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''High Table, Lower Orders'' is a
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
comedy-drama murder mystery written by
Mark Tavener Mark Adrian Tavener (8 July 1954 – 18 October 2007) was an English writer, humorist, and dramatist best known for his BBC radio and television series '' In the Red'' (BBC Radio Four, 1995-1999/BBC Two, 1998) and '' Absolute Power'' (BBC Radio ...
and set in a fictional
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
college in crisis. The first series was broadcast in six episodes from 18 February to 25 March 2005, and the second from 7 April to 12 May 2006. Its title refers to the custom of the college's fellows eating at
High Table The origin of "High Table" goes back to the physical layout of the dining halls of English colleges at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The high table is a table for the use of fellows (members of the Senior Common Room) and their guests in ...
, and the murders and skulduggery that occur in the series. The title and incidental music is
Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...
's Trio Sonata No. 2 in C minor ( BWV 526), Largo, performed by the
Purcell Quartet The Purcell Quartet, founded in 1983, was one of the world's leading Baroque quartets. Background Founded in 1983, the Purcell Quartet had their debut concert six months after forming, on 14 February 1984, at St John's, Smith Square, London. Tess ...
.


Plot outline

Both series feature a murder mystery set against a background of satirical references to newspaper and television journalism, politics, government bureaucracy, and academic in-fighting. In particular there is a long-running feud between Gilbert (a History fellow, and later the Master) and the Dean of the College. The Dean is the religious leader of the college, in charge of the chapel, the choir and religious services. The office was the most important in the college when it was founded, by monks. Actual authority has become vested in the Master and, in an advisory capacity, the
Bursar A bursar (derived from ''wikt:bursa, bursa'', Latin for 'Coin purse, purse') is a professional Administrator of the government, administrator in a school or university often with a predominantly financial role. In the United States, bursars usual ...
. The current Dean would like to regain the power that his predecessors lost.


Series 1

Peter Devanti, a notorious TV populariser of history and member of the college, dies after being the college's guest at High Table. The apparent cause is eating nuts despite a known allergy. However, the college's Master suspects foul play. He invites Simon Harrison, a brilliant former biology student at the college who is now working in the
Health and Safety Executive The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a British public body responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare. It has additionally adopted a research role into occupational risks in Great B ...
, a job he mostly finds tiresome, to investigate the suspicious death. At the same time, Zoe Redmond, a philosophy graduate and Simon's former girlfriend, loses her job as political sketch-writer on a national newspaper and is forced to freelance. Her first job is covering the aftermath of Devanti's death, which brings her back into contact with Simon, whom she left for Devanti on the eve of Simon's final undergraduate exam, and her tutor Patricia, who was also, it emerges, one of Devanti's conquests. Her reappearance opens old wounds for Simon, who drank himself into oblivion when she left him; he was consequently in no condition for his final exam, and failed to get the first-class honours degree that would have enabled him to pursue an academic career. The Master himself dies, and various fellows, including the Machiavellian history don Gilbert Devlin, compete to replace him. Meanwhile, the list of people who might have wanted Peter Devanti dead keeps growing. Nearly everyone connected with the college had a reason to hate Devanti or want him removed, including anyone with the ambition to be Master, since Devanti himself was the obvious candidate to succeed. Most of the female characters had affairs with and were abandoned by Devanti, including Zoe and Patricia. Even the Bursar has been wounded by Devanti, as his sole academic venture was plagiarised by the television historian before its official publication. In a subplot, Simon becomes so disenchanted with working at the HSE that he turns a speech at a conference in Europe into a denunciation of the nitpicking culture of the health and safety bureaucracy, much to the annoyance of the interpreter, who cannot translate words like " tosspottery". At the subsequent disciplinary hearing his line manager is shown to be incapable of either managing him or firing him, and he is shunted to a regional office.


Series 2

A year after the events of Series 1, Simon and Zoe are living together in Cambridge, intending to marry. Zoe is now working for a " red top" tabloid newspaper. Simon is out of work, but is soon awarded a fellowship in "Forensic Science and Criminology" by Gilbert, the Master of the college. Ian Butterworth, a brilliant (if pedantic and intolerably smug) English student, apparently hangs himself after accusing another student of plagiarism. Both students were supervised by Dr Roisin McDade, a fellow in English. Simon is not convinced. Meanwhile Bernard, the Bursar, is trying to reorganise the college to be more financially viable and relevant to the modern world. The Dean tries to engineer a revolution and abolish the post of Master, but is masterfully "shafted", as Gilbert puts it. Central to the plot is a generous
bursary A bursary is a monetary award made by any educational institution or funding authority to individuals or groups. It is usually awarded to enable a student to attend school, university or college when they might not be able to, otherwise. Some awar ...
that is intended for especially brilliant student candidates, and which was once awarded to the Dean himself. Roisin McDade was in the running for that same bursary. Simon turns out to be an ineffectual teacher who frequently has his students watch episodes of CSI, especially if he needs to get away to pursue his investigations. However, when he solves the crime, the Master announces that instead of firing him he will use having a "criminologist who solves crimes" as publicity for the college. Note: in the second series Zoe's last name is changed to "Templeton".


Cast


Both series

*Gilbert Devlin, fellow in History and later Master —
Geoffrey Palmer Geoffrey Palmer may refer to: Politicians *Sir Geoffrey Palmer, 1st Baronet (1598–1670), English lawyer and politician *Sir Geoffrey Palmer, 3rd Baronet (1655–1732), English politician, member of parliament (MP) for Leicestershire *Geoffrey Pal ...
*The Dean —
Michael Maloney Michael Maloney (born 19 June 1957) is a British actor. Life and career Born in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, Maloney's first television appearance was as Peter Barkworth's teenage son in the 1979 drama series ''Telford's Change''. He made his ...
*Simon Harrison, biology graduate turned Health and Safety Executive bureaucrat —
Samuel West Samuel Alexander Joseph West (born 19 June 1966) is an English actor, theatre director, and narrator. He has directed on stage and radio, and worked as an actor in theatre, film, television, and radio. West was nominated for the BAFTA Award f ...
*Zoe Redmond (renamed Zoe Templeton in Series 2), philosophy graduate turned journalist, and Simon's former girlfriend —
Sharon Small Sharon Small is a Scottish actress known for her work in film, radio, theatre, and television. Perhaps best known for her portrayal of Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers in the BBC television adaptation of ''The Inspector Lynley Mysteries'' b ...
*Bernard, the college Bursar —
Jonathan Coy Jonathan Coy (born 24 April 1953) is a British actor. He has worked since 1975 largely in television, notably as Henry in the long-running legal series ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' and as Bracegirdle in the television series '' Hornblower'', adap ...
*Written by
Mark Tavener Mark Adrian Tavener (8 July 1954 – 18 October 2007) was an English writer, humorist, and dramatist best known for his BBC radio and television series '' In the Red'' (BBC Radio Four, 1995-1999/BBC Two, 1998) and '' Absolute Power'' (BBC Radio ...
*Producer Dawn Ellis


First series

*Patricia, fellow in Philosophy —
Rebecca Front Rebecca Louise Front (born 16 May 1964) is an English actress, writer and comedian. She won the 2010 BAFTA TV Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for '' The Thick of It'' (2009–2012).Jennifer Lipma"Bafta for Jewish actress Rebecca Front" ...
*The Master — Hugh Dickson *Peter Devanti, heard posthumously through excerpts of his television programmes — Nicholas Boulton


Second series

*Dr Roisin McDade, fellow in English — Michelle Fairley *Jane —
Tracey Wiles Tracy Wiles (born c. 1970), also credited as Tracey Wiles, is an English actress, who has worked on radio, stage and TV, and in film. She has appeared in '' McCallum'' (1997), ''Sea of Souls'' (2004), ''Doctors'' (2005–2023), '' The Line of Be ...
*Jim —
Stephen Hogan Stephen Hogan is an Irish actor and audiobook narrator. Biography Hogan was born in August 1965 and grew up in Dartry, Dublin, Ireland. He is the son of Brian Hogan, a prominent Dublin architect, and Marie née Lawton. His grandfather, Sars ...


Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:High Table, Lower Orders 2005 radio programme debuts BBC Radio 4 programmes BBC Radio comedy programmes University of Cambridge in fiction