Forgotten British TV of the 1970s

There was certainly a lot of rubbish on the “box” in the 1970s and a lot of it (are you being served, love thy neighbour, The Black and White Minstrel show, anything with Benny Hill in it ,on the buses) would be best forgotten, or better still hurled into the Sun. That said, amongst the chaff there were a few now forgotten minor gems.

The Guardians (LWT, 1971)

Even in a time where viewers had long attention spans this dystopian show strained the patience of many viewers. It was broadcast in 1971 and never repeated. In 13 one hour long episodes it painted a picture of a near future (1980s) England (the state TV station is EBC and there are few references to other parts of the British isles) . In this vision industrial unrest, high unemployment and inflation have led to the collapse of civil society.

From the ashes emerges a repressive government of paternalistic fascism. While there is a Prime Minister, the real power is held by a shadowy figure “The General” who dictates policy via Mr. Norman and law and order is enforced by a paramilitary group “The Guardians” aka “the Gs”. The death penalty has returned (it had only been permanently abolished in the UK in 1969) and the Royal family has fled. Political prisoners are kept in a state of permanent cannabis induced sedation.

There are several fragmented forces of resistance including the Communists and “Quarmby” a group of autonomous activists. These groups are not in any real sense allies and some wish for a return of the Queen and “the way things were before” while others see an opportunity to radically reshape society.

Of these groups Quarmby have chosen both nonviolent (arrive for work 5 minutes late, strikes) and violent (kidnapping, bombing and assassination) means of resistance. Quarmby often choose disaffected individuals as instruments who will be sacrificed.

Quarmby aims to force the government into even worse atrocities so that even the apathetic citizens will rise up and overthrow it.

The show makes a decent fist of exploring the problem of becoming as terrible as the thing you are opposing.

Though hampered by a low budget, slow pacing and some weak performances it presents a thoughtful examination of the issues even if some story lines seem to go nowhere such as the dialectic between a Communist and a Quarmby.