Allan McKeown Movies

Originally telecast by HBO from January 13 to March 17, 1999, season four of Tracey Takes On... finds the multi-talented Tracey Ullman utilizing scores of comic characterizations to poke satiric jabs at 12 different topics. This year's crop of single-issue episodes include "Dating," "Drugs," "Scandal," "Hair," "Lies," "Erotica," "Books," "Road Rage," "America," "Hype," "Obsession," and the appropriately yclept series finale, "End of the World." Many of Ullman's familiar "alter egos" are still in attendance, including elderly Hollywood makeup artist Ruby, ageing male homosexual Trevor, suburban Jewish widow Fern, posturing magazine editor Janie, ruthlessly ambitious lawyer Sydney, burned-out rock musician Erin, and washed-up nightclub singer Linda. Breaking a tradition from previous years, this final season of Tracey Takes On... does not conclude with a special hour-long best-of highlights episode. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Originally telecast by HBO from January 18 to May 28, 1997, season two of Tracey Takes On... finds the multi-talented Tracey Ullman utilizing scores of comic characterizations to poke satiric jabs at 15 different topics. Episode titles this season include "Sex," "Fantasy," "Mothers," "Las Vegas," "Secrets," "Childhood," "1976," "Food," "Crime," "Movies," "Money," "Race Relations," "Supernatural," "Politics," and "Music." Among Ullman's hilarious "other selves" in the course of the 15 episodes are the perennial virgin Hope, the trash-talking Hollywood makeup artist Ruby, mother-dominated bank clerk Kay, barracuda-like Beverly Hills lawyer Sydney, fiftysomething suburban Jewish matron Fern, over-the-hill nightclub entertainer Linda, and high-strung magazine editor Janie. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The British sitcom Sometime, Never starred Sara Crowe and Ann Bryson (billed for reasons best known to their fans as "the Philadelphia Girls") as a pair of thirtysomething best friends. Maxine (Crowe) was an unmarried drama teacher who, among other things, was frustrated over losing a promotion to a much-younger colleague. Bernice (Bryson) lived in the flat above Maxine's with her husband Kev (John Hodgkinson) and their two kids. Introduced with a pilot episode on July 17, 1995, the series proper lasted six installments, telecast in Britain from October 27 to December 8, 1996. Sometime, Never was co-produced by Meridian Television and Witzend Productions. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Once more, opposites attracted (sort of) on the six-episode British sitcom Taking the Floor. Matthew Cottle was cast as Brian Wheeler, who aspired to become the United Kingdom's greatest ballroom dancer. He found the perfect partner in the form of Karen Tranter (Barbara Durkin), whose terpsichorean skills were matched only by her insufferable snootiness. When Brian and Karen were together on the dance floor, they were dynamite; but once the music stopped, they could not stand the sight of each other. Created by Paul Makin, Taking the Floor was broadcast over BBC1 from March 4 to April 15, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, the trenchant British comedy-drama series Shine On Harvey Moon starred Kenneth Cranham in the title role. Believed to have been killed in battle during WWII, Harvey surprised everyone when he returned to his old East End neighborhood at the cessation of hostilities. But Harvey was in for a few surprises of his own; his house had been bombed into oblivion, his "widow" Rita (Maggie Steed) had apparently slept with the entire American occupying force, and his daughter Maggie (Linda Robson) was fooling around with a scapegrace named Lou (Nigel Planer). Despite all this, Harvey was determined to pick up the pieces and start life all over again. Lasting 12 half-hour and 23 hour-long episodes, Shine On Harvey Moon was produced by Witzend Productions on behalf of Central Television. Debuting January 9, 1982, the series ran until 1985. Ten years later, the property was revived and updated under the same title, but with a different leading man. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi