Rainbow City (TV series)

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Rainbow City
GenreLegal drama
Created by John Elliot
Starring Errol John
Horace James
Gemma Jones
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6
Production
ProducersJohn Elliot
Alan Rees
Running time25 minutes
Release
Original network BBC1
Picture format Black-and-white
Original release1 July (1967-07-01) 
9 August 1967 (1967-08-09)

Rainbow City is a British television series made by the BBC and shown in 1967. It was created and produced by John Elliot. [1]

The series was the first British TV series to feature a black actor, Errol John as the lead character. [2] John starred as John Steele, a black solicitor, and the series dealt with his personal and professional problems living and working in the multi-ethnic community of Birmingham. John Elliot had been approached by the head of programmes for BBC Birmingham to develop a series about the Caribbean community in Great Britain. Elliot wrote several episodes in collaboration with Trinidadian actor, Horace James, who was cast in one of the other main roles. [1] The series was shot at the BBC's Gosta Green studio in Birmingham. Five of the six episodes survive. [2]

Mary, Steele's white wife, was played by Gemma Jones, later the star of the BBC's The Duchess of Duke Street .

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References

  1. 1 2 Bourne, Stephen (2001). Black in the British Frame: The Black Experience in British Film and Television. London & New York City: Continuum. p. 121. ISBN   9781441161352.
  2. 1 2 Cooke, Lez (21 October 2016). "Drama from Gosta Green (1956–71)". Forgotten Television Drama.