Lovejoy

Lovejoy is a British television comedy-drama mystery series, based on the novels by John Grant under the pen name Jonathan Gash. The show, which ran to 71 episodes over six series, was originally broadcast on BBC1 between 10 January 1986 and 4 December 1994, although there was a five-year gap between the first and second series. It was adapted for television by Ian La Frenais. Overview The series concerns the adventures of the eponymous Lovejoy, a roguish antiques dealer based in East Anglia filmed around Long Melford. Within the trade, he has a reputation as a "divvy", a person with almost unnatural powers of recognising exceptional items as well as distinguishing genuine antiques from fakes or forgeries. Characters Lovejoy, played by Ian McShane, a less than scrupulous yet likeable rogue antique dealer Eric Catchpole, played by Chris Jury (series 1–5; guest, series 6), Lovejoy's younger, enthusiastic, but ever so slightly dim, assistant Tinker Dill, played by Dudley Sutton, "barker" and tout who is friends with Lovejoy Lady Jane Felsham, played by Phyllis Logan (series 1–5; guest, series 6), has a friendly, flirtatious relationship with Lovejoy, often helping him with his deals Charlie Gimbert, played by Malcolm Tierney (series 1, 4–5), Lovejoy's landlord and the owner of a local auction house, he is also Lovejoy's nemesis within the antiques trade Beth Taylor, played by Diane Parish (series 5–6), Lovejoy's new apprentice following the departure of Eric Catchpole Charlotte Cavendish, played by Caroline Langrishe (series 5–6), an auctioneer who becomes Lovejoy's love interest