Talking to a Stranger — Season 1
A quartet of plays about a suburban family's weekend
About this season
A grown-up brother and sister's visit to their parents home culminates in a shocking tragedy. The events of the weekend are told over four episodes, each focusing on the point of view of one family member: the daughter Terry; the father, Ted; the son, Alan and finally the mother, Sarah. The full story of the dysfunctional family plays out through the use of repeating scenes, flashback, and monologue.
Episodes (4)
1. Anytime You're Ready, I'll Sparkle
Aired 2 October 1966 • 90 min
Judi Dench stars in John Hopkins's quartet of plays that recount the events of one weekend from the viewpoints of four members of the same family. In the first play Terry, the 30-year-old daughter of the Stephens family, reminisces about her past and tells of the family reunion on Sunday. Hailed by critics as one of the most important and affecting television dramas of the 1960s, it won Judi Dench her first British Academy Television Award for Best Actress. (1966)
2. No Skill Or Special Knowledge Is Required
Aired 9 October 1966 • 90 min
During the reunion, Mr Stephens (Maurice Denham) looks back at his life and recalls some previous family arguments.
3. Gladly, My Cross-Eyed Bear
Aired 16 October 1966 • 90 min
Alan (Michael Bryant) has a proposition for his confused father as the police visit the Stephens home in the aftermath of Sunday's tragic events.
4. The Innocent Must Suffer
Aired 23 October 1966 • 90 min
The final part of the John Hopkins quartet goes back in time to Sunday morning when Mrs Stephens (Margery Mason) is busy preparing lunch as she has done for the past 30 years. Terry (Judi Dench) makes an unexpected visit that causes tensions to rise to the surface and tragedy strikes.