The Lotus Eaters (1972)

Hawkman

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This is a tremendous series that I first watched two years ago and since three more times.
Starring Ian Hendry and Wanda Ventham as Erik and Anne Sheppard who run a bar in Crete.
But all is not as it appears, as we learn in episode 1 that Anne is really Judith Huxley a sleeper spy planted by British Intelligence. She was forced into marriage with Erik a habitual drunk and womanizer. The idea being he would lead her a dog's life, so when she became activated by MI 6 her ending the hell that was her marriage wouldn't arouse suspicion.
The first series of nine episodes the espionage stuff is in the background but is there nevertheless as in episode 1 Don Culley arrives on Crete to tell her she will be activated within a month or so and she should prepare herself. But in the intervening ten years she has grown sort of fond of Erik and her life on Crete, and realises her departure will drive Erik back to drink, and probably death.
There is a whole assortment of Brits in Crete frequenting Erik and Anne's bar, played by some top notch performers of the time, and the first series deals with their mishaps or otherwise, each one is running away from something or someone.
But Don Culley's presence reminds Anne that the day is drawing near when she must leave. In a climactic end to series one Culley realises that Anne isn't going to give up her life on Crete without persuasion, his tactics to force her to leave include murder, and threatening to tell Erik of her past, which as he is an inadequate drunk, the realisation that his marriage is a sham arranged by MI6 will probably push him over the edge.
Series two, the espionage comes the main thrust as the horrific series one ending has traumatized Anne, who suffers from amnesia as a result of Culley's actions. She now has no memory beyond her spy training, she is Judith Huxley, never heard of Erik and has no recollection of the last ten years.
Various espionage agents arrive on Crete representing the major powers, all drawn to Anne, all reacting to Culley's inhumane actions that lead to the terrific series one climax.
Police chief Michael Krasakis, a friend of Erik, and kept out of the loop by his superiors who arrive from Athens together with British embassy officials i.e. spies, starts investigating himself and sees no way of avoiding telling Erik who Anne really is.
So we have 9 episodes of drama in series 1 focusing on the ex pats living on Crete with their troubles with Anne and her espionage hanging over the plotlines, then a six episode spy drama in series two of immense quality.
Written by Michael J Bird who went on to write Who Pays The Ferryman.
 

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I dont remember this at all, was probably packed off to bed at 7pm back then

The actress Wanda Wentham played Cassandras mother in OFAH I think but her bigger claim to fame is as Benedict Cumberbatch's mother
 

Willie Oleson

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I have the Dutch release of series 1 and I assumed that the second series would follow. That never happened so I decided to buy the UK DVD, but then it was already out of print. The marketplace sellers are selling it for what I call "ransom" prices and I refuse to give in to that kind of blackmail.
I still hope to find those last episodes on youtube some day.

Anyway, "The Fascinating Couple" was one of my favourite episodes.
Oh, and the spiders!
 

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I have the Dutch release of series 1 and I assumed that the second series would follow. That never happened so I decided to buy the UK DVD, but then it was already out of print. The marketplace sellers are selling it for what I call "ransom" prices and I refuse to give in to that kind of blackmail.
I still hope to find those last episodes on youtube some day.

Anyway, "The Fascinating Couple" was one of my favourite episodes.
Oh, and the spiders!
I bought the second series at an exorbitant price, I just had to know what happened. It's pricey probably because there's few second hand copies available, no one would get rid of something so good. Yes its brilliant, different to series 1, the whole Anne backstory comes the focus. It is available on YouTube. Episode 1 below.
 

Willie Oleson

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It is available on YouTube
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Guess what I'm going to binge this weekend :gidd:

I have the other 4 series by Michael J. Bird and he also wrote the occasional episode for various anthology series, including the best episode of Journey To The Unknown, "Somewhere In A Crowd" which kinda reminded me of The Aphrodite Inheritance.
 
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Hawkman

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Guess what I'm going to binge this weekend :gidd:

I have the other 4 series by Michael J. Bird and he also wrote the occasional episode for various anthology series, including the best episode of Journey To The Unknown, "Somewhere In A Crowd" which kinda reminded me of The Aphrodite Inheritance.
Yes I have them as well. Ferryman is great a close second to Lotus. Aphrodite is good too, a bit slow, but a great ending, very unexpected. Dark Side Of The Sun, is not good IMO. A confusing ending, did Lavalliere die in the end, was he supposed to be immortal, the original knights Templar leader on Rhodes from centuries previous. When Patrick Mower's Tierney came back in the last episode from the astral plane or whatever, my heart sank. As for Maelstrom, this was pretty good too, a definite Hitchcock feel to it, nice change of setting.
 

Willie Oleson

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Uncanny.
Yesterday, Fox's EMPIRE (2017) started with an amnesia storyline, and today BBC's LOTUS EATERS (1973) also starts with an amnesia storyline.
A confusing ending, did Lavalliere die in the end, was he supposed to be immortal
Gosh, I don't remember :think:
Was it something about an unborn child that was going to take his power away from him?
 
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