Take Three Girls
Take Three Girls is a television drama series broadcast by BBC1 between 1969 and 1971 which follows three young women sharing a flat in "Swinging London" (17 Glazbury Road, West Kensington W14). It was BBC1's first colour drama series.[1]
| Take Three Girls | |
|---|---|
 Carolyn Seymour (left), Liza Goddard and Barra Grant (right) - the leading players in series two outside Holland Park station | |
| Genre | Comedy Drama |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by |
|
| Starring |
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| Theme music composer | Pentangle |
| Opening theme | 'Light Flight' |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 24 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Michael Hayes
|
| Production locations | London, England, United Kingdom |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Production company | BBC |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC1 |
| Picture format | PAL (576i), |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | 17 November 1969 – 1 January 1971 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Take Three Women (1982) |
The first series featured cellist Victoria (Liza Goddard), single mother Kate (Susan Jameson), and Cockney art student Avril (Angela Down). For the second series, Kate and Avril were replaced by journalist Jenny (Carolyn Seymour), and American psychology graduate Lulie (Barra Grant).[2]
The original series of two seasons of 12 episodes each were shown on BBC1 between 1969 and 1971, with selected repeats between the series. Only 10 episodes of the original 24 still exist.[3]
A four-episode sequel, Take Three Women, broadcast on BBC2 in 1982, shows the original three characters later in their lives. Victoria is a widow with a young daughter, and Avril an art gallery owner, while Kate is sharing her life with her son and his teacher.
The theme music - 'Light Flight' by the British folk rock group Pentangle - was a British chart hit in February 1970. Pentangle also contributed music to Take Three Women.
A tie-in novel, Victoria, by scriptwriters Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham, was published in 1972 by W. H. Allen Ltd.
Episodes
All episodes were made on colour videotape, with the exception of Season 1, episode 10, which was entirely 35mm film.
Take Three Girls - Season 1
| Ep | Title | Writer | Director | UK Transmission dates |
Archive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kate: Stop Acting | Hugo Charteris | Tristan de Vere Cole | 17 Nov 1969 BBC1 3 Jun 1970 BBC2 |
Colour 625-line VT |
| 2 | Avril: Devon Violets | Julia Jones | John Matthews | 24 Nov 1969 BBC1 15 Sep 1982 BBC2 |
Colour 625-line VT |
| 3 | Victoria: Requiem For Cello in SW3 | Charlotte Bingham and Terence Brady | Mark Cullingham | 1 Dec 1969 BBC1 | Lost |
| 4 | Kate: Start Working | Hugo Charteris | Tristan de Vere Cole | 8 Dec 1969 BBC1 | Colour 625-line VT |
| 5 | Avril: Heart's Ease | Julia Jones | John Matthews | 15 Dec 1969 BBC1 | Lost |
| 6 | Victoria: Rhapsody for Misplaced Persons | Charlotte Bingham and Terence Brady | Mark Cullingham | 22 Dec 1969 BBC1 | Lost |
| 7 | Kate: Try Loving | Hugo Charteris | Tristan de Vere Cole | 29 Dec 1969 BBC1 | Lost |
| 8 | Avril: Sweet Basil | Julia Jones | John Matthews | 5 Jan 1970 BBC1 | Lost |
| 9 | Victoria: Variations of May and September | Charlotte Bingham and Terence Brady | Mark Cullingham | 12 Jan 1970 BBC1 10 Jun 1970 BBC2 |
Colour 625-line VT |
| 10 | Kate: Keep Hoping | Hugo Charteris | Tristan de Vere Cole | 19 Jan 1970 BBC1 17 Jun 1970 BBC2 |
Colour 35mm film |
| 11 | Avril: Roses Round the Door | Julia Jones | John Matthews | 26 Jan 1970 BBC1 | Colour 625-line VT |
| 12 | Victoria: Gloria for First Offence | Charlotte Bingham and Terence Brady | Mark Cullingham | 2 Feb 1970 BBC1 | Lost |
Take Three Girls - Season 2
| Ep | Title | Writer | Director | UK Transmission dates |
Archive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victoria: Coda and Resolution | Charlotte Bingham and Terence Brady | Mark Cullingham | 24 Mar 1971 BBC1 | Lost |
| 2 | Lulie: The Private Sector | Carey Harrison | Barry Davis | 31 Mar 1971 BBC1 | Colour 625-line VT |
| 3 | Jenny: Closed Circuit | Robert Muller | Michael Hayes | 7 Apr 1971 BBC1 | Lost |
| 4 | Victoria: Duet for Two Left Feet | Charlotte Bingham and Terence Brady | Mark Cullingham | 14 Apr 1971 BBC1 | Lost |
| 5 | Lulie: The Company of Madmen | Carey Harrison | Barry Davis | 21 Apr 1971 BBC1 | Lost |
| 6 | Jenny: Kitsch, or Protocols in a Chinese Laundry | Robert Muller | Michael Hayes | 28 Apr 1971 BBC1 | Colour 625-line VT |
| 7 | Victoria: Prelude to a New Arrangement | Charlotte Bingham and Terence Brady | Mark Cullingham | 7 May 1971 BBC1 | Lost |
| 8 | Lulie: A Little Blindness | Carey Harrison | Barry Davis | 14 May 1971 BBC1 | Lost |
| 9 | Jenny: Freelance | Robert Muller | Michael Hayes | 21 May 1971 BBC1 | Lost |
| 10 | Victoria: Composition Out of Discord | Charlotte Bingham and Terence Brady | Mark Cullingham | 28 May 1971 BBC1 | Lost |
| 11 | Lulie: A School for Grievances | Carey Harrison | Christopher Morahan | 4 Jun 1971 BBC1 | Colour 625-line VT |
| 12 | Jenny: Release | Robert Muller | Michael Hayes | 11 Jun 1971 BBC1 | Colour 625-line VT |
Take Three Women
| Ep | Title | Writer | Director | UK Transmission dates |
Archive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kate | Huy Meredith | Richard Martin | 21 Sep 1982 BBC2 | Colour 625-line VT |
| 2 | Avril | Julia Jones | Roger Bamford | 28 Sep 1982 BBC2 | Colour 625-line VT |
| 3 | Victoria | Charlotte Bingham and Terence Brady | Les Chatfield | 5 Oct 1982 BBC2 | Colour 625-line VT |
| 4 | Victoria, Kate and Avril | Lee Langley | Juliam Amyes | 12 Oct 1982 BBC2 | Colour 625-line VT |
References
- The Pentangle, Basket of Light LP sleeve notes, Transatlantic Records 1969
- IMDb - Take Three Girls (TV Series 1969–1971)
- Take Three Girls, lostshows.com