Gems
GenreSoap opera
Created byTessa Diamond
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes121
Production
Executive producerBrian Walcroft (Series 3)
ProducersBrenda Ennis (Series 1-2)
Peter Tabern (Series 3)
Running time30 minutes
Production companyThames Television
Original release
NetworkITV
Release2 January 1985 (1985-01-02) –
1 April 1988 (1988-04-01)

Gems is a British television soap opera produced for the ITV by Thames Television. Three seasons of the programme were transmitted between 1985 and 1988.[1]

Devised by Tessa Diamond, who had previously created ITV's first television soap, Emergency Ward 10, Gems was the name of a fictional fashion design company based in Covent Garden and managed by the Stone brothers, Alan and Stephen, whose differences in outlook and temperament meant that the business was often in choppy waters. The professional problems and personal lives of the employees of the company were the focus of the soap's storylines.[2]

Gems was one of a series of ITV soap operas transmitted in afternoon slots during the 1980s produced by various ITV regional companies. The other British ITV "daytime" soaps included: Together (Southern), For Maddie with Love (ATV), Taff Acre (HTV), Miracles Take Longer (Thames) and Take the High Road (Scottish).

Gems was screened thrice weekly during its initial run in 1985, followed by a twice-weekly season in 1986 and returned to a thrice-weekly slot for its third and final run in 1988.

The series directors included: Mervyn Cumming (Series 1-2), Christopher Baker (Series 1-2), Stuart Orme (Series 1), Keith Washington (Series 1), Brian Lighthill (Series 3) and Jane Howell (Series 3).

Scriptwriters included: Guy Meredith, Christopher Russell, Martin Worth (Series 1), Barbara Clegg (Series 1-2), Ben Steed (Series 1), Bill Lyons (Series 1), Valerie Georgeson (Series 1), Jenny McDade (Series 1), Liane Aukin (Series 2), Ted Rhodes (Series 2) and Tony Slattery (Series 3).[3]

Series overview

Series Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired
Series 1 56 2 January 1985 10 May 1985
Series 2 26 8 January 1986 3 April 1986
Series 3 39 6 January 1988 1 April 1988

Cast

Home media

The first episode of Gems is available as part of the Soap Box collection DVD set released by Network. The release includes selected episodes from several British soap operas.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Kingsley, Hilary (1988). Soap Box. London: Papermac. pp. 321–322. ISBN 0333469496.
  2. ↑ "Forgotten Regional Soaps". ATV Today. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  3. ↑ "Gems - credits". BFI Collections Database. British Film Institute. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "Soap Box - Volume 1 DVD release". Network DVD. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
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