An anthology of self-contained dramas adapting literary tales of romance, desire, and emotional entanglement.
Each play in this Granada anthology tells a complete story, focusing on the complex and often unconventional nature of love. The series attracted a formidable cast, with stories including a woman’s quiet devotion to a reclusive author in ‘A Dedicated Man’ starring Joan Plowright and Alec McCowen; a widow’s bittersweet reunion with a past love in ‘Mrs Silly’ starring Maggie Smith; a retired army captain’s fixation on a young woman in ‘Mona’ starring Frank Finlay; and an elderly man’s final holiday with his wife in ‘Letting The Birds Go Free’ starring Lionel Jeffries and Jean Simmons. The teleplays often concluded on a note of melancholy or ambiguity, eschewing simple romantic resolutions.
At a time when the single play was in decline, Granada’s All for Love was a notable commitment to the form, albeit structured as a themed anthology. The series had a distinct literary pedigree, drawing its source material from the works of authors such as William Trevor, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rumer Godden. Under producer Roy Roberts, the adaptations were handled by respected television dramatists including Hugh Whitemore and Bob Larbey. The result was a collection of subtle, adult character studies that valued psychological nuance over melodrama, creating a series of quiet and often piercingly sad films.
Broadcast: ITV – Granada, 12 Episodes, 25 July 1982 – 9 October 1983
Producer: Roy Roberts
Writers include: Hugh Whitemore, Bob Larbey, Lee Langley, Thomas Ellice, Stephen Wakelam
Directors include: Robert Knights, Jack Gold, James Cellan Jones, Brian Mills
Main Cast: Joan Plowright (Edith), Alec McCowen (Silcox), Frank Finlay (Captain Manson), Geraldine McEwan (Miss Mountford), Joyce Redman (Mrs Prior), Nigel Havers (Clement), June Ritchie (Esme Fanshaw), Edward Petherbridge (Norman), Jean Simmons (Deirdre Mackay), Ian Carmichael (Colonel Hunt), Kika Markham (Miss Alliott), Maggie Smith (Mrs Silly), Michael Culver (John), Lionel Jeffries (Arthur), Phoebe Nicholls (Christine)
