X

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Talking Heads

Six monologues tell the stories of six different repressed souls: a man dominated by his mother, a vicar's wife, an inveterate letter writer, a hopeful actress, a recently widowed woman, and an elderly shut-in.

Loading. Please wait...

Content not available in your region? ExpressVPN can help you stay connected wherever you are. Get 4 extra months FREE with TV Guide's exclusive offer.

Cast & Crew See All

Maggie Smith
Susan
Julie Walters
Lesley
Patricia Routledge
Miss Irene Ruddock

Season 1 Episode Guide See All

Episode 1

A Chip in the Sugar

Mild, middle-aged Graham Whittaker (who we learn is a repressed homosexual with a history of mild mental health problems) finds life becoming complicated as his mother, with whom he still lives, reunites with an old flame named Frank Turnbull. Graham becomes increasingly jealous when Mr Turnbull takes an ever-growing hold on Mam, especially when Frank proposes marriage while simultaneously suggesting Graham moves out of the house to a hostel. But Mr Turnbull is hiding a secret, and when Graham finds out he triumphantly confronts his mother with the information, restoring the status quo and his comfortable life but destroying her hopes of happiness in the process.

Where to Watch

Awards

  • 1989 - BAFTA TV Award - Best Single Drama - nominated
  • 1989 - BAFTA TV Award - Best Single Drama - nominated
  • 1989 - BAFTA TV Award - Best Drama Series - nominated
  • 1989 - BAFTA TV Award - Best Actor - nominated

You May Also Like See All

The Office
Homicide: Life on the Street
The Staircase
The Larry Sanders Show

Popular Shows See all shows

Best Medicine

1 Season
A brilliant surgeon leaves Boston to become a doctor in the small town where he spent childhood summers. Despite his medical skills, his rude manner alienates locals as he battles hidden phobias and struggles with personal connections.
60   Metascore
2026 Comedy, Drama

Mom

8 Seasons
Single mom Christy has her hands full with two children, Violet and Roscoe, and maintaining newfound sobriety, when her passive-aggressive, recovering-alcoholic mother re-enters the picture, brimming with criticisms about Christy's life. As the daughter works to be the best mother she can and to overcome mistakes she made, she must also navigate dysfunctional relationships with romantic interests, and with her irresponsible ex-husband, Baxter. Despite the uphill battle, Christy tries to remain positive and stay on a path to help her reach her goals.
69   Metascore
2013 Comedy, Drama

Younger

7 Seasons
Forty-year-old Liza (Sutton Foster) passes herself off as 26 to land a job -- and now, she has to make sure no one discovers her secret.
75   Metascore
2015 Comedy, Drama

The Big C

4 Seasons
Cathy Jamison is a suburban Minneapolis high school teacher, wife and mother with less than a perfect life, despite it perhaps seeming so to much of the outside world. Her life is given a major shock when she is diagnosed with melanoma, the first news of such to her being when it is at advanced stage IV, meaning that she will most likely succumb to it within short order barring some extreme or radical intervention. Cathy goes through a myriad of emotions concerning the diagnosis, including how she will deal with it in relation to family, friends and people close to her in other ways. These people include: Paul Jamison, her college sweetheart husband, who is often just another big kid in their relationship, while Cathy has acted the responsible adult; Adam Jamison, Cathy and Paul's teenaged son who is going through typical issues of being a teenager and only child; Sean Tolkey, Cathy's hyper-environmental anti-establishment brother, who chooses to be homeless to live off the grid and who abhors what he sees as Cathy's bourgeois suburban lifestyle; her students, such as Andrea Jackson, who openly stands her ground on any issue, including her weight problem and her African-American background; and her elderly seemingly crotchety female long-time neighbor, who Cathy has not made the effort to know despite their close proximity for years.
68   Metascore
2010 Comedy, Drama

The Munsters

2 Seasons
The Munsters are a weird but honest family. Herman (the father) is Frankenstein's monster. Lily (his wife) and Grandpa (her father) are vampires. Eddie (their little son) is a werewolf. Marilyn (their niece) is the only normal one (that is the ugly duck of the family).
1964 Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Horror

Saturday Night Live

51 Seasons
A late-night comedy show featuring several short skits, parodies of television commercials, a live guest band, and a pop-cultural guest host each week. Many of the SNL players have spun off successful independent comedy and/or movie careers from here.
1975 Comedy, Music