The Singing Detective

Image: Michael Gambon as Philip Marlow in The Singing Detective.

The first episode of The Singing Detective, Dennis Potter's original drama series, aired on 16 November 1986. The drama, in which Potter's non-naturalistic style was perfected, was directed by John Amiel and produced by Kenith Trodd.

The cast featured a BAFTA Award winning performance from Michael Gambon, with support from Bill Paterson, Imelda Staunton, Joanne Whalley, Patrick Malahide, Alison Steadman, and Janet Suzman. The success of the drama was not compromised by the controversy surrounding a sex scene in episode three.

Gambon played a writer called Marlow, hospitalised by psoriatic arthropathy - the same condition that affected Potter. As Marlow lay in bed he hallucinated scenes from his novel, which also featured a character called Marlow, and from his childhood in the 1940s. The different elements of the plot were united by the use of vintage songs in musical sequences, and characters would lip synch to old recordings. Elements of Potter's life appeared in the drama, but he always denied that it was autobiographical.

Today The Singing Detective is recognised as a high point in television drama, which acted as a successful calling card in the participant's subsequent careers. When Potter died in 1994 the series was repeated. Although it is such a singular work and hard to emulate, it was remade as an American film in 2003. Its influence can also be seen in the musical drama Blackpool.