Paul Seed Movies
Originally filmed in 2001 under the title "My Beautiful Son," the made-for-cable Strange Relations stars comedian Paul Reiser in the largely noncomic role of 39-year-old Manhattan psychiatrist Dr. Jerry Lipman. Diagnosed with leukemia, Lipman desperately seeks out a close relative -- any close relative -- for a crucial bone marrow transplant. The news from his mother, Esther Lipman (Olympia Dukakis), is both dispiriting and shocking; Jerry, it seems, was adopted as an infant, and his real family is in far-off England. Flying to Liverpool in search of that all-important donor, Jerry is reunited with his birth mother, an earthy Liverpudlian named Sheila Fizpatrick (Julie Walters). The ensuing rapport between stars Reiser and Walters is ample compensation for the film's weaker passages and unbelievable plot contrivances. Lensed on-location in New York City and London, Strange Relations made its Showtime network bow on March 31, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Reiser, Julie Walters, (more)
Director Paul Seed and screenwriter Rosie Thomas adapt author William Humble's novel about an irreversible tragedy, and the havoc that it wrecks on the life of a divorced mother. Jess Arrowsmith (Siobahn Redmond) is a divorced mother of two whose grown children Beth and Danny were about to strike out on their own when Danny was killed in a drunk driving accident. Inconsolable, the grieving mother enters into an intense love affair with Danny's best friend Rob (Paul Bettany) - who was actually at the wheel of the car when the accident occurred. Her family torn apart by the affair, Jess escapes to Italy with her young lover only to find that you can't escape the secrets of the past no matter how far you run. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Siobhan Redmond, Paul Bettany, (more)
The focus of this two-part British drama was not on the fictional Sherlock Holmes but on his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle. Set in 1878, the story found young physician Conan Doyle (Robin Laing) working as an apprentice to Edinburgh forensic specialist Dr. Joseph Bell (Ian Richardson). In keeping with the conventional wisdom that Bell was the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes, the doctor and his youthful assistant attempt to capture a serial murderer through the means of scientific deductions. The script was full of amusing "inside" jokes referencing future Holmes short stories and novels, while the cast was surprisingly topheavy with comic actors. Originally seen over the BBC2 service on January 4 and 5, 1999, Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes aired on American TV as a single two-hour "movie" on May 18, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The British miniseries Heat of the Sun was set in 1933. After several instances of insubordination, Scotland Yard supervisor Albert Tyburn (Trevor Eve) was discplined by being shipped off to the Nairobi, Kenya. While grappling with the resentment of his fellow expatriates, Tyburn endeavored to investigate the kidnappings and murders of several young people from a local mission. The detective's arrival coincided not only with a major annual ceremony, but also with an influx of suspicious-looking Germans, headed by one Max van der Vuurst (Joss Ackland). Telecast in three two-hour installments from January 28 to February 11, 1998, Heat of the Sun was a presentation of Carlton Television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Byrne, Trevor Eve, (more)
A sort of mannered, British version of The Odd Couple (1970), this drama won four of the seven major BAFTA Awards for which it was nominated. Albert Finney stars as Reggie Cunningham-Jarvis, a former Royal Air Force squadron leader who is utterly debilitated by the death of his wife, allowing his estate to decay. At the suggestion of a social worker, Reggie is paired with Roy Southgate (Tom Courtenay), a retired milkman, orderly homebody, and fellow recent widower. Roy moves in and begins caring for Reggie's manor, and an unlikely friendship between the two men develops, although Reggie treats Roy more as a servant than a roommate. Their relationship becomes tested, however, with the arrival of Lizzie Franks (Joanna Lumley), a shop owner hoping to seduce Reggie for his riches. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay, (more)
The wife of a British army officer falls in love with an African American G.I. in this made-for-cable World War II drama. When her unfaithful husband (Ciaran Hinds) goes off to war, small-town homemaker Maggie Leyland (Kerry Fox) spends her time caring for her young son (Rory Jennings) and helping with the war effort. She's therefore present at a dance the locals throw for a newly arrived platoon of black soldiers from the United States. Despite Maggie's prim and proper demeanor, an unlikely friendship develops between her and Travis Holloway (Courtney B. Vance), a private who works as an army cook and dreams of actually fighting in the trenches for his country. Although the townspeople give the black G.I.'s a pleasant reception, the American brass frets about fraternization between their African-American soldiers and the local lasses. The white soldiers stationed nearby bitterly resent the competition, causing trouble for both participants in any interracial romance. Nonetheless, as the friendship between Travis and Maggie deepens, they're unable to suppress their feelings for one another. Into this clandestine relationship steps Maggie's husband, who returns unexpectedly and promptly accuses Travis of rape when he discovers the couple making love. Based on true events, The Affair was filmed by House of Cards director Paul Seed for HBO. Malcolm X's Leland Gantt co-stars as one of Travis' fellow soldiers who also pays dearly for a romance with a British woman. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Courtney Vance, Kerry Fox, (more)
The trilogy begun with House of Cards and To Play the King comes to a close in this two-part miniseries produced for the BBC. Francis Urquarth (Ian Richardson) has used his guile and cunning to rise to the position of Britain's Prime Minister, and with the end of his political career appearing on the horizon, he's looking for a way to end his reign on an impressive note. With this in mind, Urquarth throws himself into a series of negotiations that would bring a peaceful end to the United Kingdom's conflicts with Cyprus. However, the Cypriote negotiators have discovered some information about Urquarth's youthful indiscretions that could bring his political career to an inglorious end. The Final Cut, like the two miniseries which preceeded it, was based on a novel by Michael Dobbs. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Richardson
This two-part British miniseries, a sequel to 1990's House of Cards, finds the shrewd but scheming conservative politician Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson) has risen to the position of Prime Minister. Urquhart soon pits himself in a battle of wits with England's newly crowned King (Michael Kitchen) in a struggle for political control of the nation. The PM finds his Majesty to be a fierce adversary, but with the help of his top advisor and mistress, Sarah Harding (Kitty Aldridge), Urquhart discovers information about the Royal Family that could prove disastrous to the monarch's public image. But does he dare to reveal it, and run the risk of bringing the British Monarchy to a crashing halt? Ian Richardson's performance earned him a Best Actor nomination in the 1994 BAFTA Television Awards. This series was later followed by The Final Cut. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Richardson
- 1992
The tragic wreck of the super-tanker Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound, Alaska on March 24, 1989 was one of the most devastating ecological disasters in recent history. Immediately after the ship ran aground and began pumping over 11 million gallons of suffocating oil from its ruptured hold, experts were sent out to assess the damage and clean up the mess. This gripping docudrama tells their story. Much centers on the conflict between local officials, the fishing industry, and the Exxon official sent out to oversee the clean-up and take the rap. With unflinching moral outrage, the filmmakers point out that much of the aftermath could have been minimized had the officials in charge been better prepared and not spent so much time involved in useless red-tape and petty bureaucratic bickering. Most of the film was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, but it also utilizes archival filmclips of the actual disaster and clean up efforts. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1992
This refreshingly realistic British cop show starred David Jason as Detective Inspector William George "Jack" Frost of Denton, whose seeming indifference to orthodox police procedure, his carelessness in handling the paperwork necessary to his profession, and his ofttimes overbearing arrogance was but a smokescreen for his keen sense of observation and his dedication to his job. Bruce Alexander co-starred as Frost's uptight boss, Superintendent Norman Mullett, who, though constantly vexed by Frost's flippant attitude -- not to mention his profanely colorful vocabulary -- could not deny that Frost always got results, even while rubbing the higher-ups the wrong way. Others in Frost's orbit knew that the detective was at heart an old softie, with humanity and compassion oozing from every orifice. Among Frost's colleagues were WPC (and later DC) Hazel Wallace (Caroline Harker), DS George Toolan (John Lyons), and Sgt. Brady (James McKenna). Based on a series of novels by Ronald D. Wingfield, A Touch of Frost debuted over ITV1 on December 6, 1992. Turning out anywhere from three to six 120-minute episodes per season, the series remained in production throughout the first decade of the 21st century. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Based on a novel by Michael Dobbs, the British miniseries House of Cards was the first entry in a darkly satirical trilogy about ruthless, unscrupulous Conservative MP Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson). Determined to advance himself politically, socially, and financially, Urquhart would stop at nothing to achieve his goal, and was eager and willing to sell out his friends and loved ones whenever the price was right. Although he managed to cover his tracks so far as the public was concerned, Urquhart was threatened with exposure by investigative reporter Mattie Storin (Susannah Harker). The battle of wits and wills between Urquhart and Storin provided the bulk of the drama and intrigue in this four-part saga, which originally aired over the BBC1 from November 18 to December 9, 1990. House of Cards was followed by two additional miniseries, To Play the King and The Final Cut, all starring Ian Richardson as the "hero." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Richardson
- 1985
The two-part British miniseries Wynne and Penkovsky was based on the true story of a Soviet G.R.U. colonel who worked as an undercover agent for the U.S. and Britain from 1960 to 1962. Until his arrest, Oleg V. Penkovksy (here played by Christopher Rozycki) was at the center of several volatile political incidents, and had been credited with providing the intelligence necessary for the Allies' successful maneuverings during the Berlin and Cuban Missile crises. Of the many books written about Penkovsky's activities, the best-known was The Man From Moscow by former British intelligence operative Greville Wynne (played by David Calder), who served as the Russian mole's contact man and go-between. It was Wynne's volume that served as the principal source for Wynne and Penkovsky, which first aired in the U.K. on January 2, 1985. A 100-minute "feature film" version has been released to video as The Man From Moscow. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Calder, Christopher Rozycki, (more)
- 1979
- R
This routine espionage drama is based on a novel by Graham Greene about a low-level British informant who is caught in a trap. Castle (Nicol Williamson) has a desk job in British intelligence. Around him are heavyweights like Col. Daintry (Richard Attenborough), Sir John Hargreaves (Richard Vernon), and Percival (Robert Morley) who will cold-bloodedly stop at nothing to do their jobs as they see fit. And Castle certainly is a nobody compared to them. One day when a friend of his in Africa needs some help, Castle is conned into supplying the Eastern block countries with info on demand. No one suspects him because of his low position, but when his office partner is hauled off, Castle begins to rethink his situation. This was director Otto Preminger's last film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Attenborough, John Gielgud, (more)
- 1978
The 16th season of Doctor Who commenced on September 2, 1978, with episode one of the four-part "The Ribos Operation." Cyril Luckham appears as the White Guardian, who orders the Doctor (Tom Baker) to restore the balance between Good and Evil. To do this, the Doctor must locate and reassemble the missing segments of the Key to Time. Not only does this introduce an epic quest that will continue throughout the season, but it also serves to provide the Doctor with an attractive new companion: Time Lady Romana, played by Mary Tamm. "The Ribos Operation, Episode 1" was written by Robert Holmes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
In the second episode of the four-part story "The Ribos Operation," the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Romana (Mary Tamm) have been ordered to reassemble the missing segments of the Key to Time, thereby restoring the balance between Good and Evil. The first segment is found on the frozen planet Ribos, where the Doctor matches wits with a brace of con artists named Garron (Iain Cuthbertson) and Unstoffe (Nigel Plaskitt). Originally telecast on Septmeber 9 1978, "The Ribos Operation, Episode 2" was written by Robert Holmes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
In the third episode of the four-part story "The Ribos Operation," the Doctor (Tom Baker) has located the first missing segment of the Key to Time on the planet Ribos. Unfortunately, the planet may fall into the hands of the sinister Graff Vinda-K (Paul Seed), thanks to a pair of confidence tricksters named Garran (Iain Cuthbertson) and Unstoffe (Nigel Plaskitt). Could all this skullduggery be the handiwork of the yet-unseen Black Guardian, who is determined to prevent the reassembly of the Key -- and, by extension, the restoration of the balance between Good and Evil? Originally telecast on Septmeber 16 1978, "The Ribos Operation, Episode 3" was written by Robert Holmes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
In the conclusion of the four-part story "The Ribos Operation," the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Romana (Mary Tamm) must prevent the first segment of the Key to Time from falling into the proverbial "wrong hands." Their success hinges upon the Doctor's ability to pass himself off as a minion of the fearsome Graff Vynda-K (Paul Seed) -- and to avoid being blown to bits in the process. Originally telecast on Septmeber 16 1978, "The Ribos Operation, Episode 3" was written by Robert Holmes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
