The Key (2003– )

The Key is a very human story. It's about three generations of a family struggling to make the best of their lives in very difficult circumstances. The drama recounts the story of the last ... See full summary »

Stars:

Ronni Ancona, Ron Donachie, Frances Grey

Cast

Series cast summary:
Ronni Ancona	...	Maggie (3 episodes, 2003)
Ron Donachie	...	Maggie's Election Agent (3 episodes, 2003)
Frances Grey	...	Jessie (3 episodes, 2003)
Glenna Morrison	...	Janet (3 episodes, 2003)
Roshan Rohatgi	...	Shivaji (3 episodes, 2003)
Dawn Steele	...	Mary (3 episodes, 2003)

Storyline

The Key is a very human story. It's about three generations of a family struggling to make the best of their lives in very difficult circumstances. The drama recounts the story of the last century through the eyes of one family. It draws upon many of the key moments of British political history during the 20th century, ranging from Bloody Friday in 1919, when thousands of workers gathered in Glasgow to demand a 40-hour week and were set upon by mounted police, to the brutal chaos of the miners' strike demonstraion at Orgreave in 1984.

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Taglines:

Three generations of a family struggling to make the best of their lives in very difficult circumstances.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

BBC [uk]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 September 2003 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Little Bird Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

180 min 180 min (3 parts)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

User Reviews

More like this, please!

Having seen other work by Donna Franceschild (A Mug's Game), I was looking forward to watching The Key, partly because it was set in Glasgow. The Key follows the trials and tribulations of a Glasgow family in the last century,the character of Mary, played by Dawn Steele and June Watson respectively, as the lynch-pin that holds the family and the narrative together. I particularly enjoyed the performances of Frances Grey as Jessie, Mary's granddaughter, and of Dawn Steele as Mary. It was interesting to see Ronni Ancona doing something other than comedy although I did think her performance was weaker than the others, particularly as the development of her character was integral to the plot. Overall I thought The Key was a fascinating and absorbing drama. The BBC should produce more like this and I hope it will be released on DVD sometime in the future.