Shine On Harvey Moon. Image shows from L to R: Harvey Moon (Kenneth Cranham), Stanley (Lee Whitlock)
Shine On Harvey Moon

Shine On Harvey Moon

  • TV comedy drama
  • ITV1
  • 1982 - 1995
  • 41 episodes (5 series)

Comedy drama written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, about a World War II veteran rebuilding his life in post-war London. Also features Kenneth Cranham, Nicky Henson, Elizabeth Spriggs, Lee Whitlock, Maggie Steed and more.

Key details

Genre
Comedy Drama
Broadcast
1982 - 1995
Channel
ITV1
Episodes
41 (5 series)
Creators
Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran
Stars
Kenneth Cranham, Nicky Henson, Elizabeth Spriggs, Lee Whitlock, Maggie Steed, Nigel Planer, Linda Robson, Fiona Victory and more
Writers
Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran
Director
Baz Taylor
Producers
Tony Charles, Allan McKeown, Julian Meers, Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran
Companies

Returning home to Hackney from wartime service in India as a corporal (stores clerk) in the RAF, former professional footballer Harvey Moon discovers his home destroyed and his family life in tatters. His flighty wife, Rita, has run off with other men, his 17 year old daughter, Maggie, is seeing his old pal, Lou Lewis, and his mother, Nan, remains as redoubtable as ever.

Add to this the problems of rationing, post-war shortages and the constraints of living in a prefab (later demolished by an unexploded bomb), and Harvey's lot is not a happy one.

However, he sets about making a new life for himself, becoming a Labour councillor, dating Harriet Wright, his worldly son Stanley's headmistress, and taking up residence with Erich Gottlieb and his sister, Frieda. Eventually he and Rita are, somewhat precariously, reunited.

For series 5, the story was taken up in 1953, Coronation year, and ran through the 1950s, with immigrants flooding into Britain looking for work and Maggie set to marry Lou (now 'One Lung Lou', having lost the other).

Additional details

Production
Studio
Picture
Colour

Website links

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Friday 8th January 1982 at 8:30pm on ITV1
Most recent repeats
  • Sunday 14th October 2018 at 12:00am on Forces TV - Series 4, Episode 8
  • Tuesday 9th October 2018 at 1:55am on Forces TV - Series 4, Episode 8
  • Monday 8th October 2018 at 4:25pm on Forces TV - Series 4, Episode 8