Nightingales (British TV series)

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Nightingales
NightingalesTitleCard.jpg
Written byPaul Makin
Directed by Tony Dow
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producer Laurence Marks (series 2)
Producers
Running time25 minutes
Production companyAlomo Productions
Release
Original network Channel 4
Original release27 February 1990 (1990-02-27) 
10 February 1993 (1993-02-10)

Nightingales is a British situation comedy set around the antics of three security guards working the night shift. It was written by Paul Makin and produced by Alomo Productions for Channel 4 in 1990.

Contents

Plot

Nightingales revolved around the jobs of three bored nightwatchmen working in a deserted office block, the location of which is never revealed, although exterior shots are of Beneficial House located on Paradise Circus in Birmingham City Centre.

A typical episode involved both very naturalistic dialogue — and the kind of claustrophobic studio-setting that prevailed in shows such as Steptoe and Son — combined with the surreal.

Nightingales ran for two series totalling 13 episodes from 27 February 1990 to 10 February 1993. The long delay was prompted by Channel 4 executive Seamus Cassidy who was not happy with the proposed scripts for the second series and it was nearly three years before it was given the go-ahead. The theme tune was a version of the song "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" sung by Lindsay. Writer Paul Makin went on to write more conventional comedies like Goodnight Sweetheart . A US remake (titled "In Security") was piloted but never commissioned.

Cast and characters

Guest characters included Piper (Edward Burnham), the elderly cleaning man; Eric the werewolf (Ian Sears); an additional security guard who was a gorilla; and Mary the Christmas Allegory (Lia Williams), who gave birth to consumer products.

Episodes

Series one

No.TitleOriginal airdateSynopsis
1"Moonlight Becomes You"27 February 1990The new lad gets a touch of lycanthropy. Problems with the inspector.
2"Takeaway"6 March 1990Carter and Bell take the guise of Shakespearian villains to do away with Piper.
3"Kiss and Make Up"13 March 1990Carter wins a date with a glamorous model.
4"Opening Night"20 March 1990Sarge needs surgery. Swan may be a werewolf, but he's also a medical student.
5"Scrutiny of the Bounty"27 March 1990They're under suspicion and under surveillance.
6"Terence in the Midst"3 April 1990Security is so easy even a monkey can do it.

Series two

No.TitleOriginal airdateSynopsis
1"Silent Night"30 December 1992Christmas episode. A pregnant woman called Mary arrives on Christmas Eve. She assures them she's not an allegory.
2"Trouble in Mind"6 January 1993A psychiatrist delves into the murky waters of Bell's mind after an incident with a horse.
3"Crime and Punishment"13 January 1993A burglar, Jake Wood is apprehended, who produces incontrovertible evidence that he is the illegitimate son of one of the three men.
4"All at Sea"20 January 1993 Peter Vaughan guests as the new inspector who rules with an iron fist. Mutiny is in the air.
5"Reach for the Sky"27 January 1993Carter and Bell compete for a job at Heathrow Airport by sitting a three-part exam.
6"King Lear II"3 February 1993Eric the werewolf returns and a Shakespearean plot is brewed to sabotage the Sarge's prodigal "son".
7"Someone to Watch Over Me"10 February 1993The employers install a new CCTV system and give them a cake. Three familiar-looking replacements arrive.

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