G.B.H.

Synopsis

GBH was a seven-part British television drama written by Alan Bleasdale shown in the summer of 1991 on Channel 4. The protagonists were Michael Murray, the Militant tendency-supporting Labour leader of a city council in the North of England and Jim Nelson, the headmaster of a school for disturbed children. The series was controversial partly because Murray appeared to be based on Derek Hatton, former Deputy Leader of Liverpool City Council — in an interview in the G.B.H. DVD Bleasdale recounts an accidental meeting with Hatton before the series, who indicates that he has caught wind of Bleasdale's intentions but does not mind as long as the actor playing him is "handsome". In normal parlance, the initials "GBH" refer to the criminal charge of grievous bodily harm - however, the actual intent of the letters is that it is supposed to stand for Great British Holiday.

Trailer

Open trailer on YouTube

Cast

Michael Palin

Jim Nelson

Robert Lindsay

Michael Murray

Lindsay Duncan

Barbara Douglas

Julie Walters

Mrs. Murray

Dearbhla Molloy

Laura Nelson

Tom Georgeson

Lou Barnes

Andrew Schofield

Peter Grenville

—

Alan Igbon

Teddy

Michael Angelis

Martin Niarchos

David Ross

Mr Weller

Philip Whitchurch

Franky Murray

Daniel Massey

Grosvenor

Jane Danson

Eileen Critchley

Peter-Hugo Daly

Bubbles McGuire

Paul Daneman

Mervyn Sloan

—

Bill Stewart

Geoff

Julia St. John

Diane Niarchos

—

Gareth Tudor Price

Richard Grenville

Colin Douglas

Frank Twist

Jimmy Mulville

Philip

Crew

Directing

• Robert Young Director

Production

• Alan Bleasdale Producer
• David E. Jones Producer
• Verity Lambert Executive Producer

Sound

• Elvis Costello Music

Writing

• Alan Bleasdale Writer

Seasons & episodes