Takin' Over the Asylum (1994– )

A salesman starts to run a hospital radio station inside a facility for people with mental heath needs.

Stars:

Ken Stott, Katy Murphy, David Tennant

4 wins.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Ken Stott	...	Eddie (6 episodes, 1994)
Katy Murphy	...	Francine (6 episodes, 1994)
David Tennant	...	Campbell (6 episodes, 1994)
Ruth McCabe	...	Rosalie (6 episodes, 1994)
Elizabeth Spriggs	...	Grandma (6 episodes, 1994)
Angela Bruce	...	Isabel (6 episodes, 1994)
Kenneth Bryans	...	Stuart (6 episodes, 1994)
Matt Costello	...	Alastair (6 episodes, 1994)
Derek Anders	...	Billy (6 episodes, 1994)
Gavin Mitchell	...	Hector (6 episodes, 1994)
Molly Innes	...	Margaret (6 episodes, 1994)
Roy Hanlon	...	Griffin (6 episodes, 1994)
Nell Brennan	...	Sheila (6 episodes, 1994)
Neil McKinven	...	MacAteer (5 episodes, 1994)
Caroline Paterson	...	Jane (5 episodes, 1994)
Angus Macfadyen	...	Fergus (4 episodes, 1994)
Sandra Voe	...	Evelyn (4 episodes, 1994)
Ronnie McCann	...	Lavery (4 episodes, 1994)
Arabella Weir	...	Paula (3 episodes, 1994)
Paul Blair	...	Webster (3 episodes, 1994)

Storyline

A salesman starts to run a hospital radio station inside a facility for people with mental heath needs.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

50 min 50 min (6 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The budget was so tight that director David Blair dubbed his own voice over one of the supporting artists' in order to avoid paying them for a speaking role.

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Quotes

Campbell: We are loonies, and we are proud!

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Connections

Featured in Watching Ourselves: 60 Years of Television in Scotland: Characters (2012)

User Reviews

Pure Genius

This was probably one of the finest series to come out of the BBC in the mid 1990's and stands head and shoulders above anything else today. It took a gritty look at life inside an asylum, an institution now rarely seen in the UK. It aimed to show that those suffering from mental illness were just like you and me once but a trigger in their life had caused the illness to manifest itself. It took a few people and protaryed their lives in a caring way showing some making it through and others not.

Well done to the writers of this series for giving us a frank yet compassionate view of mental illness and its perception in society today.