Pat and Margaret
| Pat and Margaret | |
|---|---|
Opening title
|
|
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Victoria Wood |
| Directed by | Gavin Millar |
| Starring |
Victoria Wood Julie Walters Celia Imrie Deborah Grant Duncan Preston Dame Thora Hird |
| Ending theme | "Magic Moments" |
| Composer(s) | Colin Towns |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Ruth Caleb |
| Cinematography | John Daly |
| Editor(s) | Ken Pearce |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Production company(s) | BBC |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Picture format | 4:3, PAL (576i) |
| Original release | 11 September 1994 |
Pat and Margaret is a British television film written by comedian Victoria Wood. The story follows sisters Margaret, a cook, and Pat, a successful actress in the United States, after they are reunited on a television programme after spending 27 years apart. It stars Wood and her frequent comedy partner Julie Walters in the title roles, and features other past collaborators of Wood, including Dame Thora Hird, Celia Imrie and Duncan Preston. First aired in 1994 on BBC One, the film was directed by Gavin Millar and produced by Ruth Caleb.
After gaining over 10 million viewers, it won a Broadcasting Press Guild award and was nominated for two BAFTA awards. It drew comparisons with northern English dramatist Alan Bennett for its complex characterisation and observational dialogue.
Margaret Mottershead (Victoria Wood) works as a cook at a motorway service station. She joins her colleagues on a works outing to London to see a recording of Magic Moments, a Surprise, Surprise-style television series. Pat Bedford (Julie Walters), the glamorous British star of an American soap, returns to the UK to promote her book on the show, unaware that the producers have planned to make her part of one of the surprises. During the show, Margaret is shocked to be invited onto the stage by the host Maeve (Anne Reid) and asked about her sister Patricia, whom she has not seen for 27 years. Backstage, Pat freezes in a panic when she hears the name "Patricia Theresa Mary Mottershead" and is invited on-stage to meet her long-lost sister, Margaret. Attempting to remain professional, Pat embraces Margaret and feigns happiness. Afterwards, she tries to prevent the programme being broadcast, only to discover that it was live on air. The vain, beautiful Pat rejects Margaret, ashamed of her sister and fearing further damaging revelations about her past. Margaret prepares to leave, but the coach has left without her. Unaware of Pat's true feelings, her assistant Claire (Celia Imrie), has arranged for Margaret to stay with Pat at her luxury hotel.
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