Pam Ferris Movies

Y Tu Mamá También and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuarón returns to the helm to tell this futuristic tale in which society is without hope since humankind lost its ability to procreate. The year is 2027, and women can no longer give birth. The youngest inhabitant of the planet has just died at the age of 18, and all hope for humanity has been lost. As civilization descends into chaos, a dying world finds one last chance for survival in the form of a woman who has become inexplicably pregnant. Now, as warring nationalistic sects clash and British leaders try to maintain their totalitarian stronghold on the country, a disillusioned bureaucrat (Clive Owen) is brought back into the fold of activism by his guerrilla ex-wife (Julianne Moore). Reluctantly, he takes on the daunting task of escorting Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), the refugee who represents humankind's last hope for survival, out of harm's way and into the care of a mysterious organization known as The Human Project. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Charlie Hunnam, and Michael Caine co-star in this adaptation of author P.D. James's gripping 1992 novel. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

After directing the first two movies in the Harry Potter franchise, Chris Columbus opted to serve as producer for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and passed the baton to Y Tu Mamá También director Alfonso Cuarón. Though "immensely popular" is an understatement when it comes to Harry Potter, Azkaban is somewhat of a departure from its predecessors, and particularly beloved among fans for its surprise ending. Prisoner of Azkaban also marks the introduction of Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who has escaped from the title prison after 12 years of incarceration. Believed to have been the right-hand-man of the dark wizard Voldemort, whom Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) mysteriously rendered powerless during his infancy, some of those closest to Harry suspect Black has returned to exact revenge on the boy who defeated his master. Upon his return to school, however, Harry is relatively unconcerned with Black. Run by Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) -- who is widely regarded as the most powerful wizard of the age -- Hogwarts is renowned for its safety. Harry's nonchalance eventually turns to blind rage after accidentally learning the first of Black's many secrets during a field trip to a neighboring village. Of course, a loose serial killer is only one of the problems plaguing the bespectacled wizard's third year back at school -- the soul-sucking guards of Azkaban prison have been employed at Hogwarts to protect the students, but their mere presence sends Harry into crippling fainting spells. With the help of his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), and Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Remus Lupin (David Thewlis), Harry struggles to thwart the Dementors, find Sirius Black, and uncover the mysteries of the night that left him orphaned. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

United by a common love of all growing things -- and linked together by their two green thumbs -- Rosemary Boxer (Felicity Kendal) and Laura Thyme (Pam Ferris) meet for the first time as Rosemary & Thyme launches its first season. No sooner has their friendship congealed than our two heroines set about to investigate the "accidental" death of Laura's friend Sam, which is somehow connected to Rosemary's investigation of a mysterious virus that is killing all the trees on the estate of Rosemary's chum Daniel Kellaway. Shortly after cracking this case on behalf of the authorities, Rosemary and Laura set up their own gardening shop, but somehow they can't resist doing a bit of amateur sleuthing on the side. In subsequent season one episodes, the ladies look into a mystery inaugurated by the discovery of a horse's skeleton; probe into the curiously erratic "performance" of a water fountain in a fashionable health spa; try to figure out why the campus of a private university is having trouble raising a decent lawn (Could it have something to do with that corpse whose throat has been cut?); they unearth an insidious plot to purchase property via illegal and possibly homicidal means; and in the season's final installment, Rosemary and Laura are confronted with the puzzle of "The Tree of Death." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Eleanor H. Porter's novel about a cheerful girl who brightens the lives of those around her is brought to the screen once again in this made-for-television melodrama. Pollyanna Whittier (Georgina Terry) is an eleven-year-old girl who, after the unexpected death of her parents, is taken in by her Aunt Polly (Amanda Burton). Aunt Polly and her friend are not an especially happy lot, but despite the recent tragedy in her life, Pollyanna is the sort of person who invariably looks at the sunny side of life. Pollyanna invents what she calls "the Glad Game," in which she challenges those around her to see the positive side of every situation, and her upbeat outlook proves infectious. Produced for British television, this adaptation of Pollyanna received its American premier on the award-winning anthology series Masterpiece Theater. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

One of the most popular British TV soap operas of the late 20th-early 21st century, Where the Heart Is was set in the fictional community of Skelthwaite. Originally, the stories focused on two nurses, Peggy Snow (Pam Ferris) and Ruth Goddard (Sarah Lancashire), and their extended families. Eventually and inevitably, the plot lines branched out to virtually every resident of Skelthwaite, especially the younger and prettier citizens. The first 54-minute episode of Where the Heart Is was broadcast in 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Darling Buds of May was a British TV comedy series, based on a series of novels by H. E. Bates. The series takes place on the Kent farm of the Larkin family, where Pop Larkin holds court over a large, rambunctious brood and pays for things via the barter system. Since Mr. Larkin has never paid any income tax, he falls under the scrutiny of bumbling taxman Charley Charleton-who forgets his mission upon falling in love with Marette, the eldest Larkin daughter. If this sounds familiar, it's because Darling Buds of May was filmed by Hollywood in 1959 as The Mating Game, with Tony Randall, Debbie Reynolds and Paul Douglas. In "A Breath of French Air", Charley Charleton talks the Larkins into accompanying him to a ramshackle hotel in Brittany. Featured in the cast are David Jason, Pam Ferris, Philip French, and Catherine Zeta Jones. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When Charley Charleton first arrived at the Larkin farm in Kent, it was with the intention of finding out why Pop Larkin had never paid any income tax. By and by, Charley fell madly in love with Larkin's eldest daughter Marette. This premise was laid out in a series of comic novels by H. E. Bates, which served as the basis of the American theatrical feature The Mating Game (1959) and the British TV sitcom The Darling Buds of May. "Oh! To Be in England" is an episode from the latter project. In this installment, Pop Larkin comes to terms with being a grandfather, while younger daughter Primrose is entranced by a visiting New Yorker. The cast of Darling Buds of May includes David Jason, Pam Ferris, Philip French and Catherine Zeta Jones. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on the comic novels of H. E. Bates, the British TV sitcom Darling Buds of May originally ran from 1991 to 1993. The basic storyline concerned the Larkin family of Kent, overseen by Pop Larkin, a warm-hearted gent who tends to be careless when it comes to paying taxes. Internal revenue agent Charley Charleton arrives on the Larkin farm to take a look at Pop's books, only to end up falling in love with Manette, the eldest Larkin girl. In "When the Green Woods Laugh", Charley and Manette are just about to head for the altar. Pop Larkin is supposed to give the bride away; thing of it is, where's Pop? David Jason, Pam Ferris, Philip French and Catherine Zeta Jones star in this farcical endeavor. Darling Buds of May was earlier adapted for the screen by Hollywood as The Mating Game (1959). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This 5-part Masterpiece Theatre TV presentation was adapted from several short stories by Noel Coward. Though the personnel and settings change from week to week, the episodes are linked (sometimes very tenuously) by their relationship to the world of Theatre and the Performing Arts. In the first hour, a playwright (Peter Chisholm) is forced to cast a temperamental movie star (Susannah York) in his debut production. In the second, a married couple (Ian Holm and Judi Dench) do their "patriotic duty" by serving as the official British citizens in a faraway South Pacific isle. Episode number three finds an ageing homosexual musical comedy star (Tom Courtney) recalling his one romantic fling with a woman. The fourth installment is about a self-effacing old lady (Patricia Hayes) who dislikes being center of attention on her birthday. And the final playlet is set on a luxury cruise, where a playboy (Nigel Havers) has a tete-a-tete with an inquiring journalist (Judy Parfit). Star Quality was originally shown on PBS from March 29 through April 26, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Colin (Tim Roth, making his screen debut) and his brother Mark (Phil Daniels, who starred in Quadrophenia) are down and out. They live in a squalid flat with their unemployed father, Frank (Jeff Robert), and their put-upon mother, Mavis (Pam Ferris). They're on the dole, and Mark is constantly scrounging for cash and cadging drinks from his friends, among them Coxy (Gary Oldman in his screen debut), a skinhead. Colin, shy and perhaps mentally disabled, has a crush on a good-natured local girl, Hayley (Tilly Vosburgh). But when Coxy brings him over to her apartment, he can only watch helplessly as a rather ugly scene unfolds. Mark, who is constantly mocking Frank's hypocritical and outdated world view, also makes fun of Colin and calls him "Kermit" and "muppet." Barbara (Marion Bailey, who would later appear in All or Nothing), the boys' middle-class aunt, drops by one day and offers Colin work helping her redecorate her house. Colin seems only mildly interested, but his parents pressure him to take the offer. Mark says that Barbara is exploiting Colin, but his family suspects that Mark is just resentful because Barbara didn't offer him the job. On Colin's first day, Mark turns up at Barbara's to learn that Colin hasn't shown up yet. As Mark and Barbara search the neighborhood for Colin, Mark makes insinuations about the state of Barbara's troubled relationship with her husband, John (Alfred Molina). Meantime, conceived and directed by Mike Leigh, was produced for British television, and shown at the 1984 Berlin International Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi