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Empire Road (1978)

Drama

Empire Road was a British television series, made by the BBC in 1978 and 1979. Written by Michael Abbensetts, the show ran for two seasons of eight episodes each. The series was the first British television series to be written, acted and directed predominantly by black artists. A soap opera, similar in format to Coronation Street, Empire Road depicted life for the African-Caribbean, East Indian and South Asian residents of a racially diverse street in the city of Birmingham. Prominent cast members included Norman Beaton, Corinne Skinner-Carter, Wayne Laryea, Joseph Marcell and Rudolph Walker. The programme also provided early TV exposure for Julie Walters who appeared in a few episodes. The series was made at BBC Pebble Mill with location work in the Handsworth area of Birmingham. The eponymously named theme song was recorded by Matumbi and also released as a single in 1978.

First Air Date
October 31, 1978
Seasons
2
Episodes
15
Rating
7.5/10 (2 votes)

Cast: Meg Johnson, Rudolph Walker, Joseph Marcell, Norman Beaton, Wayne Laryea, Julie Walters, Allister Bain

Network: BBC One
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Empire Road

Empire Road

7.5
30 min

Empire Road was a British television series, made by the BBC in 1978 and 1979. Written by Michael Abbensetts, the show ran for two seasons of eight episodes each. The series was the first British television series to be written, acted and directed predominantly by black artists. A soap opera, similar in format to Coronation Street, Empire Road depicted life for the African-Caribbean, East Indian and South Asian residents of a racially diverse street in the city of Birmingham. Prominent cast members included Norman Beaton, Corinne Skinner-Carter, Wayne Laryea, Joseph Marcell and Rudolph Walker. The programme also provided early TV exposure for Julie Walters who appeared in a few episodes. The series was made at BBC Pebble Mill with location work in the Handsworth area of Birmingham. The eponymously named theme song was recorded by Matumbi and also released as a single in 1978.

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Networks & Studios

Networks

Show Information
StatusEnded
TypeScripted
First Aired10/31/1978
Last Aired11/1/1979
Seasons2
Episodes15
LanguageEnglish
Creators & Crew

2

Seasons

15

Episodes

30m

Per Episode

1978

First Aired

Languages

External Links

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Cast

MJ

Meg Johnson

RW

Rudolph Walker

JM

Joseph Marcell

NB

Norman Beaton

WL

Wayne Laryea

JW

Julie Walters

as Jean Watson

AB

Allister Bain

Seasons

2 seasons
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Season 2

1979

10 episodes

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Season 1

1978

5 episodes

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Empire Road about?

Empire Road was a British television series, made by the BBC in 1978 and 1979. Written by Michael Abbensetts, the show ran for two seasons of eight episodes each. The series was the first British tel…

How many seasons does Empire Road have?

2

How many episodes does Empire Road have?

15

Is Empire Road still running?

No, it ended in 1979.

When did Empire Road first air?

October 31, 1978

Who stars in Empire Road?

Meg Johnson, Rudolph Walker, Joseph Marcell

What genre is Empire Road?

Drama