Johnny Moronic Television - The Lancaster Miller Affair

The Lancaster Miller Affair

This 3x90 minute 1986 miniseries (which seems to have wildly varying dates of release, so I'll just go with what it says in the actual miniseries) about English aviator Bill Lancaster (Nicholas Eadie) who meets Australian gadabout 'Chubbie' Miller (Kerry Mack) in 1927 and she makes his dream of breaking the flying record from England to Australia happen through her contacts and her persuasion of his mother that a married man and a married woman can be together without breaking their vows. Well, that goes out the window when they get detained in Persia and they become lovers on their way to Australia. But, their plane dies just before they get to Australia and another aviator breaks their record, although it is the furtherest a woman had ever flown (those were the days...). They decide to get divorces from their spouses only for Bill's wife to stall thanks to his ever overreaching mother, so Lancaster and Miller go to America to make money in the movies except the Depression hits and those plans go to shit. Several years, a botched biography and a dodgy flying company ruining them further, they're involved in a probable murder. Quite absorbing stuff, ripe for a miniseries and this is done particularly well with a couple of great leads, particularly surprising is Kerry Mack of Hostage: The Christine Maresch Story fame whose natural cheekiness works well for her as 'Chubbie' Miller. Such a shame she quit acting not long after. The ending is actually pretty sad particularly watching Lancaster's stick in the mud mother doom her son all for her belief in God's Way (plus she clearly hates Chubbie for 'ruining' her son and is spiting her) is quite devastating. He may not have been found in time, but at least they could've tried.

Just released on DVD here in Australia and well worth a look if you can get your hands on it.

Tags: Kerry Mack, Amanda Testro, Libby Higgs

Kerry Mack

Amanda Testro and Libby Higgs

Kerry Mack