Castles (TV series)
Castles was a British soap opera following three generations of a large London family. It ran for 24 episodes on BBC One during the summer of 1995. Its writing team included Peter Whalley who was known for his work on Coronation Street and Sally Wainwright who would go on to create Scott & Bailey and Happy Valley.[1]
| Castles | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 24 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC1 |
| Original release | 31 May – 20 August 1995 |
Scheduling
The first episode aired on 31 May 1995 at 7.30pm before settling into what was supposed to be its regular timeslot of Tuesday and Thursday at 8.30pm. Halfway through its run, with audiences averaging 3.2 million, BBC head of drama Charles Denton admitted that the show had not been a success, stating "A piece which sits in the middle of the schedule has obligations to deliver rather fuller levels of audience and enthusiasm than, I'm afraid, has happened with Castles".[2] It was at this point that the series was moved to Monday and Sunday at 7.00pm, where a BBC spokesperson stated "it might better fulfil its potential".[3] Throughout its run, repeats and omnibus editions were aired on weekday afternoons on both BBC One and BBC Two. As the series drew to a close, Radio Times reported that no final decision had been taken about the future of the show, but that writer Whalley was working on a second series.[4] Ultimately, it was not picked up for a second run.
Cast
| Character | Actor[5] |
|---|---|
| Margaret Castle | Anna Cropper |
| James Castle | Tony Doyle |
| Rachel Castle | Marian McLoughlin |
| Stephen Quinn | Ray Coulthard |
| Anita Castle | Sara Griffiths |
| Phillip Castle | Michael Simkins |
| Paul Castle | Simon Fenton |
| Helen Bancroft | Kate Steavenson-Payne |
| Linda Castle | Lesley Duff |
| Claire Castle | Harriet Owen |
| Alison Peacock | Emily Morgan |
| Tony Castle | John Bowler |
| Matthew Castle | Dominic Mafham |
| Sarah Milburn | Judith Scott |
| Alex Milburn | Christopher Bowen |
| Christine Henshaw | Lynn Farleigh |
| Joanne Henshaw | Louisa Millwood-Haigh |
| Mark Henshaw | Simon Bright |
| Jill Kirkpatrick | Sarah Berger |
Episode Guide
| Air Date | Synopsis[6] |
|---|---|
| Wed 31 May 1995 19.30 | In this introductory episode we meet the clan on the occasion of mother's 60th birthday party, an occasion overshadowed by her discovery that her husband has been carrying on with another woman. |
| Tues 6 June 1995 20.30 | James Castle goes to see his mistress, Christine, who provisionally agrees to let him stay. |
| Thurs 8 June 1995 20.30 | Philip and Linda persuade James and Margaret to meet up. |
| Tues 13 June 1995 20.30 | Sarah and Alex have a meeting with Laura from the adoption agency and not everyone is happy when Rachel arranges a family get-together to discuss what to do about Margaret and James. |
| Thursday 15 June 1995 20.30 | The family gathers to discuss what to do about Margaret and James. Meanwhile, Matthew secretly visits Margaret, who admits she would like to win James back. |
| Tuesday 20 June 1995 20.30 | Paul helps Linda set up a meeting with Christine, while Margaret considers hiring a solicitor to deal with James. |
| Thursday 22 June 1995 20.30 | James gets angry when he discovers Linda and Christine having a heart-to-heart chat. Stephen, Anita and Rachel wrangle with Tony over the cost of the wedding. |
| Tuesday 27 June 1995 20.30 | Sarah is interviewed on her own by Laura from the adoption agency while Alex is out working. Meanwhile, Alex receives a visit from Jill and their relationship becomes more intimate. |
| Thursday 29 June 1995 20.30 | Philip and Linda's son David unexpectedly comes home from university and drops a bombshell on his parents about his
future plans. |
| Tuesday 4 July 1995 20.30 | James visits Margaret after receiving her solicitor's letter. Sarah worries that she is neglecting Alex, while he confides in Jill about his reservations over the adoption. |
| Thursday 6 July 1995 20.30 | James is annoyed when Tony asks whether he intends to bring Christine to the wedding, though Christine turns out to
have her own views on the matter. |
| Sunday 9 July 1995 19.00 | Tony is surprised when Adam turns up at his warehouse and suggests a way out of his business difficulties. |
| Monday 10 July 1995 19.00 | Jill suggests a way that Alex can get out of the adoption without Sarah knowing. |
| Sunday 16 July 1995 19.00 | Tension grows between Christine and James over Joanne's disappearance. Matthew warns Margaret that the threat of divorce
still stands. |
| Monday 17 July 1995 19.00 | Alex is caught making a suspicious phone call to Jill. Tony receives gloomy news. |
| Sunday 23 July 1995 19.00 | Joanne returns home to Christine but her explanations for her disappearance cause Christine more concern than ever. |
| Monday 24 July 1995 19.00 | Christine gets the truth from Joanne at last and Philip tries to talk David out of becoming a priest. |
| Sunday 30 July 1995 19.00 | Paul's plan to see Helen without her parents' consent has consequences for Philip and Linda. |
| Monday 31 July 1995 19.00 | Sarah is aghast when Jane provides her with evidence of Alex's affair. |
| Sunday 6 August 1995 19.00 | Sarah comesface to face with her husband's mistress; Linda and Philip's displeasure with Paul shows no sign of
subsiding; and Adam offers Tony some more business advice. |
| Monday 7 August 1995 19.00 | Tony and Rachel's evening in with Anita and Stephen is interrupted by a policeman with devastating news. |
| Sunday 13 August 1995 19.00 | Alex tells Jill that Sarah knows of their affair; Stephen reacts badly to Anita's revelations; and Sarah comes up with an unusual proposal to prevent the collapse of the plans for the adoption. |
| Monday 14 August 1995 19.00 | Alison is nervous about the first night of her play. |
| Sunday 20 August 1995 19.00 | Wedding day joy is shattered in the last of the series when the police arrive, looking for the groom. |
References
- "Castles". BBC Genome. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- "BBC chief admits 'Castles' a failure". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- "Castles - Radio Times". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- "Castles - Radio Times". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- "Castles - IMDB". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- "Castle Episodes". Retrieved 23 May 2016.