Fox (1980 Jim Goddard, scr Trevor Preston)

Peter Vaughan is 'King Billy', head of a South London family, married to Elizabeth Spriggs. Sons are Bernard Hill, with deaf son, lothario Larry Lamb (a black cab driver), nightclub owner Derrick O'Connor, student Eamon Boland, and boxer Ray Winstone. Clapham location is not the only thing that parallels it with This Happy Breed.

A birthday party interrupted by rats, corrupt coppers, a violent cheated-on husband, a quirky fashion designer... Then Winstone accidentally kills his boxing opponent, can't deal with it, and heads for the sea, a not unfamiliar plot device, where he's robbed then held for ransom. O'Connor seeks retribution - he has been in  prison, we learn - a big drinker - comes across like Bogart in Casablanca (even does an impersonation in later scene). He finds the couple responsible but lets them off lighter than he might.

A young Bill Nighy appears as a journalist, one of his earliest appearances. Jim Carter and David Calder also pop up.

Incredible scene where the mother goes to break the news to her husband's lover Julia Sutton. Incredible long take between Larry and his girlfriend.  Gritty fight in pub. Great funeral procession to New Orleans jazz. Lovely scene where family are gathered at bottom of stairs and Boland tries to get Winstone to open his door. Goddard knowing when not to move the camera.

Elizabeth Spriggs and Julia Sutton

Euston Films operated 1972-1994, home of The Sweeney, Minder, and Out, also directed by Goddard and written by Preston. (I remember Out clearly but this one didn't ring a bell at all.) They seemed to specialise in gritty London things, shooting on location on 16mm film. Preston has many TV credits going back to 1967 and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, created Ace of Wands in 1970, wrote Sweeney, Ruth Rendall Mysteries, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. He also wrote the cult Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire and the Britt Ekland - Mark Lester Night Hair Child.

It won the 1981 TV Writing BAFTA award. 13 50 minute episodes, originally in the 9 / 9.15 pm slot on a Monday night - very surprised to hear 'fuck' then. Some rather questionable songs are my only fault with it.

I think here 'steamers' means prostitutes' clients. Liked 'And one for the queen' (make it a triple).

Covent Garden market was relocated in 1974; the main building opened as a shopping centre in 1980. Michael Palin bought a property in Neal's Yard in 1976 and reported 'There's a good healthy feeling of an area coming to life again'.