Oasis (British TV series)

*Oasis*
Oasis
Starring	Dean Gaffney; John Simm;
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	10
Production
Running time	30 min.
Production company	Carlton Television
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	5 January –; 9 March 1993

Oasis is a short lived CITV drama series which was about a group of children who ran an inner city farm. It is best known for featuring John Simm and Dean Gaffney. It was set in a wasteland site in south London.

The drama series ran from 5 January to 9 March 1993 for 10 episodes, made by Zenith North, the team behind Byker Grove for Carlton; their first children's drama series for the ITV network.

History

Oasis is Carlton Television's first significant television series for children and has 10 episodes.^[1]^[2] Barry Purchase, whose previous writing credits included Tucker's Luck and Grange Hill, is the Oasis's writer.^[3] Produced by John Price, it was directed by Chris Clough and Joanna Hogg.^[4] Peter McNamara whose past roles have been the antihero or a goon, plays a completely different role as "a loveable down-and-out who becomes a kind of hero to local children he meets in an inner city wilderness".^[3] McNamara, who has asthma and a horse allergy, filmed multiple shots with the horses.^[3]

Plot summary

Appalled by the animal cruelty, Jimmy Cadogan, a rodeo clown, leaves his job and directs his efforts towards starting a city farm that serves as a sanctuary for animals he saves. He works with a learned drifter and dropout, Posh Robert, and children to transform The Jungle, a South London wasteland, into a farm, against the wishes of the council and the antihero Bob Bulger.

Cast

Peter McNamara - Jimmy Cadogan
Ray Armstrong - Graham Robbins
Sarah Carver - Jane Durant
Daniel John - Ian Finton
George Russo - Johnny Mandell
John Simm - Posh Robert
Kelly Frost - Skates
Bill Stewart - Bulger
Peter Russell - Leonard
Dean Gaffney - Mickey Drake
Daniel Brown - Georgie McNiven

Reception

In a critical review, Pat Moore wrote in The Stage, "I hope this series will be popular with children because the plot seems plausible and city-kids can at least identify with the problem of having nowhere safe to play. Some of the older cast members do seem to be overacting, however, a fault I've noticed before in children's productions. Kids are far quicker at detecting a baddie or the untrustworthy than many adults, so snarling a lot just looks daft."^[5]

Maggie Drummond of The Daily Telegraph stated, "There is a sad lack of useful factual programmes for teenagers; even worse is the lack of drama redeemed only by the new 10-parter Oasis (Carlton) set in a south London wasteland inhabited by youngsters who behave like mini Arthur Daleys."^[6] The Times's Melinda Wittstock called the television series "a ground-breaking children's drama".^[7]

References

^ "Fighting to save their jungle from concrete". Evening Standard. 2 October 1992. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Pick of today's viewing". Heartland Evening News. 20 May 1994. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Tears of a rodeo clown". Chelsea News. 30 December 1992. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "In Production". The Stage and Television Today. No. 5810. 20 August 1992. p. 37. ProQuest 962541969.
^ Moore, Pat (21 January 1993). "Television Review". The Stage. ProQuest 962551402. Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ Drummond, Maggie (8 January 1993). "Teenagers turn to the sitcoms". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Wittstock, Melinda (1 December 1992). "New ITV station uses sex to woo audiences; Carlton Television". The Times. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023 – via Gale.

External links

Oasis on the BFI database
Oasis at IMDb

[Evening1992-10-02-1] "Fighting to save their jungle from concrete". Evening Standard. 2 October 1992. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

[Heratland1994-05-20-2] "Pick of today's viewing". Heartland Evening News. 20 May 1994. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

[Chelsea1992-12-30-3] "Tears of a rodeo clown". Chelsea News. 30 December 1992. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

[Stage1992-08-20-4] "In Production". The Stage and Television Today. No. 5810. 20 August 1992. p. 37. ProQuest 962541969.

[Moore1993-01-21-5] Moore, Pat (21 January 1993). "Television Review". The Stage. ProQuest 962551402. Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.

[Drummond1993-01-08-6] Drummond, Maggie (8 January 1993). "Teenagers turn to the sitcoms". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

[Wittstock1992-12-01-7] Wittstock, Melinda (1 December 1992). "New ITV station uses sex to woo audiences; Carlton Television". The Times. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023 – via Gale.

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