''The Outsider'' is a British television drama series produced by

Yorkshire Television ITV Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire Television and commonly referred to as just YTV, is the British television service provided by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV (TV network), ITV network. Until 19 ...

and screened on the

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...

in late 1983.

Plot

Successful journalist Frank Scully (

John Duttine John Arthur Duttine (born 15 March 1949) is an English actor noted for his roles on stage, films and television. He is well known for his role as Sgt George Miller in '' Heartbeat'' and Bill Masen in the TV series '' The Day of the Triffids''. ...

) is visiting old friends, the Harpers ( Joanna Dunham and

Norman Eshley Norman Eshley (born 30 May 1945) is an English actor best known for his television roles. Biography Eshley attended Bristol Grammar School and worked in a bank, before training as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He played many ...

), in the Yorkshire country town of Micklethorpe. Deciding to stay on, he takes the job of editor of the local newspaper, the Messenger. Fiona Neave (

Carol Royle Carol Buchanan Royle (born 10 February 1954) is an English actress. She is best known for playing Jenny Russell in the BBC sitcom '' Life Without George'' (1987—1989) and Lady Patricia Brewster in '' Heartbeat'' (1997—2003). Early life Born ...

), who runs the local print works, becomes Scully's love interest, as he soon becomes embroiled in local affairs.

Background

''The Outsider'' was the brainchild of writer Michael J. Bird, who researched the series by visiting Jim McTaggart, the editor of the Teesdale Mercury newspaper in

County Durham County Durham, officially simply Durham, is a ceremonial county in North East England.UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne an ...

. The series was commissioned by

David Cunliffe David Richard Cunliffe (born 30 April 1963) is a New Zealand management consultant and former politician who was Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand), Leader of the Opposition from September 2013 to ...

, who had previously worked with Bird on the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

drama series '' The Lotus Eaters'', at

for a run of six episodes. The

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

YTV studio was used for interior scenes, whilst on location, the North Yorkshire town of

Knaresborough Knaresborough ( ) is a market and spa town and civil parish on the River Nidd in North Yorkshire, England. It is east of Harrogate and was in the Borough of Harrogate until April 2023. History The Knaresborough Hoard, the largest hoard of ...

doubled for the fictional Micklethorpe. A paperback novelisation by Hugh Miller was published by Granada to tie in with the transmission of the series. Plans for a second series of ''The Outsider'' were abandoned due to the lead actor John Duttine being unavailable, having signed with the

to star in the sitcom '' Lame Ducks''.

Cast

as Frank Scully *

as Fiona Neave * Joanna Dunham as Sylvia Harper *

as Donald Harper *Peter Clay as Lord Wrathdale * Elizabeth Bennett as Lady Wrathdale *Pauline Letts as Miss. Banner *

Michael Sheard Michael Sheard (born Michael Lawson Perkins; 18 June 1938 – 31 August 2005) was a Scottish actor who featured in many films and television programmes, and was best known for playing villains. His most prominent television role was as strict ...

as Reuben Flaxman *Ted Morris as Ted Holliday

Episodes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Outsider (1983 TV series), The 1983 British television series debuts 1983 British television series endings 1980s British drama television series British English-language television shows ITV television dramas Television series by Yorkshire Television Television shows set in Yorkshire