Screening: Dennis Potter, 'Pennies From Heaven' (1978)

Taking place as part of the public programmes for Hilary Lloyd Very High Frequency, this screening programme surveys key and rarely seen works by Dennis Potter.

The programme primarily focuses on Potter’s work for the BBC’s groundbreaking anthology drama series The Wednesday Play (1964–1970) and its successor Play for Today (1970–1984). Reflecting then-contemporary social and political contexts, these single-play formats became platforms for provocative storytelling that encompassed realism, satire and experimental drama. The series, which included Potter’s early semi-autobiographical works such as Stand Up, Nigel Barton (1965), helped launch his career, alongside directors such as Ken Loach and, later, Alan Clarke and Stephen Frears.

Two special marathon screenings showcase Dennis Potter’s most significant television serials. Pennies From Heaven (1978) marked Potter’s first major popular success and is recognised for transforming the possibilities of television drama. The Singing Detective (1986), widely regarded as his masterpiece, combines the themes and experimental structures of his earlier work to explore noir fantasy, childhood memory and musical interludes in a brilliant, hallucinatory narrative.

Potter’s readiness to engage with complex themes, including politics, class, illness, sexuality and religion, is a significant reminder of a time when a limited number of television channels vied for public attention and challenging content was broadcast to a mass audience.

Pennies from Heaven (1978)

Saturday 4–Sunday 5 October 2025, 11 am–7 pm

Pennies from Heaven tells the story of Arthur Parker, a songsheet salesman whose fantasies, expressed through 1930s musical numbers, contrast with the grim reality of his life. Bob Hoskins stars as Arthur Parker, with Cheryl Campbell as his troubled lover and Gemma Craven as his wife, Joan. A tale of murder, lust, betrayal and frustration, the songs in Pennies from Heaven represent a brighter alternative for the characters gripped by hardship in Britain during the 1930s. 

Initially aired by the BBC in 1978, Potter’s use of extended, lip-synced performances of popular songs was groundbreaking. The series would later be adapted into a Hollywood film, cementing Potter’s international reputation.

Writer: Dennis Potter; Director: Piers Haggard; Producer: Kenith Trodd.

This film has a total runtime of approximately 8 hours. Visitors are encouraged to come and go freely during the screening.

Content warning

This work contains material that some visitors may find distressing. It includes references to sex and sexuality, nudity, strong language, offensive portrayals of disability and minority groups, disturbing imagery and sound, scenes of violence, depictions of alcohol and smoking, and themes of suicide, eating disorders, self-harm and other potentially challenging content. Age guidance: 15+

Image credit

Dennis Potter, The Singing Detective, 1986. Film still. Copyright BBC Archive.