The Story Machine

Play Power

Considers TV drama and the practical influence, if any, of such controversial landmarks as the BBC's post-war "1984" and ITV's "Armchair Theatre" and the later drama-documentaries of the Sixties, most notably Jim Allen's "Cathy Come Home", which led to the creation of the charity Shelter. But as production costs rise, how will purely commercial considerations (saleability, for example) affect the quality? (Daily Telegraph) / Also charts the rise and fall of America's golden age of television drama - the fifties - featuring rare clips of the likes of Redford and Newman, in their earliest TV roles. (The Guardian)