Travelling Man (TV series)

Series One

On his release from prison Lomax finds his wife has emigrated and is suing him for divorce. His son, Steve, has gone missing. Returning to his beloved narrowboat, Harmony, Lomax embarks on a long search for his son - and for the man who framed him. He is pursued by the police, who have him under surveillance, various underworld figures, and a journalist named Robinson - all of whom believe that he has a hidden stash of drugs money and will lead them to it.

Series Two

Robinson asks Max to look after his Godchild, Billy. Max spends a weekend away from Harmony, looking after a hotel, where the only guests are a mysterious couple. Max is helping out in a pub, when a gang of motorcyclists are upset. Steve, Max's son, challenges him to prove his innocence and robs a betting shop. Unknowlingly he upsets the local gang boss Jack Ormand Max meets up with an ex-cell mate, Granny Jackson. Max finally gets closer to finding the man who set him up. An ex-girlfriend gives him the name Len Martin, but he remains one step ahead. 13 Last Lap

Series Three

A further run of thirteen episodes was commissioned but Leigh Lawson chose to leave, following an earlier disagreement with Granada who had refused to release him from his contract to take the lead role in the Roman Polanski film Pirates.

Background

Marshall drew on his previous writing, in particular Frank Marker, the private detective he co-created for the 1960s/1970s drama Public Eye. Lomax shares some of Marker’s traits and moral dilemmas, their good intentions compromised by their time in prison. Both men will be pre-judged about their actions and plans, based solely on their ‘shady’ pasts. Marshall wrote each episode himself, adding a sense of continuity to the self-contained episodes.

Cast

Critique

Travelling Man has often been compared to the mid-1960s American classic The Fugitive, on which it draws both structurally and thematically. While protagonist Alan Lomax is not actually ‘on the run’, having served his time, it is clear from the start that the authorities still believe him guilty. While The Fugitive leaned heavily on the open landscapes of America, Travelling Man is set in the drug-infested world of the mid-1980s and in a location which adds a uniquely English slant to the fugitive subgenre: the canals and inland waterways of Britain. Although providing Lomax with both a home and a means of transport, the canals also exude a sense of quiet menace. There is an advantage, as he wryly observes in the opening episode: "One thing about quiet waterways, you can hear footsteps." For many viewers, the canal network offered an unfamiliar environment, a sense of ‘otherness’, cut-off from the modern world, reinforcing the impression of Lomax as both an outsider and an alternative hero. In addition, it the pace allows Lomax time to explore other people’s narratives and provides his pursuers ample opportunity to spy on him and follow him at their leisure. Following the Western idea, Lomax’s boat Harmony represents his faithful horse and his wagon.

Soundtrack

In 1984–85 Browne composed and performed the music for the British television series Travelling Man, in collaboration with the programme's producer Sebastian Graham-Jones. The soundtrack was released on vinyl and CD. The track reached number 68 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1984.

DVD Release

The series has since been made available on DVD by Network and includes a short critical guide written by Marshall's son.