A rookie Conservative MP gets a crash course in the arcane traditions and ruthless machinations of the House of Commons.
David Dashwood (Dominic Taylor) is the surprise new Conservative Member of Parliament for Westling-on-Sea. His political idealism is immediately tested as he struggles with the protocols and pressures of Westminster life. His situation is made more difficult by the menacing Tory whip, Terry Dunning (Larry Lamb), and Dunning’s Labour counterpart, Graham Keegan (Eamon Boland). As the series progresses, Dashwood grows in confidence and begins to rebel against the party line, culminating in a threat to bring down the Government. Much of the political gossip and plotting is conducted in the titular Annie’s Bar, a real-life Westminster pub frequented by MPs and journalists.
A political satire from Prince Edward’s Ardent Productions, Annie’s Bar was distinguished by its attempt at topicality. Episodes were filmed just before their transmission dates, a production model designed to allow for the inclusion of contemporary political events into the storylines. The series was created and largely written by Andy Armitage, with veteran political satirists Antony Jay and John Fortune serving as consultants, lending the project a connection to the celebrated tradition of Yes Minister. The drama aimed to expose the scheming and procedural absurdities of Westminster life, but the format did not secure a second series.
Broadcast: Channel 4 – Ardent, 13 Episodes, 1 February – 4 April 1996
Written by: Andy Armitage, Richard Stoneman
Directors: Baz Taylor, Sarah Harding
Producer: Richard Handford
Music: John Harle
Main Cast: Dominic Taylor (David Dashwood), Larry Lamb (Terry Dunning), Geoff McGivern (Stiggy Bedford-Bounds), Sarah Neville (Gilly Jones), Eamon Boland (Graham Keegan), Paul Brooke (Vernon du Chine), Gavin Richards (Nick Buckley)
