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All Quiet on the Preston Front

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All Quiet on the Preston Front
Also known asPreston Front
GenreComedy
Written byTim Firth
Directed byBrian Farnham
Starring
Theme music composerThomas Lawe / milltown brothers
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes19
Production
Executive producers
ProducerChris Griffin
Production locationsMill Street, Padiham, Lancashire, United Kingdom The Shrubbery (the former TA Centre), Birmingham Road, Kidderminster, Worcestershire.
Running time50 and 40 minutes
Production companyBBC Pebble Mill Productions
Original release
NetworkBBC1
Release4 January 1994 (1994-01-04) –
8 September 1997 (1997-09-08)

All Quiet on the Preston Front was a British comedy-drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 1994 until 1997. Created by Tim Firth, the programme centres on the everyday lives, misadventures and interpersonal relationships of a close-knit group of friends from the fictional Lancashire town of Roker Bridge.

Plot

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Most of the characters are members of their local Territorial Army (TA) platoon and while the TA setting originally provided the series with its premise, the narrative evolved to focus more broadly on the personal and professional challenges faced by the cast. The series initially carried the full title All Quiet on the Preston Front during its first run, establishing a humorous yet poignant tone of the show, for series two and three the title was shortened to Preston Front, and became less about the TA and more about the personal lives of the protagonists.

The narrative interweaves the characters’ military commitments with their everyday endeavours, ranging from romantic and family complications to career dilemmas and quirky social antics. The cast includes characters such as the affable Private Hodge, his best friend Eric, the determined trainee teacher Dawn, and the ever-optimistic Lloydy. Over the course of its three series, the show underwent a title simplification (shortening to Preston Front in later episodes) as it gradually shifted its emphasis from the TA framework to life in a Northern town.

Notable for its dry Northern humour and well-drawn characters, All Quiet on the Preston Front gained award nominations for its portrayal of English working-class life and its subtle commentary on British society. Its blend of gentle satire and heartfelt drama resonated with audiences, making it a memorable example of 1990s British television comedy-drama.[1]

Episodes

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Series One

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  1. "Hodge's Girlfriend" (4 January 1994); director: Brian Farnham
  2. "Ally's Husband" (11 January 1994); director: Brian Farnham
  3. "Eric's Job" (18 January 1994); director: Brian Farnham
  4. "Lloydy's Fish" (25 January 1994); director: Brian Farnham
  5. "Diesel's Garage" (1 February 1994); director: Brian Farnham
  6. "Kirsty's Biscuit" (8 February 1994); director: Brian Farnham

Series Two

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  1. "Dawn's Ball" (16 July 1995); director: Marcus Mortimer
  2. "Laura's Mousse" (23 July 1995); director: Marcus Mortimer
  3. "Spock's Leg" (30 July 1995); director: Marcus Mortimer
  4. "Polson's Lilo" (6 August 1995); director: Betsan Morris Evans
  5. "Diesel's Out of Body Experience" (13 August 1995); director: Betsan Morris Evans
  6. "Lloydy's Ark" (27 August 1995); director: Betsan Morris Evans

Series Three

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  1. "Hodge's Driving Test" (21 July 1997); director: Chris Bernard
  2. "Eric's Won Ton" (28 July 1997); director: Chris Bernard
  3. "Lloydy's House Warming" (4 August 1997); director: Chris Bernard
  4. "Spock's Dilated Pupil" (11 August 1997); director: Chris Bernard
  5. "Polson's Mess" (18 August 1997); director: Rick Stroud
  6. "Diesel's Ostrich" (1 September 1997); director: Rick Stroud
  7. "Jeanetta's Marijuana" (8 September 1997); director: Rick Stroud

Locations

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The series is primarily set in Lancashire, with a variety of local sites used. Key filming took place on Mill Street, Padiham and Manchester Road, Hapton, which represented the fictional town of Roker Bridge. The scenes set at the Territorial Army centre were filmed on Bury Road, Haslingden and the site remains in use as an Army Cadet Centre. The Black Country Museum in Dudley, appeared in the series two episode "Spock's Leg".

Principal characters

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  • Private David 'Hodge' Gadd, a garden centre assistant (Colin Buchanan)
  • Private Wayne 'Eric' Disley, Hodge's best friend, a bit of a "loser" (Paul Haigh)
  • Private Dawn Lomax, a trainee teacher (although she later leaves college) and new recruit to the transport section, Eric's girlfriend (later wife) (Caroline Catz)
  • Private Simon 'Spock' Matlock, a history teacher and intellectual (Stephen Tompkinson in series one, Alistair MacGowan thereafter)
  • Private Tony 'Lloydy' Lloyd, a farm labourer (later wealthy after inventing a successful boardgame), the platoon clown (Adrian Hood)
  • Private (later Lance-Corporal) Derek 'Diesel' Moyle, a garage owner (Tony Marshall)
  • Corporal (later Officer Cadet) Alison 'Ally' Minshull, NCO in charge of the transport section, Spock's sister, unhappily married to a local solicitor (Kate Gartside)
  • Corporal (later Sergeant) Peter 'Pete' Polson, the friends' section commander, a former regular NCO, now manager of a hotel leisure centre (David MacCreedy)
  • Jeanetta Scarry, an older woman with whom Hodge had a one-night stand five years before (Susan Wooldridge in series one and two, Carolyn Pickles thereafter)
  • Kirsty, Jeanetta's and Hodge's young daughter (Holly Grainger)[2]
  • Lieutenant Carl Rundle, the platoon commander, a junior hotel manager, in love with Ally (Keiran Flynn)
  • Laura Delooze, a singer and waitress, and Hodge's girlfriend in the first two series (Lucy Akhurst)
  • Peter Wang, owner of the local Chinese restaurant (Ozzie Yue)
  • Melanie 'Mel' Polson, Polson's younger sister, later Hodge's girlfriend (Angela Lonsdale; series three only)
  • Mrs Ruddock, owner of the garden centre where Hodge works (Matyelok Gibbs; series one and three)
  • Declan Caine, a plastic surgeon, later Jeanetta's boyfriend (Oliver Cotton; series three only)

Theme music

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The theme music was a re-recorded version of "Here I Stand" by Milltown Brothers.

Books

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In 1997, to coincide with the broadcast of Series 3, two tie-in novels were published by Chameleon Books, both written by Ed Jones[3]. The first, Liberty, Equality and Virginity, is a prequel set in 1989, five years prior to the events of the television series and focuses on Hodge’s affair with Jeanetta. The second, Preston Front: Ostriches and Marijuana, is a novelisation of the third series and adds that Laura is pregnant by Greg.[4]

Awards

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  • Best Comedy Drama, Comedy awards[5]
  • RTS Award for Best Series[5]
  • Best Series Award at the San Francisco Television Festival[5]
  • Nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Series[5]
  • Writer's Guild of Great Britain Best Original Drama Series Award[5]
  • RTS Midlands Best Drama Series[5]
  • Nominated for British Comedy Awards[5]

References and notes

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  1. ^ British Comedy Guide - All Quiet On The Preston Front
  2. ^ "Holliday Grainger has moved from Manchester to Hollywood... and now she's an A-lister in the making". Radio Times. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  3. ^ Ed Jones - Writer for stage, screen and radio - University of Bolton
  4. ^ The Preston Front Page - Novels
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Television: Preston Front" TimFirth.com
[edit]

Tim Firth's official website (writer of Preston Front): http://www.timfirth.com

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