Talking Heads (British TV series)

Talking Headsis a 1988 TV series of dramaticmonologueswritten forBBC televisionby British playwrightAlan Bennett. The first series was broadcast onBBC1in 1988, and adapted for radio onBBC Radio 4in 1991. A second series was broadcast onBBC Twoin 1998. They have since been included on theA-levelandGCSEEnglish Literature syllabus. Some episodes aired onPBSin the United States as part of itsMasterpiece Theatreprogramme.
In 2020, the BBC remade 10 of the existing episodes, with two brand new stories.
There are two series ofTalking Heads, six monologues in each, along with an earlier (1982) play,A Woman of No Importance, which, while not released alongsideTalking Heads, generally fits into thecanon. Although the plays deal with a variety of subjects, there are certain recurringthemes, such as death, illness, guilt and isolation. All of the characters are childless with the notable exception of Muriel in "Soldiering On"; Violet in "Waiting for the Telegram" is told she has a son, but she does not remember him.
Most of the plays give some hint as to where they are set, mostly inLeeds, although not (as Bennett stresses) the "real" Leeds, but rather one that exists in his head.For example,Matthias Robinson, in which Miss Fozzard works, closed in the 1970s.
Each episode consists of an individual monologue and therefore in most episodes only one character appears. The only exception is when Steven Beard features as a policeman in "A Cream Cracker under the Settee".Julie Walters,Patricia RoutledgeandThora Hirdappear as different characters in both series.
The show was produced byInnes LloydandRalph Wilton(series 1) andMark Shivas(series 2), whileAlan Bennett,Stuart Burge,Giles Foster,Tristram Powell,Gavin Millar,Patrick Garland,Stuart GarlandandUdayan Prasaddirected individual episodes. The music was written byGeorge Fenton.
Actors are named for the earlier of theBBCtelevision versions.
"A Woman of No Importance" – (19 November 1982)
Talking Heads 1 – (19 April to 24 May 1988)
Talking Heads 2 – (6 October to 11 November 1998)
Talking Heads 3 – (23 June to 9 July 2020)
Filmed during the lockdown for COVID-19, in 2020, the BBC released a new series ofTalking Headsincluding remakes of 10 of the original monologues and two new episodes written by Bennett in 2019.
Ten of the original monologues were performed with new actors.
The twoThora Hirdmonologues ("A Cream Cracker under the Settee" and "Waiting for the Telegram") were not included, primarily due to the fact the directors were unable to use actors over the age of 70.
BAFTATV Awards
RTS Awards
BAFTA TV Awards
Peabody Awards
RTS Awards
The nature of the monologues is that, despite being conceived for television, they can be broadcast unaltered in sound only. As such, they were re-broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between February and March 1991, the only difference being the inclusion of an introductory instalment with Bennett discussing their development.The second series did not appear on radio but received a CD release. "Bed Among the Lentils" was subsequently remade forBBC Radio 7in 2008 with Anna Massey as Susan.
The radio shows were released as two CDs in 1999.In 2007, the monologues were published as a book titledTalking Heads.There have also been a number of DVD and video releases, the most recent in 2005 entitledThe Complete Talking Heads.This release also features Bennett's autobiographicalTelling Talesmonologues from 2000.
A West End theatre production, also entitledTalking Heads, opened at theComedy Theatrein January 1992 for a 10-week season, starringPatricia Routledgeand Alan Bennett, who also directed, plus piano interludes byJeremy Sams.
In 2002, seven of the pieces were performed at theTiffany TheaterinLos Angelesfor a highly praised engagement. In 2003, the Los Angeles production was stagedOff-Broadway, at theMinetta Lane Theatrewith a few changes in casting and creative personnel, and replacement of one of its seven monologues. This version was recognised with Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle award nominations, and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress (Lynn Redgrave), The Obie Award for Outstanding Performance, (Kathleen Chalfant,Daniel Davis,Christine Ebersole,Valerie Mahaffey, Redgrave, Brenda Wehle), and The Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Foreign Play (Alan Bennett).
London'sBridge Theatrestaged eight monologues from the 2020 television series in the months following their broadcast. Actors Lucian Msamati, Imelda Staunton, Tamsin Greig, Maxine Peake, Rochenda Sandall, Kristin Scott Thomas, Monica Dolan and Lesley Manville reprised their roles in four double bills.Martin Freeman, Jodie Comer, Harriet Walter and Sarah Lancashire appeared in the TV series, but not in the stage productions.