History Series / GBH

* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler: After everything, once he learns the truth about Eileen, Michael calmly resigns himself to the destruction of his political career and surrenders himself to the police.]]

''G.B.H.'' is a drama by Alan Bleasdale that was first shown on British TV in 1991. It has elements both of BritishConspiracyThriller and psychological drama, as well as pure comedy and farce. The plot concerns Michael Murray (Creator/RobertLindsay), the charismatic and far-left leader of an unspecified [[OopNorth northern]] city council who, as a show of strength against the then Conservative government, calls a one-day strike of all council services, except that a Special Needs school is accidentally not picketed. The headmaster, Jim Nelson (Creator/MichaelPalin) is then asked to apologise for turning up to work as usual. He refuses, causing him to be a target for Michael Murray's thuggish supporters. The rest of the series concerns the conflict between the two men as well as their own psychological battles; Michael Murray, in particular, is haunted by a traumatic incident from his childhood. Gradually, it is revealed that both men are merely pawns in a game designed by the British Establishment to discredit the Left.

''G.B.H.'' is a drama by Alan Bleasdale that was first shown on British TV in 1991. It has elements both of BritishConspiracyThriller and psychological drama, as well as pure comedy and farce. The plot concerns Michael Murray (Robert Lindsay), the charismatic and far-left leader of an unspecified [[OopNorth northern]] city council who, as a show of strength against the then Conservative government, calls a one-day strike of all council services, except that a Special Needs school is accidentally not picketed. The headmaster, Jim Nelson (Creator/MichaelPalin) is then asked to apologise for turning up to work as usual. He refuses, causing him to be a target for Michael Murray's thuggish supporters. The rest of the series concerns the conflict between the two men as well as their own psychological battles; Michael Murray, in particular, is haunted by a traumatic incident from his childhood. Gradually, it is revealed that both men are merely pawns in a game designed by the British Establishment to discredit the Left.

* Citywithnoname: We never hear the name of the city. It's often supposed to be Liverpool, and the bridge which Jim Nelson can't cross is indeed just south of Liverpool, but the city hall scenes were filmed in Manchester and the Nelsons live on the city outskirts on the edge of moorland, which doesn't match with Liverpool.

''G.B.H.'' is a drama by Alan Bleasdale that was first shown on British TV in 1991. It has elements both of BritishConspiracyThriller and psychological drama, as well as pure comedy and farce. The plot concerns Michael Murray (Robert Lindsay), the charismatic and far-left leader of an unspecified [[OopNorth northern]] city council who, as a show of strength against the then Conservative government, calls a one day strike of all council services, except that a Special Needs school is accidently not picketed. The headmaster, Jim Nelson (Creator/MichaelPalin) is then asked to apologise for turning up to work as usual. He refuses, causing him to be a target for Michael Murray's thuggish supporters. The rest of the series concerns the conflict between the two men as well as their own psychological battles; Michael Murray, in particular, is haunted by a traumatic incident from his childhood. Gradually, it is revealed that both men are merely pawns in a game designed by the British Establishment to discredit the Left.

* AxCrazy: [[spoiler: Eileen Critchley]] apparently had some severe mental problems at a very young age, but they weren't noticed, as everyone was paying more attention to Michael Murray. [[spoiler: These later resulted in her hanging herself in college]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:we learn that Mike really wasn't responsible for strangling Eileen Critchley, but he's arrested for inciting the rioting and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. Lou, Peter and Richard apparently get away with actually inciting the rioting - but it's implied Barbara will use the tape to bring them down. Jim gives a speech to the Labour meeting where he talks his way out of expulsion, and our last shot of the series is [[EarnYourHappyEnding of his driving over a bridge, showing he's overcome his fears]].]]
* CharacterTics: As his world crumbles around him, Murray starts to develop a TwitchyEye, then his arm starts shooting up or out uncontrollably
* ChildrenAreCruel: Eileen Critchley, full stop

* CreepyChild: Eileen Critchley is both incredibly intense, disturbingly morbid, and seems to enjoy causing Michael Murray misery a bit too much
* DeadpanSnarker: Jim Nelson whenever he has to talk to Michael Murray

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Eileen Critchley, several years before the series began]]

* ExactWords: Jim Nelson is well aware of the city-wide strike, but ignores it because his union has defined strike breaking as crossing a picket line, and Murray's goons forgot to picket his school

* TheMole: There are several people that Michael Murray is working with who are secretly conspiring to discredit and destroy him (and with him the Left), but the best example of this trope would probably be [[spoiler: Barbara]]

* PetTheDog: Michael Murray may be corrupt and a bit of a bully, but he is also decidedly anti-racist, being well-known among the Labour establishment for his ability to relate to black and Asian (aka from the Indian subcontinent) constituents
* PosthumousCharacter: [[spoiler: Eileen Critchley]]

* SmugSnake: The Conservative reporter who dogs Michael Murray throughout the series [[spoiler: and ends up working with the conspiracy to discredit him]]

* WeaksauceWeakness: Jim Nelson is deathly afraid of going over bridges
** Merely mentioning Eileen Critchley's name is enough to send Michael Murray into hysterics
* WellDoneSonGuy: Michael Murray; to make things worse, his father died before he was born

* ActorAllusion: Creator/MichaelPalin gives a speech in which he claims not to believe in Messiahs...as well as claiming not to be a missionary (Palin wrote and starred in a film called ''The Missionary'').

* AwfulWeddedLife: Mike and wife Maureen, as he's constantly unfaithful and never pays attention to her or the children. Most of her appearances are her calling him to yell at him.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Michael Murray is based on Derek Hatton, the notorious Deputy Leader and ''de facto'' boss of Liverpool City Council in the 1980s. During a chance meeting with Bleasdale while the series was in production, Hatton, who had heard about it, said that he didn't mind how he was portrayed as long as the actor was handsome.
--> Whilst not exactly celebrities, the series was shot in and around Manchester Town Hall. The production crew tagged a few locals as extras, so in some shots some genuine hard left Councillors are playing... hard left Councillors.

* PlayingAgainstType: Michael Palin, who made his name as a member of Creator/MontyPython, plays a troubled character in a serious drama.

''G.B.H.'' is a drama by Alan Bleasdale that was first shown on British TV in 1991. It has elements both of BritishConspiracyThriller and psychological drama, as well as pure comedy and farce. The plot concerns Michael Murray (Robert Lindsay), the charismatic and far-left leader of an unspecified [[OopNorth northern]] City Council who, as a show of strength against the then Conservative government, calls a one day strike of all council services, except that a Special Needs school is accidently not picketed. The headmaster, Jim Nelson (Creator/MichaelPalin) is then asked to apologise for turning up to work as usual. He refuses, causing him to be a target for Michael Murray's thuggish supporters. The rest of the series concerns the conflict between the two men as well as their own psychological battles; Michael Murray, in particular, is haunted by a traumatic incident from his childhood. Gradually, it is revealed that both men are merely pawns in a game designed by the British Establishment to discredit the Left.

* BerserkButton: Michael dislikes being called "Mickey" by his older brother, and starts to react angrily to people saying he's going bald once Jim Nelson does so