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Anna Lee (TV series)

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Anna Lee
Title card from the episode 'Dupe', with Imogen Stubbs
GenreCrime drama
Written by
Directed by
  • Christopher King
  • Peter Barber-Fleming
Starring
Theme music composerLuciana Caporaso
Composers
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Nick Elliott
  • Sarah Wilson
Producers
Cinematography
  • Nic Morris
  • Giles Nuttgens
Editors
  • Derek Bain
  • Neil Thompson
Running time100 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkITV
Release10 January 1993 (1993-01-10) –
27 March 1994 (1994-03-27)

Anna Lee is a British television crime drama series, first broadcast on 10 January 1993, that ran for a total of six episodes on ITV.[1] The series, loosely based on the detective novels of Liza Cody, starred Imogen Stubbs as the title character, alongside Brian Glover, John Rowe, Peter Wight and Wil Johnson. The series was produced by Brian Eastman, in conjunction with Carnival Films for London Weekend Television.[2]

Following a single pilot episode, broadcast in 1993, London Weekend Television commissioned a full-length five-episode series, to be filmed later that year for broadcast in 1994.[3] The pilot had a mostly different cast, apart from Stubbs and Glover. All six episodes were later broadcast in the United States on the A&E cable network. Music for the series was provided by Anne Dudley, while the theme tune, "Sister, Sister", was performed by Luciana, who also appeared in the final episode.[4]

Notably, despite all six episodes being adapted from their source books, considerable alterations were made for television, much to the dismay of writer Liza Cody. Reportedly, this prompted Cody to abandon writing any further Anna Lee books; as she had previously signed a contract with LWT to allow for any further books to be adapted for television.[5] However, despite much detail being removed for the television adaptations, LWT's most notable contribution to series was the casting of Brian Glover; like his character Selwyn Price, Glover was an ex-professional wrestler, and his room full of wrestling posters seen in the series were in fact real posters featuring Leon Arras, the name Glover used when wrestling.

Cast

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Episodes

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Pilot (1993)

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byBritish air date
1"Headcase"Colin BuckseyAndrew Davies10 January 1993 (1993-01-10)

Anna Lee's first assignment at her new job in a private security firm, Brierly Detective Agency, is to find a missing girl, Thea Hahn. A gifted sixteen-year-old, she has been attending a tutorial college in Bloomsbury, prior to going up to Cambridge. Anna looks up one of Thea's tutors, John Tulloch, only to be told by his young son Sam that his father is dead. Back at her flat, Anna's on-off boyfriend Quex has re-appeared.

Guest starring: Alan Howard, Kate Beckinsale, Shirley Anne Field and Eoin McCarthy

Series (1994)

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byBritish air date
1"Dupe"Christopher KingAnthony Horowitz27 February 1994 (1994-02-27)

Brierly Security is engaged by a Mr and Mrs Jackson to find their missing daughter, Deirdre. Anna tracks down the girl's ex-boyfriend Simon, who leads her to the wedding video company where Deirdre ("Dee") works. Anna meets Dee who seems self-assured and has no desire to meet her parents. Dee is next found dead in her car. Mr Jackson cannot agree with the police that the cause of death was an accident. Anna believes Dee's former boss Fred Slinger may hold the key to the mystery.

Guest starring: Anthony Newley, Eddie O'Connell, Tony Vogel, Walter Sparrow and Roger Martin
2"Stalker"Peter Barber-FlemingDouglas Watkinson6 March 1994 (1994-03-06)

A mysterious figure on a motorbike is searching for a man called Eddie Marsham. A man called Thurman commissions Brierly Security also to find Marsham. While Anna searches for Marsham, she is followed by Kilshaw. Meanwhile, Anna develops a relationship with Peter, a vet who is separated from his wife.

Guest starring: Peter Firth, Michael Attwell, Jacquetta May, Eve Bland and Roger Martin
3"Diversion"Christopher KingAnthony Horowitz13 March 1994 (1994-03-13)

The Notting Hill Carnival Committee receive notes threatening violence unless the Carnival is cancelled. There is speculation that the man behind the threats is Adrian Wesley, a prominent businessman. Wesley is campaigning for the running of the Carnival to be taken out of the hands of the "do-gooders" and given to his marketing company. He also suspects his wife is having an affair and wants proof. Two days before the event, a bomb explodes. No one is hurt, but the Carnival route has to be changed to avoid the damaged street. Meanwhile, Beryl is kidnapped.

Guest starring: John Bird, Jack Shute, Mary Conlon, Jaye Griffiths and Tenniel Evans
4"The Cook's Tale"Christopher KingClive Exton20 March 1994 (1994-03-20)

Anna is hired by an old friend, Laura Jones. Anna has to identify the woman who is having an affair with Laura's husband, Dominic. Dominic Jones is a top chef who jointly owns a restaurant with Laura's father. Anna traces the woman – an actress called Mary Vincent. Mary is also the mistress of Laura's father, David Lambert.

Guest starring: Adrian Edmondson, Sara Stewart, Ann Bell, Robert Lang and Clive Francis
5"Requiem"Peter Barber-FlemingAnthony Horowitz27 March 1994 (1994-03-27)

Dawn Blake, a young pop singer, is found dead. A man called Mike Trevor asks Brierly's to investigate. He claims Dawn's death was not suicide, but murder. He says the man responsible is William Gilmore, the owner of Wreck Records, Dawn's label. Anna initially finds circumstantial evidence to support Trevor's theory. However, the more she knows of Gilmore, the more she likes him. Bernie and Stevie find evidence that seems strongly to implicate Gilmore but Anna refuses to believe it. Brierly accuses her of letting her emotions cloud her judgement and, after a furious row, she resigns.

Guest starring: Jesse Birdsall, Greg Proops, Michael Grandage and Luciana Caporaso

References

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  1. ^ Burton Smith, Kevin (2 November 2019). "Anna Lee". The Thrilling Detective.
  2. ^ "Action TV – Anna Lee episode guide". Archived from the original on 17 May 2018.
  3. ^ "ITV Studios – Anna Lee". Archived from the original on 2 December 2017.
  4. ^ "Anna Lee – Final episode and show summary". TV.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2011.
  5. ^ "Anna Lee (1994 ITV with Imogen Stubbs and Brian Glover) | Memorable TV". 30 April 2015. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018.
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