''Mr Palfrey of Westminster'' is a British television drama produced by

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...

for

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

which ran between 18 April 1984 and 11 June 1985.

Plot summary

Mr Palfrey is a mild, middle-aged man—the epitome of a middle-ranking British Civil Servant. He is also a

spook Spook is a synonym for ghost. Spook or spooks may also refer to: People * Spook (nickname), shared by several notable people * Per Spook (born 1939), Norwegian fashion designer * a ghostwriter * a racial slur referring to a black person * an unde ...

. Two series in total were made in addition to the pilot. The pilot, "The Traitor", by George Markstein, aired as part of

's ''Storyboard'' anthology on 23 August 1983. Series 1 consisted of four one-hour episodes, and first aired on Wednesday evenings from 9.00 to 10.00pm, 18 April to 9 May 1984. Series 2 consisted of six one-hour episodes and aired on Tuesdays, again from 9.00 to 10.00pm, 7 May to 11 June 1985. A subsequent play featuring Blair, "A Question of Commitment", by Philip Broadley, was first transmitted in the ''Storyboard'' anthology on 23 May 1989.

Regular cast and characters

Alec McCowen Alexander Duncan McCowen, (26 May 1925 – 6 February 2017) was an English actor. He was known for his work in numerous film and stage productions. Early life McCowen was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, the son of Mary (née Walkden), a dancer ...

as Mr Palfrey, the lead character, a

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It is the main ...

-based spycatcher * Briony McRoberts as Caroline, Mr Palfrey's secretary *

Clive Wood Clive Wood (born 8 May 1954) is an English actor, known for his television roles in ''Press Gang'' (1989–93), ''The Bill'' (1990), '' London's Burning'' (1996–99), and as King Henry I in ''The Pillars of the Earth'' (2010). His stage roles inc ...

as Blair, Mr Palfrey's more action-orientated assistant *

Caroline Blakiston Caroline Georgiana Blakiston (born 13 February 1933) is an English actress. She is best known in her native United Kingdom for her role in the television comedy series ''Brass'', to international audiences as Mon Mothma in the ''Star Wars'' film ...

as Co-Ordinator, head of espionage activities for the British Government

Episode list

Series 1 (1984)

Series 2 (1985)

DVD release

The complete series, including the pilot episode ("The Traitor") and the 'postscript' play transmitted in 1989 and featuring Clive Wood as Blair, was released on a 3-DVD set by Network Distributing Ltd. on 16 August 2010.RadioTimes DVDs
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Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mister Palfrey of Westminster 1984 British television series debuts 1985 British television series endings 1980s British drama television series ITV television dramas English-language television shows Television series by Fremantle (company) Television shows produced by Thames Television Television shows set in London