First screened in 1994 this engrossing six part drama took on the issues surrounding mental health with sensitivity and black humour. The series helped launch the careers of Ken Stott (Messiah and Rebus) and David Tennant (Doctor Who) and went on to win a BAFTA for Best Serial and an RTS Award for Best Writer. Eddie McKenna is a double-glazing salesman who moonlights as a DJ for hospital radio in a Scottish mental asylum - St Judes. He nurtures close friendships with the patients there including Francine a self-harmer schizophrenic Fergus OCD sufferer Rosaline and... Campbell a manic depressive with whom he shares a dream to make it onto the commercial radio scene. As Campbell's inspired antics seem to bring the pair closer to their goal the pressures of work relationships and family begin to get to Eddie. With his life threatening to spin out of control it is Eddie's turn to look for help... [show more]
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. Takin' Over The Asylum was first broadcast on BBC1 as a six-part series in September 1994. Written by Donna Franceschild, directed by David Blair (Anna Karenina, The Lakes) and starring Ken Stott (Messiah, Rebus) and David Tennant (Doctor Who) in award winning debut performances plus a cameo from Spike Milligan, the acclaimed black comedy Takin' Over The Asylum is available for the first time ever on DVD from 2nd June, priced £19.99. Stott stars as Eddie McKenna, a double-glazing salesman who moonlights as a DJ for hospital radio in a Scottish mental asylum. He nurtures close friendships with the patients there including Francine (Katy Murphy, Our Mutual Friend, Honest) a self-harmer and Campbell (David Tennant, Doctor Who) a manic depressive, with whom he shares a dream to make it onto the commercial radio scene. Campbell's inspired antics promise to bring the pair closer to their aim, but the pressures of life outside of the hospital begin to tell on Eddie. A vindictive colleague leads his small-minded boss to ban his activities and his eccentric grandmother returns suddenly to Lithuania leaving him penniless and alone. Eddie finds himself drawn to the troubled Francine, but when the radio is threatened with closure he turns to Campbell for comfort. As Campbell regains control over his life and courts success, Eddie’s goes into decline and he is finally forced to face his own illness - alcoholism. Takin’ Over The Asylum provided breakthrough acting roles for both Stott and Tennant. The black comedy went on to win several awards, including a BAFTA for best drama serial in 1995, as well as praise from mental-health groups. "Everything about this series is perfect…rich in character, it treads a delicate path between tragedy and comedy". Daily Mirror
All six episodes of the Bafta-winning black comedy series from the 1990s, starring David Tennant in his debut role. Set in a Scottish mental asylum, St Jude's, Ken Stott plays Eddie McKenna, a double-glazing salesman fighting his own demons, who moonlights as a D.J. in the hospital at night. During his time at work, he develops friendships with Francine (Katy Murphy), a self-harmer, and manic depressive Campbell (Tennant). Whilst Eddie and Campbell both dream of hitting the heights on commercial radio, Eddie's future is swiftly put on the back-burner when his personal life is suddenly thrown into chaos, forcing him to finally confront his problems. Episodes comprise: 'Hey Jude', 'Fly Like an Eagle', 'You Always Hurt the One You Love', 'Fool On the Hill', 'Rainy Night in Georgia' and 'Let It Be'.
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