| South of the Border | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Detective |
| Created by | Susan Wilkins |
| Written by | Susan Wilkins |
| Starring | Buki Armstrong Rosie Rowell Dinah Stabb Valentine Nonyela Jimmi Harkishin Brian Bovell Corinne Skinner-Carter Q Saul Jephcott Alwyne Taylor |
| Theme music composer | Ruby Turner (Series 1) Alison Limerick (Series 2) |
| Composer | Alan Lisk |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 15 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Caroline Oulton |
| Production locations | South London, England, UK |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Production company | BBC |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC1 |
| Release | 25 October 1988 – 22 June 1990 |
South of the Border is a British television detective drama series, created and written by Susan Wilkins, that first broadcast on BBC1, and ran for two series between 25 October 1988 and 22 June 1990. [1] The series starred Buki Armstrong as Pearl Parker, a black woman. In the first and second series, she works alongside Finn Gallagher (Rosie Rowell).
Dinah Stabb, Valentine Nonyela, Jimmi Harkishin, Brian Bovell, Corinne Skinner-Carter, Saul Jephcott and Alwyne Taylor all co-starred in two series.[ citation needed ]
The drama series follows pair of female private detectives, Pearl Parker (Buki Armstrong) and Finn Gallagher (Rosie Rowell) operating within the multicultural communities of South London. Former school friends, a secretary and a tearaway, Pearl and Finn decide to set up as private investigators after demonstrating a flair for sleuthing. [2]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | British air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Antonia Bird | Susan Wilkins | 25 October 1988 |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Udayan Prasad | Susan Wilkins | 1 November 1988 |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones | Susan Wilkins | 8 November 1988 |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Udayan Prasad | Tony Dennis | 15 November 1988 |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Antonia Bird | Susan Wilkins | 22 November 1988 |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Lesley Manning | Ayshe Raif | 29 November 1988 |
| 7 | "Episode 7" | Udayan Prasad | Winsome Pinnock | 6 December 1988 |
| 8 | "Episode 8" | Antonia Bird | Susan Wilkins | 13 December 1988 |
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | British air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Lesley Manning | Tony Dennis | 11 May 1990 |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Lesley Manning | Tony Dennis | 18 May 1990 |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Steve Hilliker | Q | 25 May 1990 |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Suri Krishnamma | Barbara Machin | 1 June 1990 |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Laura Sims | Barbara Machin | 8 June 1990 |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Ngozi Onwurah | Jon Paul Morgan | 15 June 1990 |
| 7 | "Episode 7" | Lesley Manning | Michael Ellis | 22 June 1990 |
The series received mostly positive reviews. [3] [4] Nostalgia Central praised the series' casting, characterization, production values and writing, concluding the protagonists' "unsystematic approach made a refreshing change from the 'kick-in- the-door-and-yell-freeze' routine so often employed." [5] In her monograph Representing Black Britain, Sarita Malik writes that "brought a touch of contemporary realism to the adventure/crime series while also subverting its traditional White, male dominance. These varying discourses - multicultural, social-conscience, politically divisive, crossover - emerged out of the divergent 1980s context of public anti-racist struggle, ethnic minority cultural politics, targeted programming and mounting commercial pressure." [6]
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