Chelworth (BBC-1 1989, Peter Jeffrey, Gemma Jones)

Drama series Chelworth followed the story of new duke, Michael Anstey, who leaves his Chinese mistress in Hong Kong and returns to England to lure his wife, Gemma Jones, from her Oxford don lover, their wild daughter and bisexual son back to help restore the family estate and its contents.

Wonderfully cast (including an appearance from the fab John Stride) Chelworth should have been a long running Sunday night style series but for some reason it never quite took off.

production details
UK / BBC One / 8×50 minute episodes / Broadcast 9 July – 27 August 1989

Creators: John Hawkeworth, Brian Thompson / Producer: Jonathon Alwyn

cast
PETER JEFFREY as Michael Anstey
GEMMA JONES as Virginia Anstey
ANGELA BROWNE as Barbara Chivers
PHYLLIDA LAW as Olivia Esholt
JOHN STRIDE as Ewan Chivers
JAMES VILLIERS as Ronnie Esholt
MICHAEL GRANDAGE as Jamie
MARTIN JARVIS as Keith Shedden
SEBASTIAN SHAW as Lord Toller
GARETH THOMAS as Peter Thornton

THE EPISODES
1. COMING HOME (9 July 1989)
2. A WONDERFULLY WRONG THING (16 July 1989)
3. SHOPPING AROUND (23 July 1989)
4. THE RICH CAN DO ANYTHING (30 July 1989)
5. YOU CAN’T BEAT MOZART (7 Aug 1989)
6. TAKING YOUR PROFITS (13 Aug 1989)
7. MY DEAR JAMIE (20 Aug 1989)
8. A REAL HOUSE (27 Aug 1989)

Head of film reviews at The Viewers Guide with an erudite, insightful, slightly sardonic, deep appreciation for classic cinema. Has a habit of quoting obscure lines from old films in everyday conversation. He keeps a meticulously organized film logbook. He's a bit of a tea snob.