4/1/81: 'The History Man' (TV drama series)

On Sunday 4 January BBC Two began screening the four-part screenplay of Malcolm Bradbury's novel The History Man. The TV adaption was written by Christopher Hampton and starred Anthony Sher as Watermouth University sociology lecturer Howard Kirk and Geraldine James as his wife Barbara.

pic: theguardian.com

Thus the Radio Times synopsis: "fashionable Watermouth University's well-known progressive couple, are throwing one of their celebrated parties. Another fresh term -new faces to radicalise, old issues and adversaries to be confronted. History needs some action and Howard has just the scheme for an autumn of disruption."

The series featured outdoor locations filmed at Lancaster University, a 1960s-built campus university, similar to the East Anglia University where author Bradbury had spent most of his academic career and where he established the creative writing department in 1970.

Malcolm Bradbury

Further reading: screenonline.org.uk,

Sources:  BBC genome, Wikipedia