''Karaoke'' is a 1996

British television Regular television broadcasts in the United Kingdom started in 1936 as a public service which was free of advertising, which followed the first demonstration of a transmitted moving image in 1926. Currently, the United Kingdom has a collection ...

drama written by

Dennis Potter Dennis Christopher George Potter (17 May 1935 – 7 June 1994) was an English television dramatist, screenwriter and journalist. He is best known for his BBC television serials '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), ''The Singing Detective'' (198 ...

with the knowledge that he was dying from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

of the

pancreas The pancreas is an organ of the digestive system and endocrine system of vertebrates. In humans, it is located in the abdomen behind the stomach and functions as a gland. The pancreas is a mixed or heterocrine gland, i.e. it has both an ...

. It forms the first half of a pair with the serial '' Cold Lazarus''. The two plays were filmed as a single production by the same team; both were directed by

Renny Rye Renny Rye Renny Rye is a British television director known for his work in television drama. He was born on 2 December 1947. Life and career Rye was born in Cambridge. He was a producer for ''Blue Peter'' and directed ''The Box of Delights'' from ...

. The series was said to be inspired by Potter's working relationship with

Louise Germaine Tina Louise Germaine (born 1971) is an English actress and model best known for her appearance as usherette Sylvia Berry in the 1993 Dennis Potter serial '' Lipstick on Your Collar''. She played chambermaid Kate Hargreaves in the six-part 1994 c ...

. The plays were a co-production between the BBC and rival broadcaster

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

, a unique arrangement Potter had expressly requested before his death. The show was first aired on

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

in April 1996 on Sunday evenings, with a repeat on Channel 4 the following day. The series stars

Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining prominence on screen in the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' (1960 ...

Richard E. Grant Richard E. Grant (born Richard Grant Esterhuysen; 5 May 1957) is a Swazi-English actor and presenter. He made his film debut as Withnail in the comedy ''Withnail and I'' (1987). Grant received critical acclaim for his role as Jack Hock in Mar ...

, Hywel Bennett,

Roy Hudd Roy Hudd, OBE (16 May 1936 – 15 March 2020) was an English comedian, actor, presenter, radio host, author and authority on the history of music hall entertainment. Early life Hudd was born in Croydon on 16 May 1936 to Evalina "Evie" (née ...

and

Julie Christie Julie Frances Christie (born 14 April 1940) is a British actress. An icon of the Swinging Sixties, Christie is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She ...

and features

Saffron Burrows Saffron Domini Burrows (born 22 October 1972) is an English actress and model who has appeared in films such as '' Circle of Friends,'' '' Wing Commander,'' '' Deep Blue Sea,'' '' Gangster No. 1,'' ''Enigma,'' '' Troy,'' ''Reign Over Me'' and '' ...

and

Keeley Hawes Claire Julia Hawes (born 10 February 1976), known professionally as Keeley Hawes, is an English actress. After beginning her career in a number of literary adaptations, including ''Our Mutual Friend'' (1998) and ''Tipping the Velvet'' (2002), Haw ...

in two early screen appearances.

Cast

as Daniel Feeld * Hywel Bennett as Arthur 'Pig' Mailion *

as Ben Baglin *

Anna Chancellor Anna Theodora Chancellor (born 27 April 1965) is a British actress who has received nominations for BAFTA and Olivier Awards. Background and early life Chancellor was born in Richmond, England to barrister John Paget Chancellor, eldest son of ...

as Anna Griffiths *

as Sandra Sollars *

as Nick Balmer *

as Linda Langer *

Ian McDiarmid Ian McDiarmid (; born 11 August 1944) is a Scottish actor and director of stage and screen, best known for portraying the Sith Lord Emperor Sheev Palpatine / Darth Sidious in the ''Star Wars'' multimedia franchise. Making his stage debut in ' ...

as Oliver Morse * Natasha McElhone as Angie *

as Lady Balmer * Fay Ripley as Club Barmaid * Simon Donald as Ian * Liz Smith as Mrs. Baglin *

Alison Steadman Alison Steadman (born 26 August 1946) is an English actress. She received the 1991 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress for the Mike Leigh film '' Life Is Sweet'' and the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Actress for her role as M ...

as Mrs. Haynes *

Neil Stuke Neil Robert Stuke (born 22 February 1966 in Deal, Kent) is an English actor best known for his role of Matthew in the TV sitcom '' Game On'' and more recently for playing Billy Lamb in the BBC legal drama ''Silk''. Career Stuke played Matthew ...

as Peter *

Stephen Boxer Stephen Boxer (born 19 May 1950) is an English actor who has appeared in films, on television and on stage. He is known for his role as Joe Fenton on the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. Career Stephen Boxer was educated at New College School in ...

as Consultant *

Ewan McGregor Ewan Gordon McGregor ( ; born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British ...

as Young Man *

Matthew Cottle Matthew Cottle (born 16 February 1967) is an English film, stage, radio and television actor. He is best known for his role in Citizen Khan as Dave. Early life Cottle was born in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, and studied drama at the Royal Ac ...

as Hospital Doctor *

Ralph Brown Ralph William John Brown (born 18 June 1957) is an English actor and writer, known for playing Danny the drug dealer in ''Withnail and I'', the security guard Aaron (a.k.a. "85") in ''Alien 3'', DJ Bob Silver in ''The Boat That Rocked'' aka ' ...

as Peter Beasley

Plot

The principal character of ''Karaoke'' is Daniel Feeld (played by Albert Finney), an English playwright in late middle-age who is working on the television production of his latest play, itself entitled ''Karaoke''. The play concerns the relationship between a young woman, Sandra Sollars, her boyfriend Peter Beasley and Arthur 'Pig' Mailion, the owner of the sleazy karaoke/hostess bar where Sandra works. One evening, while sitting in a restaurant, Feeld becomes convinced that a couple at a nearby table who resemble the fictional Sandra and Peter are repeating lines of dialogue from the play. Daniel later encounters the young woman (

) and discovers that her name is indeed Sandra, and that she works in a club owned by one Arthur Mailion ( Hywel Bennett). He relates the coincidence to a frightened Sandra, who runs away, leaving behind her handbag. Daniel subsequently relates the story to his agent Ben Baglin (

) and producer Anna Griffiths (

), who assume that Daniel's apparent paranoia is due to his worsening health through heavy drinking and smoking. Daniel discovers a small pistol and a credit card in Sandra's handbag. After using the card to determine her address, he visits her home in order to return the bag, but first removes the pistol. He discovers that Sandra was carrying the pistol because of her intention to avenge a savage attack on her mother (

) carried out by Mailion years earlier. Disturbed by the possibility that the death of the fictional Sandra in his play may come true in real life, Daniel decides to change his play. Meanwhile, having also discovered the existence of the real Mailion, Anna discusses with the play's director, Nick Balmer (

) the possibility of changing Mailion's name in order to avoid litigation. Nick has been conducting an affair with Linda Langer (

), the actress who plays Sandra in the film version of ''Karaoke'', but is also the intended victim of a blackmail plot hatched by Linda and Mailion. He dismisses the attempt, is beaten up by Mailion's thugs, and confesses all to his wife, Lady Balmer (

), with whom he is reconciled. Daniel is admitted to hospital and told he has only weeks to live. He changes his will, leaving his body to an experimental cryogenics laboratory, and offering a generous portion of his estate to Sandra and her mother, on the condition that Sandra ceases working at the club and renounces her intention to kill Mailion. Sandra agrees, but Daniel remains uneasy about her intentions. One night, he leaves the hospital, taking the pistol with him, and visits Mailion's club, where he performs a striking version of " Pennies from Heaven" before shooting Mailion dead in his office and arranging an alibi with the unsuspecting Baglin to cover up the murder.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Karaoke (Tv Serial) 1996 British television series debuts 1996 British television series endings 1990s British drama television series 1990s British television miniseries BBC television dramas Channel 4 original programming Television series produced at Pinewood Studios Television shows written by Dennis Potter English-language television shows Cryonics in fiction