Hot Metal. Image shows from L to R: Greg Kettle (Richard Kane), Max Rutherford (Geoffrey Hutchings), Bill Tytla (John Gordon Sinclair), Russell Spam (Robert Hardy), Harry Stringer (Geoffrey Palmer). Copyright: London Weekend Television
Hot Metal

Hot Metal

  • TV sitcom
  • ITV1
  • 1986 - 1989
  • 12 episodes (2 series)

Biting newspaper satire by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick, set in the offices of the once high-brow, now populist tabloid, Daily Crucible. Stars Robert Hardy, Geoffrey Palmer, Geoffrey Hutchings, Richard Kane, John Gordon Sinclair and more.

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Hot Metal. Richard 'Dicky' Lipton (Richard Wilson). Copyright: London Weekend Television

Key details

Genre
Sitcom
Broadcast
1986 - 1989
Channel
ITV1
Episodes
12 (2 series), plus 1 Comic Relief special
Stars
Robert Hardy, Geoffrey Palmer, Geoffrey Hutchings, Richard Kane, John Gordon Sinclair, Richard Wilson, David Barrass and Caroline Milmoe
Writers
Andrew Marshall and David Renwick
Directors
David Askey and Nic Phillips
Producer
Humphrey Barclay
Company

The Daily Crucible, a respectable daily newspaper, is facing its final edition; its straight-forward, totally-honest approach to reporting the news has won it much attention, but made it deadly dull and with ever-diminishing sales figures.

Enter Twiggy Rathbone, tycoon owner of Rathouse International who's ready to turn the high-brow paper into a popular, sleazy, high-selling tabloid. He installs editor Russell Spam to do his bidding and 'promotes' the incumbent, Harry Stringer, to the role of 'managing editor' - a largely vanity role but holding what will become an increasingly difficult public face of respectability...

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Additional details

Production
Studio
Camera set-up
Multi-camera
Picture
Colour
Soundtrack
Theme tune, Papers, written, composed and performed by Alan Price.

Website links

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Sunday 16th February 1986 at 10pm on ITV1