Paul Aston

A one-hour anthology television series of one-off contemporary and classic dramas produced by the BBC.

In Victorian London, Louisa Leyton works her way up from servant to renowned cook to proprietress of the upper-class Bentinck Hotel in Duke Street, St James's.

Shadows is a British Supernatural television anthology series produced by Thames Television for ITV between 1975 and 1978. Extending over three seasons, it featured ghost and horror dramas for children. Guest actors included John Nettleton, Gareth Thomas, Jenny Agutter, Pauline Quirke, Brian Glover, June Brown, Rachel Herbert, Jacqueline Pearce and Gwyneth Strong. The series was also notable for reviving the character of Mr. Stabs. Notable writers for the series included J. B. Priestley, Fay Weldon and PJ Hammond.

Thundercloud is a 1979 British television comedy created and written by Ian Mackintosh. Produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV, it was significantly more lighthearted than Mackintosh's prior series Warship and The Sandbaggers. Lieutenant Commander ‘Monty’ Morgan – a stickler for forms – and his shipmates operate aboard the shore-based HMS Thundercloud, a secret Royal Navy station on the Yorkshire coast during World War II, apparently far enough away from HQ to merit a remarkable degree of autonomy. In fact, the Admiralty were convinced that the station was actually a destroyer in the North Sea!

Frank Clancy goes from penniless working-class idealist in the 1930s to superstar journalist and editor in the London of the swinging '60s — but at what cost to his integrity?

A new schoolteacher learns that the previous teacher was killed by his students, and he fears the same fate will befall him.

'I'm unusual. I really want to be an architect. Always have done. Always wanted to build fine buildings and fine cities where people can work and eat and sleep and be happy. But the rules of the game say before you can do that you've got to start a firm. Employ people. Turn it into a career. I like architecture. I hate careers. The minute you make it a career you build a ladder and people want to climb it. Sometimes they stand on your fingers. It's hard to draw with flattened fingers. Spoils your draughtsmanship.'

A middle-aged couple who are fairly tired of each other go out on a picnic for the day. However, they row, and Maud wanders off and talks to other people she meets. Eventually, the couple come together again, and the day has helped them to understand each other a little better.

3Focus dives in headfirst to the madness that is the UCI World Cup, and doesn't come up for air for nearly an hour. Insane high speeds, raw emotions and an eclectic soundtrack make 3Focus a truly entertaining account of life on the road, racing bikes. Stunning scenery, amazing camerawork, and revolutionary shooting techniques are all present, and combined with the pure energy of the racers to produce something pretty damn special. 2008 was the most closely contested world cup season in living memory, and 3Focus is the perfect film to bring it to your living room.