An anthology series of seven standalone plays examining individuals in conflict with societal norms and expectations.
This ATV anthology presents seven self-contained dramas, each built around a protagonist at odds with their community. The plays cover a wide generic range. In Fay Weldon’s “Poor Baby”, a new mother, Jenny Slade (Amanda Murray), struggles with post-natal depression under the unhelpful watch of her husband’s family. “Tell It To The Chancellor” is a satire in which a disgruntled taxpayer (Donald Sinden) stages a one-man protest. In Nigel Kneale’s “Murrain”, a veterinary surgeon, Alan Crich (David Simeon), investigates a mysterious livestock illness in a remote village, only to find the locals have scapegoated an old woman, Mrs Clemson (Una Brandon-Jones), believing her to be a witch. Kingsley Amis’s “We Are All Guilty” sees a vicar, Reverend Robin Foster (Michael Knowles), attempting to mediate a dispute between a cantankerous old man and his neighbours.
As a collection of single plays, Against the Crowd gave a platform to some of Britain’s most distinctive television writers. Produced by Nicholas Palmer, the series featured work from established names like Fay Weldon and Kingsley Amis, each of whom contributed a sharp piece of social observation. The most enduring play from the run remains Nigel Kneale’s “Murrain”. Directed by John Cooper, it is a key text of 1970s folk horror, a field Kneale had previously tilled with Quatermass and the Pit. The teleplay is a chillingly ambiguous piece, pitting modern rationality against ancient superstition without offering an easy victory to either side. Its documentary-style realism and unsettling atmosphere created a powerful template for Kneale’s subsequent work, particularly his 1976 anthology Beasts.
Broadcast: ITV – ATV, 7 Episodes, Sundays, 13 July – 31 August 1975
Producer: Nicholas Palmer
Writers include: Nicholas Palmer, Fay Weldon, Nigel Kneale, Hugo Charteris, Kingsley Amis, Roger Marshall
Directors include: Lionel Harris, Paul Annett, John Cooper, Piers Haggard, John Sichel, Don Leaver, Dennis Vance
Main Cast: Donald Sinden (Mr Thomas), Amanda Murray (Jenny Slade), Edward Hardwicke (Doctor Gregory), Bernard Lee (Beeley), David Simeon (Alan Crich), Una Brandon-Jones (Mrs Clemson), John Woodvine (Sir Lionel Frobisher), Peter Vaughan (Don MacIntyre), Peter Marinker (David Russell)
