Tv drama programme

[HotBed]

I cannot remember the title of the drama programme in which the pilot of a Lancaster bomber,  buys his old aircraft and restores it, (this is made and set in the late 70s early 80s), assembles his old crew and flies on the last mission that they didn't do in ww2, tragically the bomber crashes over Germany at the end of the programme, anybody remember it ?.

[MatchFuzee]

Not the answer to your question but you may like The Brylcreem Boys:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rf9Qxoh4KU

 

Edited December 4, 2017 by MatchFuzee

[colinmbarron1956]

Yes I know all about this programme. It was called 'The Purple Twilight' and aired on ITV in June 1979 (see imdb for date). It was written by Geoffrey Lancashire and starred William Franklyn,Sarah Lawson  and Bernard Archard amongst the cast. Some filming was done with Lancaster 'S' for Sugar at the RAF Museum, plus a lot of stock footage. The plot had a sci - fi element as it opened with the Lanc pilot in difficulty and seeing two different futures in one of which he is an airline pilot.

[colinmbarron1956]

Here's more info I remembered. There was a feature on the making of this programme in the 'TV Times' that week in June 1979 .focusing on the use of S for Sugar at the RAF museum in Hendon. I have no idea why the programme was called 'The Purple Twilight' although the word 'Twilight' suggests an influence from 'The Twilight Zone' TV series. Curiously, there was an episode of 'The Outer Limits' TV series called 'Keeper of the Purple Twilight.' I wrote an article for Flypast in 1996 called 'Warbirds on the Box' which mentioned 'The Purple Twilight' but it was not used because of problems sourcing photos. You may be interested to read my book 'Planes on Film' about aviation films. It is available from Amazon.  Colin M. Barron

[Surveyor]

Which was the series that featured a DC3 after the war used as a freight or passenger plane, the crew were ex RAF

[retriever]

I think it was called airline. Some of it centered around the Berlin airlift

[snowtracdave]

Think you're probably thinking of Airline which starred Roy Marsden . Was shown in the early 80's - 81-82 ish I think ?

[colinmbarron1956]

Yes that's right. Roy Marsden starred as Jack Ruskin in 'Airline.' Just nine episodes, made by Yorkshire TV shown in first quarter of 1982. Filmed in 1981. Created by Wilfrid Greatorex who co - wrote 'Battle of Britain' film Originally to have run over a few seasons covering different time periods but was cancelled after just nine episodes. Colin M. Barron

[HotBed]

Thank's guy's,  that's brilliant,  my next question was about airline, so you've answered both 😊

[snowtracdave]

I have to confess to having bought the novel too..........not quite the book of the film but .........!

[Surveyor]

31 minutes ago, colinmbarron1956 said:

Yes that's right. Roy Marsden starred as Jack Ruskin in 'Airline.' Just nine episodes, made by Yorkshire TV shown in first quarter of 1982. Filmed in 1981. Created by Wilfrid Greatorex who co - wrote 'Battle of Britain' film Originally to have run over a few seasons covering different time periods but was cancelled after just nine episodes. Colin M. Barron

Thanks, now you mentioned the actors can picture it

I used to read Pilot the monthly magazine and seem to recall the aircraft used was painted with 2 different paint schemes and registration number, one on each side, forgot that till this response

Edited December 4, 2017 by Surveyor

[Tony B]

The aircraft in Airline was an ex BEA Pionair. I worked with BA guys at the time who got most upset if you called it a Dakota. 

http://www.aviationartcards.com/html/bea_pionair_leopard_-c008-.html

[Surveyor]

my apologies to them, trying to remember what i saw, memory may be playing up but did it have the double door for cargo? 

[Tony B]

That was the C47 military version. The Civillian DC3 only had a single door. (To much time working on Intra Airways aircraft in my youth) 

[colinmbarron1956]

According to Simon Beck's book 'The Aircraft-Spotter's Film and TV Companion' and I quote 'DC-3C reg G-DAKS did most of the flying with G-BHUB playing the second Ruskin aircraft.G-BHUA was also used. Several other DC-3s appear in one episode set during the Berlin airlift and which was filmed on Malta.'