''The Lotus Eaters'' is a

BBC television drama BBC television dramas have been produced and broadcast since even before the public service company had an officially established television broadcasting network in the United Kingdom. As with any major broadcast network, drama forms an importan ...

first broadcast in 1972 and 1973. The series, written by Michael J. Bird, dealt with the lives of British

expats An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...

living on the island of

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

, and their reasons for being there.

Plot

The central characters were a married couple, Erik (

Ian Hendry Ian Mackendrick Hendry (13 January 1931 – 24 December 1984) was a British actor. He worked on several British TV series of the 1960s and 1970s, including the lead in the first series of '' The Avengers'' and '' The Lotus Eaters'', and played ...

) and Ann Shepherd (

Wanda Ventham Wanda Ventham (born 5 August 1935) is an English actress with many roles on British television since beginning her career in the 1950s. She played Colonel Virginia Lake in the 1970s science-fiction television series ''UFO'' and had a recurring ...

), who ran a tavern called "Shepherd's Bar". Ann is revealed in the first episode to be a

sleeper agent A sleeper agent, also called sleeper cell, is a spy who is placed in a target country or organization not to undertake an immediate mission but to act as a potential asset if activated. Even if unactivated, the "sleeper agent" is still an asset ...

of British Intelligence, Erik having been a broken-down drunk whom she was made to marry as part of her cover story. Other episodes dealt with the other expats who frequented the bar. The most intriguing character in both series is the Greek police captain, Michael Krasakis (

Stefan Gryff Stefan Gryff (5 May 1938 - 3 June 2017) was a Poland, Polish-Australian actor. He specialised in playing Poles, Russians, Greeks and other Mediterranean types. Gryff studied law at the University of Sydney and during his studies appeared in seve ...

). In the second series the British Intelligence aspect is developed, until a clash with Soviet and Chinese agents results in both Ann and Erik having to leave Crete. In the final scene, about to board a plane leaving

Heraklion Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban A ...

airport, they have a partial reconciliation, since each is the only person the other can trust.

Cast

Main cast: *

as Erik Shepherd *

as Ann Shepherd *

Maurice Denham William Maurice Denham OBE (23 December 1909 – 24 July 2002) was an English character actor who appeared in over 100 films and television programmes in his long career. Family Denham was born on 23 December 1909 in Beckenham, Kent, the son ...

as Nestor Turton *

as Captain Michael Krasakis * Anthony Stamboulieh as Nikos Recurring cast – Series 1 only: * James Kerry as Donald Culley (eps. 1, 3, 8–9) *

Thorley Walters Thorley Swinstead Walters (12 May 1913 – 6 July 1991) was an English character actor. He is probably best remembered for his comedy film roles such as in ''Two-Way Stretch'' and '' Carlton-Browne of the FO''. Early life Walters was born in Tei ...

as Major Edward Woolley (eps. 1–4) *

Sylvia Coleridge Sylvia Coleridge (10 December 1909 – 31 May 1986) was a British stage, film, radio and television actress. She was married to Albert George Fiddes-Watt and their daughter Kate, born 1943, is also an actress as ''Kate Coleridge.'' Birth Coler ...

as Miriam Woolley (eps. 1–4) * Julia Goodman as Kirsten McLuhan (eps. 1–2, 4–5, 7, 9) * Martin Howells as Mark Potter (eps. 1–2, 4–5, 7, 9) * Karan David as Katerina (eps. 1–6, 8–9) *

Carol Cleveland Carol Cleveland (born 13 January 1942) is a British-American actress and comedian, particularly known for her work with Monty Python. Early life Born in East Sheen, London, she moved to the United States with her mother and U.S. Air Force step ...

as Leigh Mervish (eps. 1–4, 7) *

Karl Held Carl Held (born September 19, 1931), sometimes credited as Karl Held and Christopher Held, is an American actor who has worked extensively in both American and British television. Career Held is best known for his role as Garth in the 1980s s ...

as Philip "Pip" Mervish (eps. 1–4, 7) Recurring cast – Series 2 only: *

Timothy Carlton Timothy Carlton Congdon Cumberbatch (born 4 October 1939) is an English actor. Early years Carlton was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, the son of Pauline Ellen Laing (née Congdon), who died on 11 October 2007, and Henry Carlton Cumberba ...

as Gerard Mace * John Horsley as Sir Hugh Russell (eps. 2–4) *

Paul Maxwell Paul Maxwell (born Maxim Popovich; November 12, 1921December 19, 1991) was a Canadian actor who worked mostly in British cinema and television, in which he was usually cast as American characters. In terms of audience, his most notable role w ...

as Sam Webber (eps. 2–6) *

Susan Engel Susan Engel (born 25 March 1935) is a British actress. She was born in Vienna, Austria. Career Theatre Engel's work in theatre includes: ''Angels in America'' (1992), ''Richard III'', ''King Lear'' (1990), ''The Good Person of Sezuan'', ''Wat ...

as Imogen Lundqvist (eps. 2–6) * Frank Duncan as Cotton *

Godfrey James Godfrey James (16 April 1931 – 29 October 2019) was an English actor. His film appearances include: '' Séance on a Wet Afternoon'' (1964), ''Witchfinder General'' (1968), '' The Oblong Box'' (1969), ''Cry of the Banshee'' (1970), ''The Blood ...

as Nicholson * Ronald Howard as Dr John Dartington (eps. 2–6) * Calliope Petrohilos as Ariadne Mazonaki (eps. 2–6)

Production

Location scenes in ''The Lotus Eaters'' were filmed in the Cretan resort of Aghios Nikolaos and derived its title from the

lotus-eaters In Greek mythology, the lotus-eaters ( grc-gre, λωτοφάγοι, lōtophágoi) were a race of people living on an island dominated by the lotus tree, a plant whose botanical identity is uncertain. The lotus fruits and flowers were the primary ...

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...

, where those who ate the fruit of the

lotus tree The lotus tree ( grc-gre, λωτός, ''lōtós'') is a plant that is referred to in stories from Greek and Roman mythology. The lotus tree is mentioned in Homer's ''Odyssey'' as bearing a fruit that caused a pleasant drowsiness, and which was sai ...

lost the desire to return home. The series was also the first of the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

-based dramas written by Michael J Bird for the BBC. The others included ''

Who Pays the Ferryman? ''Who Pays the Ferryman?'' is a television series produced by the BBC in 1977. The title of the series refers to the ancient religious belief and mythology of Charon, the ferryman to Hades. In ancient times, it was custom to place coins in or on t ...

'', also set in Crete; ''

The Aphrodite Inheritance ''The Aphrodite Inheritance'' is a BBC television series broadcast in 1979. The eight-part serial, written by Michael J. Bird, followed his previous successful Mediterranean-set series '' The Lotus Eaters'' and ''Who Pays the Ferryman?''. Where ...

'', set in

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

; and ''

The Dark Side of the Sun ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', set in

Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the So ...

. The series' theme is "Ta Trena Pou Fyghan" (''Τα Τραίνα Που Φύγαν" = "The Trains That Departed''), from the album ''Hellespont'', composed by

Stavros Xarchakos Stavros Xarchakos, Greek: Σταύρος Ξαρχάκος (born 14 March 1939) is a Greek composer and conductor. Biography Stavros Xarchakos was born in Athens, where he studied at the Athens Conservatoire. He has family origins from the Man ...

.Columbia – 2j 054-70011 / SX.6135 / DNZ.10865
/ref>

Episode details

;Series 1:

;Series 2:

References

External links

*
Michael J. Bird Tribute SiteOfficial Website of Ian Hendry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lotus Eaters, The 1970s British drama television series 1972 British television series debuts 1973 British television series endings BBC television dramas English-language television shows