Blood Rights

*Blood Rights*
Blood Rights
Genre	Thriller
Based on	Blood Rights by Mike Phillips
Written by	Mike Phillips
Directed by	Lesley Manning
Starring	Brian Bovell; Maggie Steed; Struan Rodger; DeObia Oparei; Akim Mogaji; Robert Glenister; Hermione Norris; Margo Gunn; Sam Kelly; Tim Potter; Warren Morson; Julia St John
Composers	Joe Bashorun; Orphy Robinson
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	3
Production
Producer	Caroline Oulton
Production locations	London, England, UK
Cinematography	Rex Maidment
Running time	55 minutes
Production company	BBC
Original release
Network	BBC2
Release	24 October –; 7 November 1990

Blood Rights is a British television thriller drama miniseries written by Mike Phillips that first broadcast on BBC2 between 24 October and 7 November 1990, and ran for three weeks on Wednesday nights.^[1] The series comprising three episodes was based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Phillips.^[2] All three episodes were directed by Lesley Manning, with Caroline Oulton acting as executive producer.

The series starred Brian Bovell as Sam Dean, a British journalist, who is hired by a prominent Conservative Member of Parliament to find his missing, drug-addicted daughter. Dean's investigation uncovers a darker world of drugs, blackmail and prostitution.

Plot

A journalist investigates the disappearance of the drug addicted daughter of a prominent Tory MP, a case that plunges him into the complex and gritty underbelly of 1980s London's multicultural and political scenes.

Cast

Brian Bovell as Sam (Sammy) Dean
Maggie Steed as Tess Barker
Struan Rodger as Grenville Barker
DeObia Oparei as Winston
Akim Mogaji as Roy
Robert Glenister as Pete
Hermione Norris as Virginia Barker
Margo Gunn as Gillian
Sam Kelly as Evans
Tim Potter as Erich
Warren Morson as Chris
Julia St John as Lynn

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	"Part 1"	Lesley Manning	Mike Phillips	24 October 1990 (1990-10-24)^[3]
Black journalist Sammy Dean is hired by a prominent MP to find his missing daughter.^[4]
2	"Part 2"	Lesley Manning	Mike Phillips	31 October 1990 (1990-10-31)^[5]
Virginia Barker has joined forces with her brother to extort money from her MP father.^[6]
3	"Part 3"	Lesley Manning	Mike Phillips	7 November 1990 (1990-11-07)^[7]
Sammy searches for Virginia Barker who has been abducted by a gun-toting villain, with the MP's deviant son in tow. Meanwhile, Tess decides to meet the kidnapper alone in the family's cottage.^[8]

Home media

The series has never been re-broadcast or released on home video.

References

↑ "Blood Rights – BBC Two England – 24 October 1990 – BBC Genome". BBC. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
↑ Blood Rights: Amazon.co.uk: Phillips, Mike: 9780718132002: Books. ASIN 0718132009.
↑ "Part 1". BFI. 24 October 1990. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
↑ "Blood Rights: Part 1". 24 October 1990. p. 69 – via BBC Genome.
↑ "Part 2". BFI. 31 October 1990. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
↑ "Blood Rights: Part 2". 31 October 1990. p. 65 – via BBC Genome.
↑ "Part 3". BFI. 7 November 1990. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
↑ "Blood Rights: Part 3". 7 November 1990. p. 83 – via BBC Genome.

External links

Blood Rights at IMDb

[bbc-1] "Blood Rights – BBC Two England – 24 October 1990 – BBC Genome". BBC. Retrieved 27 July 2026.

[2] Blood Rights: Amazon.co.uk: Phillips, Mike: 9780718132002: Books. ASIN 0718132009.

[3] "Part 1". BFI. 24 October 1990. Retrieved 3 July 2026.

[4] "Blood Rights: Part 1". 24 October 1990. p. 69 – via BBC Genome.

[5] "Part 2". BFI. 31 October 1990. Retrieved 3 July 2026.

[6] "Blood Rights: Part 2". 31 October 1990. p. 65 – via BBC Genome.

[7] "Part 3". BFI. 7 November 1990. Retrieved 3 July 2026.

[8] "Blood Rights: Part 3". 7 November 1990. p. 83 – via BBC Genome.

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