Mother Love | |
---|---|
Created by | Laura Black (novel) |
Written by | Andrew Davies |
Directed by | Simon Langton |
Starring |
Diana Rigg David McCallum James Wilby Fiona Gillies |
Composer(s) | Patrick Gowers |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 4 |
Production | |
Producer(s) | Ken Riddington |
Location(s) | London, England, UK |
Cinematography | Nigel Walters |
Running time | 55mins |
Release | |
Original network | BBC1 |
Picture format | 4:3 |
Audio format | Mono |
Original release | 29 October | – 19 November 1989
Mother Love is a four-part British television drama that first aired from 29 October to 19 November 1989 on BBC1. It was adapted by Andrew Davies from Domini Taylor's (Roger Longrigg's) novel concerning a mother's obsessive love for her son, vengeful hatred of his father, her ex-husband, and the effect on her daughter-in-law and grandchildren. It starred Diana Rigg, David McCallum, James Wilby, and Fiona Gillies, and was directed by Simon Langton.
Christopher "Kit" Vesey (James Wilby) and Angela Vesey (Fiona Gillies), a British yuppie couple, enjoy a seemingly idyllic life. Yet there is one troubling factor in their lives - Kit's mother Helena (Diana Rigg), an eccentric and often difficult woman consumed by anger with Kit's father (David McCallum), a famed concert musician with whom she believes Kit has no contact.
Her oddness is confirmed in a series of incidents involving her ex-husband and his second wife Ruth (Isla Blair), an artist. Flashbacks throughout the series reveal bits of Helena's troubled past. Little by little, the young couple's life begins to fall apart as Helena begins to act out her feelings of intense jealousy and desire for revenge, implicating a dear old friend and leading to murder.
Diana Rigg won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Helena.
The series has yet to receive a commercial DVD release in any territory.