This month Rye News is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Channel 4’s Mapp and Lucia, which was filmed in Rye and Camber in the 1980s. It was first shown on April 14 1985 and starred Prunella Scales, Geraldine McEwan and Nigel Hawthorne.
All ten episodes have just been rebroadcast on Rewind TV – with repeats planned very soon. Richard Latto from Rewind TV says it was a no brainer to add the series of ten shows to the channel’s schedule when it was offered them. “It’s got amazing talent and great recognisability. All the actors are at the top of their games. We jumped at the chance to reshow it.”
Two series were made in the 1980s and unlike some TV shows from that time he says it stands up very well. “It’s not dated in the way that’s happened to more contemporary shows. It has a timeless quality from the 1930s and you can tell it was made with affection and love.”
Although broadcast on Channel Four, Mapp and Lucia was made by London Weekend Television which was responsible for some of the UK’s biggest TV shows. Richard Latto, who is also a presenter and producer at Rewind TV, says you can tell it was made with a big budget. “There’s so much location footage used, often with lots of moving background shots of life in Tilling that perhaps you wouldn’t get if it was filmed today. There’s an attention to detail which is very impressive, with none of the tell-tale signs of a cheaper production – for example you can’t see any modern TV aerials.”
Rewind TV has also had access to some of the publicity shots taken for the series. While most were shot in the studio, a number show the characters on Rye’s streets.
You can find Rewind TV on Freeview Channel 92, Sky TV 182, and Freely 150. More details on the schedule are at https://rewindtv.uk/
Click here for our previous article celebrating forty years of Mapp and Lucia and here for some of the locations used during filming.
Next week our series continues with a look at some of the costumes and the very Rye opening titles.
Image Credits: ITV / Rex Features .