jury departed in the sixth episode, although both characters returned for the sixth series finale. Two new regular characters were added: Lovejoy's new apprentice, Beth Taylor, and Charlotte Cavendish, who ran a local antiques auction house.

The sixth and final series of ten episodes was broadcast between October and December 1994. Two ninety-minute Lovejoy specials for Christmas were shown in 1992 and 1993. The theme tune used in the opening and end credits, as well as the incidental music for each episode, was composed by Denis King.

Releases

In the United States, the series was first broadcast on the A&E Network. It was marketed as The Lovejoy Mysteries on VHS in the United States. The DVD release of the entire series has returned to the title of Lovejoy.

References

(9 October 2010). "Ian McShane: 'I don't even like antiques'". Independent Print Limited.
White, Peter. (2 July 2019). "Ian McShane's Classic British Drama 'Lovejoy' Set For Reboot After Blue Sky Pictures Options Original Novels".
(14 January 2021). "Memories of Lovejoy: East Anglia's TV classic".
(28 February 2004). "In Constable country". The Times.
"Lovejoy".
Aldwinckle, Nick. (15 August 2011). "'Lovejoy': The Complete Collection DVD review".
"Lovejoy: The Complete Collection".

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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