7.2 /10 1 Votes
6.1/10 TV Original language(s) English First episode date 16 February 1986 Network ITV Number of episodes 12 | 8.4/10 IMDb Country of origin United Kingdom No. of series 2 + Charity special Final episode date 10 March 1989 Genre Comedy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Written by Andrew Marshall
David Renwick Directed by David Askey
Nic Phillips Starring Robert Hardy
Richard Kane
Caroline Milmoe
Geoffrey Palmer Cast Geoffrey Palmer, Robert Hardy, Richard Wilson, Caroline Milmoe, Geoffrey Hutchings Similar The Two of Us, A Fine Romance, The Piglet Files, Second Thoughts, Faith in the Future | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hot metal episode 1 part 1
Hot Metal (1986–88) is a London Weekend Television sitcom about the British Newspaper industry.
Contents
In the show, The Daily Crucible, the dullest newspaper in Fleet Street, is suddenly taken over by media magnate Terence "Twiggy" Rathbone (Robert Hardy). Its editor Harry Stringer (Geoffrey Palmer) is 'promoted' to managing editor, and is replaced in his old job by Russell Spam (also played by Hardy). Spam then takes the paper shooting downmarket and turns the Crucible into a sensation seeking scandal rag, very much in the style of the British tabloids of the 1980s. He is helped along by his ace gutter journalist, Greg Kettle (Richard Kane), who intimidates his tabloid victims by claiming to be "a representative of Her Majesty's press" and produces stories such as accusing a vicar of being a werewolf. Throughout the first series, a running plot involved cub reporter Bill Tytla (John Gordon Sinclair) gradually uncovering an actual newsworthy story that went to the very heart of government. (Tytla appears to be named after animator Vladimir "Bill" Tytla.)
Written by David Renwick and Andrew Marshall, it is very much a continuation in style from their previous sitcom Whoops Apocalypse!. It was produced by Humphrey Barclay.
Episode list
In total, twelve episodes were made and broadcast. A Comic Relief special episode was also broadcast.
Series 2
In the second series, Harry Stringer had left, vanished in a "mysterious aircraft accident", to be replaced as Managing Editor by former daytime chat show host Richard Lipton (Richard Wilson). The cub reporter investigating the running plot this time was Maggie Troon (Caroline Milmoe).
Comic Relief special
In 1989 the show was briefly revived for a 13-minute Comic Relief special "The Satellite Years" (AKA "The Rat Sat on the Cat"), with Hardy and Palmer reviving his role from the first series (though the second series set was used).
DVD release
Both series of Hot Metal have been released on DVD. A 2-disc set of the complete series has also been released.