Flickers

Bob Hoskins (Pennies from Heaven) and Frances de la Tour (Rising Damp) star in this light-hearted, captivating series set in the very early days of the silent movie industry. Flickers was created and written by sitcom veteran Roy Clarke (Keeping Up Appearances, Last of the Summer Wine) and originally screened to huge acclaim in 1980; the series received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Limited Series in 1982. Forty-year-old Arnie Cole is a movie pioneer, showing films in makeshift cinemas during the first quarter of the twentieth century – a long way ahead of the golden age that will be more glittering than his wildest dreams. But opportunities are opening up all the time, and Arnie’s true ambition is to produce films of his own. Financial backing is, inevitably, the stumbling block. But it comes his way in unexpected form when he is introduced to Maud, the snobbish, rather plain sister of a well-to-do acquaintance; at first, Maud finds Arnie brash and vulgar, and he is equally unimpressed with her – but having discovered that she is pregnant, she makes him an offer that he finds hard to refuse... Made by ATV for the ITV Network.