Alec McCowen Filmography

Mr Palfrey of Westminster was a British television drama which ran in 1984–85. Mr Palfrey is a mild, middle aged man—the epitome of a middle rank British Civil Servant. He is also a spook. This series focused on the more cerebral than physical aspects of the espionage business. It was perhaps this lack of action that was regarded as its major drawback for the typically prime-time audience on Britain's then largest commercial TV... channel, ITV. Two series in total were made in addition to the pilot. The pilot, "The Traitor", by George Markstein, aired as part of Thames Television's Storyboard anthology on 23 August 1983. Series 1 consisted of just four one-hour episodes, and first aired on Wednesday evenings from 9.00 to 10.00pm, 18 April to 9 May 1984. Series 2 consisted of six one-hour episodes and aired on Tuesdays, again from 9.00 to 10.00pm, 7 May to 11 June 1985. A subsequent play featuring Blair, "A Question of Commitment", by Philip Broadley, was first transmitted in the Storyboard anthology on 23 May 1989. The complete series, including the Pilot episode and the Pilot for a series based on Blair's character, was released on a 3-DVD set on 16 August 2010, on Network 7953332.
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