When Darlington was the setting of a gritty BBC drama

The BBC drama centred on a hard-nosed local news agency and featuring actors who would go on to become some of Britain’s most recognisable screen faces.

The 1990s series, led by the late Boon star Michael Elphick, brought a fictional version of Darlington to BBC One between 1993 and 1995.

Its setting may have been the North East, but its cast included future White Lotus and Pride & Prejudice actor Tom Hollander, Shetland star Julie Graham and North East actor Barbara Marten.

For viewers in Darlington, the programme’s premise still sounds familiar: a press agency chasing stories, dealing with police contacts and navigating the murkier side of local journalism.

Michael Elphick and Tom Hollander in ‘Harry’. (Image: SUBMITTED)

What was Harry about?

Harry followed Harry Salter, a former Fleet Street journalist who had set up a news agency in Darlington after leaving London.

Played by Michael Elphick, Salter was no conventional local reporter.

He was portrayed as an alcoholic, ruthless operator willing to exploit people and use underhand methods in pursuit of a saleable story.

His agency was staffed by photographer Snappy, played by Ian Bartholomew, and secretary Alice, portrayed by Julie Graham.

Tom Hollander played Jonathan, one of the younger members of the team.

The drama ran for 20 episodes across two series, beginning in September 1993 and ending in April 1995.

Although the town was integral to the story, the series was not a glossy postcard portrayal of Darlington.

It used the setting for a tougher drama about tabloid instincts, crime, corruption and the personal cost of getting a headline.

Michael Elphick’s final leading role

Elphick was already a familiar face when Harry arrived, having played the title role in ITV’s hugely popular drama Boon.

In Harry, he took on a much darker central character: a former Fleet Street man running a Darlington news agency whose desperation for a story regularly crossed ethical lines.

The actor, who died in 2002 aged 55, appeared in all 20 episodes.

His performance gave the series a weight that made it stand apart from more cosy regional dramas of the era.

Barbara Marten, now widely known for roles in Happy Valley, The Bill, Casualty and Shetland, played Harry’s wife Rita Salter in 14 episodes.

Tom Hollander’s Darlington years

Perhaps the best-known name to emerge from Harry is Tom Hollander, who played Jonathan for 19 episodes.

It was one of Hollander’s earliest sustained television roles, before later appearances in Absolutely Fabulous, Wives and Daughters, Gosford Park, Pirates of the Caribbean, In the Loop and Pride & Prejudice.

More recently, Hollander has reached a new audience through acclaimed roles in The White Lotus, The Night Manager and Rev.

Biographical accounts of the actor describe Harry as an early television role and say the series was filmed mostly in Darlington.

Julie Graham, who played Alice throughout both series, had already appeared in Casualty and Taggart before joining the programme.

She later became a familiar face through At Home with the Braithwaites, William and Mary, Shetland and The Bletchley Circle.

Why Harry still matters in Darlington

More than thirty years on from its final episode, Harry is a reminder that Darlington has long been more than a backdrop for television productions.

The drama placed a fictional local news agency at the heart of its stories at a time when regional journalism was still powered by photographers, contacts, deadline pressure and the race to get an exclusive.

Its lasting appeal is also in its cast.

Before the awards, international dramas and blockbuster films, actors such as Hollander and Graham were helping tell a distinctly North East story — one built around the unpredictable business of finding tomorrow’s front-page lead.