The final episode of Lytton's Diary limps to a messy and underwhelming conclusion.
When this episode aired in 1986 there was a long running union dispute involving the print unions and News International, the owner of The Times and Sun newspapers.
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch had enough of the antiquated print industry and the various unions resisting change. Murdich won, he moved his operations from Fleet Street to Wapping where he could print newspapers with just tenth of the staff. The British newspaper industry and Fleet Street changed forever.
In this episode Lytton has published his novel to no great acclaim. There is a beauty contest that has been sabotaged, the winner suddenly dies and a charity is unhappy with the size of the donation they received from the organisers of the beauty contest.
The Australian owner Wayne Monroe is unhappy he cannot use his own newspaper to spread some propaganda and is frustrated by the unions. He decides to close the newspaper down and everyone is made redundant.
Peter Bowles who co-devised the series knew that ITV pulled the plug. So it really was the end. Only the theme music was the most memorable part of the show. British television has always found it difficult to make a newspaper drama look exciting. Lytton's Diary was no exception.
When this episode aired in 1986 there was a long running union dispute involving the print unions and News International, the owner of The Times and Sun newspapers.
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch had enough of the antiquated print industry and the various unions resisting change. Murdich won, he moved his operations from Fleet Street to Wapping where he could print newspapers with just tenth of the staff. The British newspaper industry and Fleet Street changed forever.
In this episode Lytton has published his novel to no great acclaim. There is a beauty contest that has been sabotaged, the winner suddenly dies and a charity is unhappy with the size of the donation they received from the organisers of the beauty contest.
The Australian owner Wayne Monroe is unhappy he cannot use his own newspaper to spread some propaganda and is frustrated by the unions. He decides to close the newspaper down and everyone is made redundant.
Peter Bowles who co-devised the series knew that ITV pulled the plug. So it really was the end. Only the theme music was the most memorable part of the show. British television has always found it difficult to make a newspaper drama look exciting. Lytton's Diary was no exception.
