The Beiderbecke Tapes [1987]

Strange goings on with the police, the wrong tapes which find thier way in to the wrong hands and cause all sorts of underhand dealings with various dodgy council members.

Lots of great Jazz and the kind of script which you will be quoting well after you watch.

For the best, watch The Beiderbecke Affair first. then The Beiderbeck Tapes, and finally the Beiderbecke Connection.

The only dissapointment is that Alan Plater didn't write even more!


Another cool tale from Jill & Trevor for Beiderbeck anoraks   April 25, 2000
21 out of 21 found this review helpful

The mixture of jazz, corruption and political intrigue again weaves its magic for the followers of Jill and Trevor . Our intrepid teachers from Leeds get involved (via the inevitable local Jazz scene)with a man with no name ,called Peterson who seeks some missing tapes . Their journey takes them to Edinburgh via Amsterdam and ends with some startling revelations . Another star performance ,but when will we see the 'connection'?


The Beiderbecke Tapes   October 16, 2005
Ian L Smoughton (Winchester, Hampshire United Kingdom)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful

I had forgotten about this cerebral quintessential gem of British comedy until recently. I remember watching the Beiderbecke series when I was a child and was amused by the dialogue, even though I didn't appreciate the deeper issues Alan Plater was making.

It has everything quality programmes should, an excellent thought provoking script, plot, excellent characters, played to perfection by the assembled cast, punchy witty dialogue which you just want to quote and a cracking soundtrack. It defines what quality British comedy programmes are and should be. It attacks the failures of British society in an understated, intelligent, dark and quirky way.

Despite being nearly twenty years old the issues raised by Alan Plater are as valid today as then i.e. the acivities of a secretive, authoritarian and overbearing state over the people it is meant to serve. This is particularly the case given the current administrations control freakery, micro management, message spinning, erosion of civil liberties and a blatant disregard for the process of government, which all go unchecked.

Yet despite the need for such programmes of social comment I doubt that any channel would find room for such programmes in their dumbed down audience driven schedules. So the next best thing is to buy this series and enjoy as they say in jazz "uhmm fresh".


the copper   January 27, 2008
she (united kingdom)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

hello readers just to say i remember this programme from the 80s and
enjoyed thw humour from barbara flynn and james bolan.. the copper
dominic jephcott played a blinder what a plonker (not mr jephcott)the
character he played. sooooo didnt do mr jephcott much justice.
thanks for your time