British Comedy Guide
Lovejoy. Lovejoy (Ian McShane). Copyright: FremantleMedia
Lovejoy

Lovejoy

  • TV comedy drama
  • BBC One
  • 1986 - 1994
  • 71 episodes (6 series)

Comedy thriller series starring Ian McShane. Also features Dudley Sutton, Chris Jury, Phyllis Logan, Malcolm Tierney, Denys Graham and more.

  • Series 5, Episode 9 repeated tomorrow at 10am on U&Drama
  • JustWatch Streaming rank this week: 2,086

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Lovejoy. Lovejoy (Ian McShane). Copyright: FremantleMedia

Key details

Genre
Comedy Drama
Broadcast
1986 - 1994
Channel
BBC One
Episodes
71 (6 series)
Creator
Jonathan Gash
Stars
Ian McShane, Dudley Sutton, Chris Jury, Phyllis Logan, Malcolm Tierney, Denys Graham, Geoffrey Bateman, Caroline Langrishe and more
Writer
Ian La Frenais
Director
Baz Taylor
Producers
Robert Banks Stewart, Dick Everitt, Emma Hayter, Jo Wright, Colin Shindler, Allan McKeown, Tony Charles, Michael Bartley and more
Company

Dubbed by some "The Antiques Rogue Show", Lovejoy was based on the novels of Jonathan Gash and concerned a slightly dodgy dealer in antiquities.

Lovejoy's patch is rural Essex and Suffolk, which he combs for underpriced treasures to sell on with a nice mark-up. Being what is known as a "divvie", he instinctively knows when an antique is rare and valuable. At his side are Tinker, his tweedy, beret-hatted old friend, and young gopher Eric Catchpole.

When Eric leaves to run his uncle's pub, he is replaced by Beth, another "trainee". Leather-jacketed Lovejoy (who lives in a picturesque country cottage and drives a battered Morris Minor affectionately named Miriam) enjoys the company of local aristocrat Lady Jane Felsham and, though flirtation is the name of the game, wedding bells never chime.

On Lady Jane's departure, in comes university-educated auctioneer Charlotte Cavendish, and she almost succeeds in getting the lovable wheeler-dealer to the altar in the very last episode of the series.

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Additional details

Production
Location
Camera set-up
Single camera
Picture
Colour

Website links

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Friday 10th January 1986 at 9:30pm on BBC One
Next repeats
  1. Series 5, Episode 9: Tomorrow at 10am on U&Drama
  2. Series 5, Episode 10: Tomorrow at 11:10am on U&Drama
  3. Series 5, Episode 11: Tomorrow at 12:20pm on U&Drama
  4. Series 5, Episode 12: Saturday 3rd August at 10:10am on U&Drama
  5. Series 5, Episode 13: Saturday 3rd August at 11:10am on U&Drama
  6. Series 6, Episode 1: Saturday 3rd August at 12:10pm on U&Drama
Most recent repeats
  • Saturday 20th July 2024 at 12:20pm on U&Drama - Series 5, Episode 8
  • Saturday 20th July 2024 at 11:10am on U&Drama - Series 5, Episode 7
  • Saturday 20th July 2024 at 10:10am on U&Drama - Series 5, Episode 6

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