We Are Seven (TV series)

We Are Seven
GenreDrama
Based onWe Are Seven by Una Troy
Written byRobert Pugh
Directed byAlan Clayton (1989)
Ken Horn (1991)
StarringHelen Roberts
Christopher Mitchum
Julianne Barron
James Bird
Beth Robert
Jürgen Morche
Gudrun Gabriel
Howell Evans
Dafydd Hywel
Terence Bennett
Beth Morris
Huw Ceredig
ComposerJochen Eisentraut
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes13
Production
ProducerAlan Clayton
Production locationsLlanddewi Brefi, Ceredigion, Dyfed, Wales, UK
Running time58 minutes
Production companyHTV Wales
Original release
NetworkITV
Release11 June 1989 (1989-06-11) –
17 July 1991 (1991-07-17)

We Are Seven is a British television drama series set in Wales and based on the 1955 book of the same name by Una Troy. It was produced by HTV Wales and shown on ITV. It ran for two series between 11 June 1989 and 17 July 1991.

History

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The show's first season routinely received eight million viewers for each episode.[1] At the 1990 edition of the New York International Film and TV Festival, the show season received a gold medal.[1] The children in the cast largely are HTV Wales Junior Drama Workshop participants.[2] The youngest child in the series was played by Gwilym, the 18-month old son of Helen Roberts, who plays the main character Brenda Morgan.[3]

Cast and characters

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Actor Character
Helen Roberts Brenda Morgan
Christopher Mitchum Tommy Morgan
Elen Carys Jones Sissy Morgan
Andrew Powell Willie Morgan
Julianne Barron Pansy Morgan
James Bird Toughy Morgan
Beth Robert Mary Morgan
Jürgen Morche Paul Hauptmann
Gudrun Gabriel Sabina Hauptmann
Howell Evans William Price
Dafydd Hywel Jamesy James
Terence Bennett Peter Morgan
Beth Morris Rose Price
Huw Ceredig Jim Powell

Episodes

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Series 1 (1989)

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  1. "Episode 1" (11 June 1989); director: Alan Clayton
  2. "Episode 2" (18 June 1989); director: Alan Clayton
  3. "Episode 3" (25 June 1989); director: Alan Clayton
  4. "Episode 4" (2 July 1989); director: Alan Clayton
  5. "Episode 5" (9 July 1989); director: Alan Clayton
  6. "Episode 6" (16 July 1989); director: Alan Clayton

Series 2 (1991)

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  1. "Episode 1" (29 May 1991); director: Ken Horn
  2. "Episode 2" (5 June 1991); director: Ken Horn
  3. "Episode 3" (12 June 1991); director: Ken Horn
  4. "Episode 4" (26 June 1991); director: Ken Horn
  5. "Episode 5" (3 July 1991); director: Ken Horn
  6. "Episode 6" (10 July 1991); director: Ken Horn
  7. "Episode 7" (17 July 1991); director: Ken Horn

Home media

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Both series were released individually on VHS in the UK by Video Gems in 1991.[4][5]

Analysis

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The television series stars a woman who had seven children by six men. The Daily Post said, "In Sunday night family viewing time it hardly preaches the sort of morality that would get the Mary Whitehouse sort of approval."[6]

Reception

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In a negative review, Moira Petty of The Stage and Television Today wrote, "It is quite astonishing that so many clichés could have been packed into one hour of television drama" and "To say that the pace was leisurely would be an understatement. Virtually every scene was strung out to tedious length as if, confronted by the quaint Hovis ad set pieces, the crew was afflicted by a mass breakout of catatonia."[7] Sean Day-Lewis said in Broadcast that the series was "very Welsh and HTV" and "is amusing in an obvious sort of way".[8] The Daily Post's John Williams said the series "fairly bristles with dialogue calculated to make any Welsh expatriot hurry back and joyfully submit to lyrical character assassination."[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Driscoll, Rob (26 May 1991). "Return of the seven". Wales on Sunday. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Return of the hussy!". South Wales Echo. 29 May 1991. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "... And baby came too". Lincolnshire Echo. 3 June 1989. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Amazon listing for "We Are Seven Series 1 (1989)" VHS
  5. ^ Amazon listing for "We Are Seven Series 2 (1989)" VHS
  6. ^ "Baby talk that stunned the gossips". Daily Post. 10 June 1989. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Petty, Moira (6 June 1991). "ITV: We Are Seven". The Stage and Television Today. No. 5747. p. 19. ProQuest 962497108.
  8. ^ Day-Lewis, Sean (14 June 1991). "Offair: Dramatic interlude". Broadcast. p. 36. ProQuest 1673742832.
  9. ^ Williams, John (17 June 1989). "Enjoyable Bridget ... The Week on TV". Daily Post. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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