G.B.H.

This darkly satirical 1991 seven-part British miniseries takes on political corruption during the Thatcher era, but even though the Tories are portrayed as vicious manipulators willing to use any means to undermine their rivals, writer Alan Bleasdale adopts a “pox on both your houses” approach. When a powerful Labour council head (i.e., mayor) in a provincial city decides to call a general strike, he finds himself butting heads with the mild-mannered headmaster of a school for mentally challenged children (a Labourite himself) who refuses to close his campus and is targeted as a scab by brutal party thugs. Although their story is told against the backdrop of a plot to stir up racial animosities and incite a revolution in the city, the emphasis here is on the two men—both deeply flawed individuals. The headmaster, Jim Nelson (Monty Python's Michael Palin), is a hypochondriac plagued by panic attacks and a tendency to sleepwalk naked, while the politician, Michael Murray (Robert Lindsay), is an oversexed bully tormented by a childhood incident that resurfaces as the series unfolds. Although G.B.H. sometimes tends to meander (and its repetitiveness and constant flashbacks can be confusing), writer Bleasdale effectively humanizes both lead characters, especially the politician, who evolves from cartoonish villain to sympathetic figure—a transformation due not only to the strong scripting but also to Lindsay's risky and riveting performance. DVD extras include an audio commentary, an interview with Bleasdale, cast filmographies, and a bio of Elvis Costello, who composed the score. Recommended. (F. Swietek)