Acting
Nicholas Ball
Born April 11, 1946 · Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England
Died June 6, 2024 · aged 78
Nicholas Ball was an English actor best known for playing the title role of James Hazell in the television series Hazell. His film credits included roles in D-Day drama Overlord, Hobe Tooper's sci-fi horror Lifeforce and Mike Hodges' Croupier. In later years Ball played violent gangster Terry Bates in EastEnders between 2007 and 2009 and Garry Ryan in series five of Footballers' Wives and both s…
Known For
Lifeforce · 1985Lifeforce
★ 6.21985
MovieHorrorScience Fiction
A race of space vampires arrives in London and infects the populace, commencing an apocalyptic descent into chaos.
Croupier · 1998Croupier
★ 6.71998
MovieDramaThriller
Jack Manfred is an aspiring writer who to make ends meet, takes a job as a croupier. Jack remains an observer, knowing that everything in life is a gamble and that gamblers are born to lose. Inevitably, he gets sucked into the world of the casino which takes its toll on his relationships and the novel he is writing.
Mutant Chronicles · 2008Mutant Chronicles
★ 5.32008
MovieActionAdventure
It's the year 2707. Earth's natural resources have all but been exhausted by mankind. Battles rage for the remainder between the competing Corporations. During one such battle the seal is broken and awakens an ancient and deadly machine that was once defeated thousands of years ago. The order that awaited its return must now lead a small group of soldiers to destroy it once and for all.
Doom Room · 2013Doom Room
★ 4.62013
MovieHorrorThriller
A woman wakes up locked in a small room with no memory of how she arrived there. Unable to escape, and tormented by a series of paranormal entities, she must uncover the riddle of who she is and how she got here.
Peter · 2011Peter
2011
MovieDramaCrime
Peter: A Study for a Portrait of a Serial Killer is a feature film that delivers uncompromising performances and rare, shocking archive to reveal for the first time ever the astonishing true story of The Yorkshire Ripper. Exploring his childhood, the sadistic murders of 13 women and his ongoing psychological treatment, the audience journey into the dark and twisted mind of Britain s most notorious serial killer. Psychiatrists say he is a dangerous paranoid schizophrenic, many think he is simply evil; this film challenges the audience to make up their own mind.
Dead Man Running · 2009Dead Man Running
★ 5.82009
MovieActionCrime
A loan shark gives ex-con Nick a period of 24 hours in order to pay back the money he owes. Up against it, Nick involves his best mate on a multi-part mission in order to raise the cash before it's too late for them both
Video Stars · 1983Video Stars
★ 9.01983
MovieComedyTV Movie
A new underground TV-Channel is set up. This comedy drama about the rise and fall of a cable TV channel. Vunderful Video chain owner Bob Surge gets the franchise for one of the new public access TV channels and wants it to rekindle his spirit of rebellion. He hires employee Max Loom to run the station and Max creates something wild, including presenter Teddy Whazz. It's the wild west and edgy and exciting, but dark clouds are looming for Max and the gang when they draw the attention of right wing censorship group Cable Concern.
Rogue Male · 1976Rogue Male
★ 6.51976
MovieDramaWar
In 1939, Sir Robert Thorndyke takes aim at Adolf Hitler with a high powered rifle, but the shot misses its mark. Captured and tortured by the Gestapo and left for dead, Sir Robert makes his way back to England where he discovers the Gestapo has followed him. Knowing that his government would turn him over to German authorities, Sir Robert goes underground in his battle with his pursuers.
Movies
Lifeforce · 1985Lifeforce
★ 6.21985
MovieHorrorScience Fiction
A race of space vampires arrives in London and infects the populace, commencing an apocalyptic descent into chaos.
Croupier · 1998Croupier
★ 6.71998
MovieDramaThriller
Jack Manfred is an aspiring writer who to make ends meet, takes a job as a croupier. Jack remains an observer, knowing that everything in life is a gamble and that gamblers are born to lose. Inevitably, he gets sucked into the world of the casino which takes its toll on his relationships and the novel he is writing.
Mutant Chronicles · 2008Mutant Chronicles
★ 5.32008
MovieActionAdventure
It's the year 2707. Earth's natural resources have all but been exhausted by mankind. Battles rage for the remainder between the competing Corporations. During one such battle the seal is broken and awakens an ancient and deadly machine that was once defeated thousands of years ago. The order that awaited its return must now lead a small group of soldiers to destroy it once and for all.
Doom Room · 2013Doom Room
★ 4.62013
MovieHorrorThriller
A woman wakes up locked in a small room with no memory of how she arrived there. Unable to escape, and tormented by a series of paranormal entities, she must uncover the riddle of who she is and how she got here.
Peter · 2011Peter
2011
MovieDramaCrime
Peter: A Study for a Portrait of a Serial Killer is a feature film that delivers uncompromising performances and rare, shocking archive to reveal for the first time ever the astonishing true story of The Yorkshire Ripper. Exploring his childhood, the sadistic murders of 13 women and his ongoing psychological treatment, the audience journey into the dark and twisted mind of Britain s most notorious serial killer. Psychiatrists say he is a dangerous paranoid schizophrenic, many think he is simply evil; this film challenges the audience to make up their own mind.
Dead Man Running · 2009Dead Man Running
★ 5.82009
MovieActionCrime
A loan shark gives ex-con Nick a period of 24 hours in order to pay back the money he owes. Up against it, Nick involves his best mate on a multi-part mission in order to raise the cash before it's too late for them both
Video Stars · 1983Video Stars
★ 9.01983
MovieComedyTV Movie
A new underground TV-Channel is set up. This comedy drama about the rise and fall of a cable TV channel. Vunderful Video chain owner Bob Surge gets the franchise for one of the new public access TV channels and wants it to rekindle his spirit of rebellion. He hires employee Max Loom to run the station and Max creates something wild, including presenter Teddy Whazz. It's the wild west and edgy and exciting, but dark clouds are looming for Max and the gang when they draw the attention of right wing censorship group Cable Concern.
Rogue Male · 1976Rogue Male
★ 6.51976
MovieDramaWar
In 1939, Sir Robert Thorndyke takes aim at Adolf Hitler with a high powered rifle, but the shot misses its mark. Captured and tortured by the Gestapo and left for dead, Sir Robert makes his way back to England where he discovers the Gestapo has followed him. Knowing that his government would turn him over to German authorities, Sir Robert goes underground in his battle with his pursuers.
Thicker Than Water · 1980Thicker Than Water
★ 10.01980
MovieDramaTV Movie
The Black Pudding Festival in Normandy, France, brings competitors from all over Europe. The British contingent is there for all the fun of the fair-and determined to win!
Out of Depth · 2000Out of Depth
★ 5.72000
MovieThriller
Seeking to avenge an attack on his mother, Paul decides to hire a local villain, Lenny, to give the attacker a beating. Lenny however has also been contracted to kill the same man and soon Paul is thrown into an impossible situation involving corrupt police chiefs, violence and intimidation.
Running Out of Luck · 1987Running Out of Luck
★ 5.81987
MovieMusicAdventure
A rock singer goes to Brazil to shoot a video, but winds up getting kidnapped and enduring a number of seemingly bizarre and hilarious events.
Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? · 1978Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?
★ 6.11978
MovieComedyCrime
Mystery abounds when it is discovered that, one by one, the greatest chefs in Europe are being killed. The intriguing part of the murders is that each chef is killed in the same manner that their own special dish is prepared in. Food critics and the (many) self-proclaimed greatest chefs in Europe demand the mystery be solved.
Overlord · 1975Overlord
★ 6.81975
MovieDramaHistory
During World War II, a young man is called up and, with an increasing sense of foreboding, undertakes his army training ready for D-Day, June 6th, 1944.
Muse · 2019Muse
★ 5.22019
MovieDramaHorror
World-renowned author Harry Newman struggles to come to terms with the untimely deaths of his wife and daughter. Crippled by grief and isolated in his home, he forms an unhealthy attachment...
Trafficking · 2023Trafficking
★ 6.12023
MovieCrimeDrama
Fresh out of prison, a former debt collector working for a gangland boss is told he has a terminal brain tumour. In an attempt to atone for his past he rescues a young girl from trafficking, forcing him into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with his boss.
The Krays: Dead Man Walking · 2018The Krays: Dead Man Walking
★ 3.02018
MovieCrimeAction
Inspired by true events, the shocking story of London's most feared and notorious brothers Reggie and Ronnie Kray as they break Frank 'The Mad Axeman' Mitchell from Dartmoor Prison in December 1966.
The Manor · 1999The Manor
★ 6.51999
MovieCrimeComedy
The Manor, a dark funny version of Akira Kurosawa's " Rashomon". During a snowstorm, Patrick Roarke, a manservant, is found dead at the bottom of the main staircase in a gothic English mansion. Inspector Hatcher is sent to investigate the death. When he arrives, he finds a household consisting of five women. When questioned by the inspector, each of the women tells a different story, all of which are illustrated by flashback scenes showing the events as related by that particular person. Everybody seems to protect somebody and the inspector becomes increasingly intoxicated as he tries to untangle the web of lies in his endeavour to find out the truth.
A New Breed of Criminal · 2023A New Breed of Criminal
★ 5.42023
MovieCrime
Inspired by Stephen Sayers' rise from the backstreets of Newcastle's West End to the top of the criminal ladder and the authorities subsequent attempt to bring him crashing back down again.
Pentagram · 2019Pentagram
★ 3.62019
MovieHorror
A group of teenagers must somehow survive the night when they find themselves trapped within a pentagram. To stay inside the candlelit confines means safety; to escape means certain death at the hands of a mysterious entity.
The Haunting of Pendle Hill · 2022The Haunting of Pendle Hill
★ 2.22022
MovieHorror
When a respected historian vanishes investigating the infamous Pendle Witch Trials of 1612, his daughter must undertake a rescue mission while uncovering the truth about the evil Demdike.
The Picture of Dorian Gray · 1976The Picture of Dorian Gray
★ 9.01976
MovieHorrorDrama
A corrupt young man somehow keeps his youthful beauty, but a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all.
Nelly's Version · 1983Nelly's Version
★ 9.01983
MovieDramaMystery
People claim to know an amnesiac who finds herself in a hotel with a suitcase full of cash.
Claudia · 1985Claudia
★ 9.51985
MovieDrama
Eager to escape her high-society life among the English Elite, a woman falls in love with a young musician. Her husband, however has other plans for her.
Fifteen · 2012Fifteen
2012
MovieCrime
David in twenty two, a film editor. He is well educated, his family are rich and he's bored. Then he meets Sean... the changes to his life are irreversible. He is drawn into a cocaine fueled underworld of crime, violence and murder. David must stop the horrific chain of events before his world is destroyed. But has his path already been preordained by the disturbed and dangerous Mr. Allen?
TV Shows
Play for Today · 1970Play for Today
★ 6.61970
SeriesDrama
Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted. The individual episodes were between fifty and a hundred minutes in duration.
Heartbeat · 1992Heartbeat
★ 7.21992
SeriesCrimeDrama
Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield, this enduringly popular series interweaves crime and medical storylines.
BBC Play of the Month · 1965BBC Play of the Month
★ 5.31965
SeriesDrama
A BBC television anthology series featuring productions of classic and contemporary stage plays usually broadcast on BBC1. Each production featured a different work, often using prominent British stage actors in the leading roles. The series was transmitted from October 1965 to September 1983.
Hustle · 2004Hustle
★ 7.72004
SeriesComedyCrime
A motley group of London con artists pull of a series of daring and intricate stings.
Tales of the Unexpected · 1979Tales of the Unexpected
★ 6.81979
SeriesDrama
A British television anthology of stories, often with sinister and wryly comedic undertones, and a twist at the end. With early episodes written and presented by Roald Dahl, the series featured a plethora of big name guest stars.
Bergerac · 1981Bergerac
★ 6.71981
SeriesDrama
Jim Bergerac is a detective sergeant in The Foreigners Office who likes to do things his own way.
While dealing with his own personal demons Bergerac has a knack of finding trouble, and sometimes causing it.
Red Dwarf · 1988Red Dwarf
★ 8.11988
SeriesComedySci-Fi & Fantasy
The adventures of the last human alive and his friends, stranded three million years into deep space on the mining ship Red Dwarf.
ITV Playhouse · 1967ITV Playhouse
★ 7.01967
SeriesDrama
ITV Playhouse is a British comedy-drama TV series that ran from 1967 to 1983, which featured contributions from playwrights such as Dennis Potter, Rhys Adrian and Alan Sharp. The series began in black and white, but was later shot in colour and was produced by various companies for the ITV network, a format that would inspire Dramarama. Actors appearing in the series included Leslie Anderson, Gwen Nelson, Ricky Alleyne, Pat Heywood, Michael Elphick, Ian Hendry, Edward Woodward, Margaret Lockwood, Jessie Matthews and Lloyd Peters.
The Young Ones · 1982The Young Ones
★ 7.91982
SeriesComedy
The misadventures of four lunatic students who live in a shared student house. There's Rick, the overblown political one addicted to Cliff Richard, Vyvyan the experimental scientific one/part-time anarchist, Neil the worried hippy, and Mike the ladies' man (at least he is in his mind).
Jonathan Creek · 1997Jonathan Creek
★ 7.61997
SeriesMysteryComedy
Working from his home in a converted windmill, Jonathan Creek is a magician with a natural ability for solving puzzles. He soon puts this ability to the use of solving impossible crimes and mysterious murders.
Pie in the Sky · 1994Pie in the Sky
★ 8.31994
SeriesComedyDrama
Pie in the Sky is a British offbeat police comedy drama programme starring Richard Griffiths and Maggie Steed, created by Andrew Payne and first broadcast in five series on BBC1 between 13 March 1994 and 17 August 1997 as well as being syndicated on other channels in other countries, including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The series departs slightly from other police dramas in that the protagonist, Henry Crabbe, while still being an on-duty policeman, is also the head chef of the title restaurant set in the fictional town of Middleton and county of Westershire.
Acapulco H.E.A.T. · 1993Acapulco H.E.A.T.
★ 5.31993
SeriesDrama
Acapulco H.E.A.T. is a 1993 syndicated television series that followed the Hemisphere Emergency Action Team [H.E.A.T.], a group of top-secret agents based in Acapulco, Mexico and recruited by C-5, a secret government coalition, to fight terrorism and international crime. The team kept a low profile, by acting as models and photographers who represented a Beach Fashion enterprise.
Urban Gothic · 2000Urban Gothic
★ 4.82000
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyDrama
Urban Gothic was a horror based series of short stories shown on Channel 5 running for two series between May 2000 and December 2001. Filmed on a low budget and broadcast in a later time-slot, it nonetheless acquired a following. It has also since been repeated on the Horror Channel.
Set around London there is an underlying story thread that only becomes clear in the last episodes of each series. Each episode was different in style from the others, running the gamut of documentary-style independent film to spoof, to slick dramas similar in style to The Outer Limits or The Twilight Zone.
Hammer House of Horror · 1980Hammer House of Horror
★ 7.11980
SeriesMysteryDrama
Each self-contained episode features a different kind of horror, varying from witches, werewolves, ghosts, devil worship and voodoo, but also includes non-supernatural themes such as cannibalism, confinement and serial killers.
Footballers' Wives · 2002Footballers' Wives
★ 5.32002
SeriesDrama
Footballers' Wives is a British television drama surrounding the fictional Premier League Association football club Earls Park F.C., its players, and their wives. It was broadcast on the ITV network from 8 January 2002 to 14 April 2006. The show began with a multi-lateral focus on a variety of different types of relationships explored; however, from the third series onward, the primary focus was on a complex love triangle between Tanya Turner, Amber Gates and Conrad Gates.
A.D. · 1985A.D.
★ 5.41985
SeriesDrama
A.D. is a 1985 television drama miniseries created and written by Vincenzo Labella and Anthony Burgess, based on Burgess' historical novel The Kingdom of the Wicked. The five-part serial is considered the third and final part of a trilogy, preceded by Moses the Lawgiver (1974) and Jesus of Nazareth (1977).
Set just after Jesus' Crucifixion, the lives and adventures of His disciples are explored, and events in Rome during the reigns of Emperors Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero.
Cluedo · 1990Cluedo
★ 6.81990
SeriesCrimeDrama
Cluedo was a UK television game show based on the board game of the same name. Each week, a reenactment of the murder at the stately home Arlington Grange of a visiting guest was played and, through a combination of interrogating the suspects and deduction, celebrity guests had to discover who committed the murder, which of six weapons and in which room it was committed, whilst viewers were invited to play along at home.
The Commander · 2003The Commander
★ 6.42003
SeriesDrama
Clare Blake, a high-ranking, ambitious officer in the Metropolitan Police's Serious Crimes Unit, leads complex murder investigations that often blur the line between her professional and personal lives.
Hazell · 1978Hazell
★ 5.21978
SeriesCrimeDrama
Hazell is a British television drama based on the novel series by Terry Venables and Gordon Williams (collectively known as P.B. Yuill), and starring Nicholas Bell as James Hazell, a 'smart parody' of Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade. The program ran for 2 series, from January 1978 to July 1979.
The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous · 1997The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous
★ 3.71997
SeriesComedyDrama
Charming tennis player Lysander Hawkley seduces wealthy, married women to make their husbands jealous, leading to romantic and comedic chaos in the fictional county of Rutshire.
Colin's Sandwich · 1988Colin's Sandwich
★ 7.41988
SeriesComedy
Colin's Sandwich is a British sitcom broadcast on BBC2 in 1988 and 1990 which stars Mel Smith as Colin Watkins, a British Rail clerk who aspired to be a horror writer. The show was written by Paul Smith and Terry Kyan and ran for two series of six episodes. In the second series, Colin manages to achieve some small successes as a writer.
Footballers' Wives: Extra Time · 2005Footballers' Wives: Extra Time
★ 10.02005
SeriesDrama
Footballers' Wives: Extra Time is a British drama programme. A spin-off of Footballers' Wives, the programme aired on ITV2 for two series. Footballers' Wives: Extra Time aired in the US on BBC America under the title Footballers' Wives: Overtime.
The Crezz · 1976The Crezz
1976
Series
The Crezz is a British television drama produced by Thames Television and shown on the ITV network in 1976. Created by Clive Exton, The Crezz was set in a fictitious West London crescent, Carlisle Crescent. The series was 12 one-hour programmes each focused on a different household.The series was broadcast on ITV at 9pm to start with but midway through it was put back to 10.35pm because the series didn't quite get the viewing figures that were hoped for.