Bill Anderson Movies
The legendary Inspector Morse (John Thaw) has passed away, and in the wake of a family tragedy that sent his ex-partner Inspector Robert Lewis (Kevin Whatley) on a two-year assignment in the British Virgin Islands, Lewis returns to Oxford, England to investigate the death of an American college student. Along with his new partner Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (Laurence Fox), Inspector Lewis seeks out the assistance of troubled student Danny Griffon - a prominent heir to a wealthy but notoriously secretive family - in cracking the increasingly difficult case. Now, as Inspector Lewis peers deep into his own past while learning that Griffon was once inspected by none other than his deceased partner, he must enlist the aid of his old boss in order to make the connection and bring the guilty party to justice. Just as everything finally begins to come into focus, however, Inspector Lewis learns much to his dismay that Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent is planning to take him off of the front lines to take part in a special training session; a prospect that doesn't sit too well with the man who just wants to get back to work. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
ER regular Alex Kingston stars as the title character in this British-produced biopic of first century A.D. "warrior queen" Boudica. After the death of her husband, King Prasutagus (Steven Waddington), the feisty Boudica becomes the leader of the Iceni, a Celtic tribe living in East Anglia. Though Boudica and her followers put up a valiant defense, their homeland is overrun by the Roman legions of the mad emperor Nero (Andrew Lee Potts), who has devised a hellish scheme to put the "ginger bitch" in her place. Beaten and bound by the conquering soldiers, Boudica is forced to watch as her daughters are brutally raped. Assuming that the Iceni queen has been humbled and no longer poses a threat to the Empire, Nero spares her life -- which turns out to be one of the emperor's biggest errors in judgment, as the vengeful Boudica and her army set about to prove in bloodthirsty fashion that she is, to paraphrase a much-later British monarch, a queen with "the heart and stomach of a king." In America, Warrior Queen proved to be an uncharacteristically violent Masterpiece Theatre offering when it was broadcast over PBS in the fall of 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alex Kingston, Hugo Speer, (more)
First adapted as a three-part TV miniseries by the BBC in 1967, Evelyn Waugh's darkly humorous novel trilogy Sword of Honour was remade as a two-parter by Britain's Channel 4 34 years later. On this occasion, Daniel Craig was cast as Waugh's hapless protagonist Guy Crouchback, a WWII-era British soldier who aspired to nobility and heroism, if only to prove that he was worthy of his shrewish ex-wife Virginia (played by American actress Megan Dodds). Alas, the harder Guy tried to distinguish himself on the field of battle, the more he failed, and as an ironic counterpart, Guy's fellow soldiers, most of them cowardly liars, continued to be promoted and showered with military honors. Even when he finally was given the opportunity to prove his worth beyond question and reproach, Guy succeeded only in miring himself in yet another disappointment and humiliation. Grim though it sounded, Sword of Honour was quite funny in its own bitter fashion, even when using betrayal and death as a "punch line." The program aired in Britain on January 2 and 3, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Craig, Megan Dodds, (more)
- 1998
This made-for-TV mystery was originally telecast over BBC1 on April 23, 1998 as an extra-length episode of the long-running British crime series Silent Witness. Amanda Burton heads the cast as forensic pathologist Dr. Sam Ryan, who in anticipation of all of America's "CSI-ers" is able to track down murderers and other such reprobates by using the "silent" testimony of deceased "witnesses." In this instance, Dr. Sam is called upon the scene when the blades of a harvesting machine are blocked up by a dead body. The police are at first willing to write off the tragedy as an accident, but our heroine is quick to see that the corpse bears a wound that was administered long before it was deposited in the field. The ensuing investigation takes Sam all the way to Northern Ireland, where she digs up secrets that many people would prefer remain buried. The fourth episode of Silent Witness' third season, Silent Witness: Brothers in Arms made its America bow via cable's A&E network on December 12, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amanda Burton, William Armstrong, (more)
Originally adapted for German television in 1966, Francis Durbridge's mystery novel Melissa was remade as a British miniseries in 1974. That version was sufficiently famous to warrant an expensive four-part reworking nearly a quarter of a century later. Expanding considerably upon the original, this new version of Melissa told the story of war correspondent Guy Foster (Tim Dutton), who, after the death of his wife in a car accident, embarked upon an ocean voyage to forget his troubles. En route, he enjoyed a shipboard romance with an ethereally beautiful woman named Melissa (Jennifer Ehle), who shortly afterward died in mysterious circumstances. The plot thickened as several of Guy's other acquaintances were likewise knocked off, one by one, until the hero found himself accused of their murders. Melissa debuted over Britain's Channel 4 on May 12, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Dutton, Jennifer Ehle, (more)
- 1996
One of several British crime series of the 1990s to enjoy popularity on both sides of the Atlantic, Silent Witness starred Amanda Burton as Professor Sam Ryan, a police pathologist based at London University. Disdaining the assistance of the Law, Sam preferred to solve perplexing murder cases all by herself, using the evidence at hand in her well-stocked forensic laboratory. Like the American series Law & Order, the characters were defined by their professional lives, with precious few glimpses into their off-hours activities. Sarah Leonard was heard during the opening credits singing the memorable title song. Created by Nigel McCrery, the series debuted over BBC1 on February 21, 1996, yielding 18 50-minute episodes (many of them two-parters) and one 95-minute TV movie. Silent Witness subsequently aired in the United States over the A&E cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Out of simple humanity, a young, lame Scottish bachelor rescued a woman who has washed up on the shores of the Isle of Mull. She is a bit of a mystery, as she is half-frozen and her hands have been tied together. Apparently, whoever set her adrift didn't care whether she lived or died. As she recovers, she begins to bring order into the bachelor's cottage. She takes the young man into her bed, also, and begins setting him straight. Before long, she undertakes to do the same for the local fishing industry, even in the face of opposition from the fishermen whose lives she is improving. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin McCaffrey
