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Lovejoy
Saturdays at 9pm
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Antiques Roadshow meets Magnum P.I. in a beat-up Volvo in Lovejoy, which aired on the BBC from 1986 until 1994. Lovejoy is an antiques dealer and a rogue with an eye for the ladies, plus he's what's known in the field as a "divvie" — a "diviner" who can instinctively spot forgeries and remarkable finds. Shot in East Anglia, Lovejoy is a tour of villages, antique shops, and stately homes of the region. Part of the thrill of the series is its flashback fashion: in the very first episode, Lady Jane Felsham sports astonishing purple and electric blue Dynasty-esque satin concoctions that one can't believe were ever hot.
The television version is based on a series of mysteries written by John Grant first published in 1977. (Apparently, the books are a bit more gruesome, and in them Lovejoy-of-the-page is a bit more of a misogynist than the Lovejoy-of-the-small-screen.)
What else have cast members done? Find out with the Internet Movie Database:
- Ian McShane recently made his debut in the American consciousness with his role as Al Swearengen on HBO's Deadwood. He voiced Captain Hook in "Shrek the Third" and played Joe Strombel in Woody Allen's "Scoop" (2006). Rummage further in the 80s and you'll see that he played Don Lockwood on Dallas and played chief investigator David Cleveland in several adaptations of Dick Francis novels. And get this: not only did he also appear on Miami Vice, but he had two different small roles on Magnum P.I.
- Dudley Sutton (Tinker Dill) started his career in television in the early sixties and has been on EastEnders.
- Chris Jury (feckless Eric Catchpole) left acting in the late 90s to focus on writing and directing. He's directed numerous episodes of EastEnders.
- Phyllis Logan (Lady Jane Felsham) appears to be the queen of small roles on BBC mysteries. She's been on Poirot, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Inspector Morse as well as in countless others that have titles like Midsomer Murders and Silent Witness.
