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Charmer, The

PART OF London Weekend Television’s late eighties foray into upmarket drama (see POIROT and, er, COME HOME CHARLIE AND FACE THEM), for one brief series THE CHARMER became to SPITTING IMAGE what the FOOTBALL RESULTS were to DR WHO. As such all that most viewers knew about the programme was that it featured a steam train and a rendition of the Cole Porter classic ‘You’re The Top’. For those who tuned in a bit earlier though there was an opportunity to enjoy NIGEL “LATIMER” HAVERS combining suave and menace in a resolutely CLIVE OWEN-beating style. Never had a panama hat and cravat been combined in such devastating fashion – even FIONA FULLERTON failed to be immune to the Have’s charms. The programme’s opening title sequence employed that 1930s look so beloved of British telly drama in the late 80s (take a bow JEEVES AND WOOSTER) and hence became symbolic of the foppish sensibilities underpinning demographically focused British dramas of the era.

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. wilberforce

    August 18, 2010 at 11:21 am

    Move things on 20 years or so, and Nige somewhat surreally pops up in “Coronation Street” playing (you’ve guessed it)… a charming conman! (some things never change,,,)

  2. David Pascoe

    August 18, 2010 at 3:30 pm

    Wasn’t “The Charmer” broadscast on Friday night’s rather than Sundays? Usally coming hard on the heels of Me and My Girl and Play Your Cards Right.

  3. Richard16378

    June 9, 2018 at 2:10 pm

    Written by Allan Prior, who had previously written for Blake’s 7.

    My Mum used to have the tie-in novel, also written by Prior.

  4. Tom Ronson

    March 25, 2022 at 3:23 pm

    True to form, one episode of Spitting Image began with a spoof of The Charmer, with Cecil Parkinson (who else?) swindling a sweet old lady out of her life’s savings.

  5. Richardpd

    August 30, 2023 at 10:42 pm

    Since I wrote the above I’ve found that Maddie Pryor of Steeleye Span fame is the daughter of Allan Prior.

    Another good example of a Mid Century set programme from the time it was popular.

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