South of the Border (TV series)
| South of the Border | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Detective |
| Created by | Susan Wilkins |
| Written by | Susan Wilkins |
| Starring | Buki Armstrong Rosie Rowell Dinah Stabb Valentine Nonyela Jimmi Harkishin Brian Bovell Corinne Skinner-Carter Q Saul Jephcott Alwyne Taylor |
| Theme music composer | Ruby Turner (Series 1) Alison Limerick (Series 2) |
| Composer | Alan Lisk |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 15 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Caroline Oulton |
| Production locations | South London, England, UK |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Production company | BBC |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC1 |
| Release | 25 October 1988 – 22 June 1990 |
South of the Border is a British television detective drama series, created and written by Susan Wilkins, that first broadcast on BBC1, and ran for two series between 25 October 1988 and 22 June 1990.[1] The series starred Buki Armstrong as Pearl Parker, a black woman. In the first and second series, she works alongside Finn Gallagher (Rosie Rowell).
Dinah Stabb, Valentine Nonyela, Jimmi Harkishin, Brian Bovell, Corinne Skinner-Carter, Saul Jephcott and Alwyne Taylor all co-starred in all series.
Plot summary
The drama series follows pair of female private detectives, Pearl Parker (Buki Armstrong) and Finn Gallagher (Rosie Rowell) operating within the multicultural communities of South London. Former school friends, a secretary and a tearaway, Pearl and Finn decide to set up as private investigators after demonstrating a flair for sleuthing.[2]
Cast
- Buki Armstrong as Pearl Parker
- Rosie Rowell as Finn Gallagher
- Dinah Stabb as Francesca "Milly" Millington
- Valentine Nonyela as Rufus Parker
- Jimmi Harkishin as Krishnan Vore
- Brian Bovell as Fitz
- Corinne Skinner-Carter as Rose Parker
- Q as Denzil
- Saul Jephcott as Detective Inspector Lawrence Warner
- Alwyne Taylor as Detective Sargent Marsh
Episodes
Series 1 (1988)
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | British air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Antonia Bird | Susan Wilkins | 25 October 1988 |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Udayan Prasad | Susan Wilkins | 1 November 1988 |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones | Susan Wilkins | 8 November 1988 |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Udayan Prasad | Tony Dennis | 15 November 1988 |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Antonia Bird | Susan Wilkins | 22 November 1988 |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Lesley Manning | Ayshe Raif | 29 November 1988 |
| 7 | "Episode 7" | Udayan Prasad | Winsome Pinnock | 6 December 1988 |
| 8 | "Episode 8" | Antonia Bird | Susan Wilkins | 13 December 1988 |
Series 2 (1990)
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | British air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Lesley Manning | Tony Dennis | 11 May 1990 |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Lesley Manning | Tony Dennis | 18 May 1990 |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Steve Hilliker | Q | 25 May 1990 |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Suri Krishnamma | Barbara Machin | 1 June 1990 |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Laura Sims | Barbara Machin | 8 June 1990 |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Ngozi Onwurah | Jon Paul Morgan | 15 June 1990 |
| 7 | "Episode 7" | Lesley Manning | Michael Ellis | 22 June 1990 |
Reception
The series received mostly positive reviews.[3][4] Nostalgia Central praised the series' casting, characterization, production values and writing, concluding the protagonists' "unsystematic approach made a refreshing change from the 'kick-in- the-door-and-yell-freeze' routine so often employed."[5] In her monograph Representing Black Britain, Sarita Malik writes that "brought a touch of contemporary realism to the adventure/crime series while also subverting its traditional White, male dominance. These varying discourses - multicultural, social-conscience, politically divisive, crossover - emerged out of the divergent 1980s context of public anti-racist struggle, ethnic minority cultural politics, targeted programming and mounting commercial pressure."[6]
References
- ^ "Pearl Parker and Finn Gallagher (South of the Border)". The Thrilling Detective Web Site. 28 September 2019.
- ^ Day-Lewis, Sean (1989). One Day in the Life of Television. Grafton Books. p. 321. ISBN 978-0-246-13424-0.
- ^ New Statesman Society. Statesman & Nation Publishing Company Limited. November 1988. p. 46.
- ^ Listener and BBC Television Review. British Broadcasting Corporation. September 1988. p. 19.
- ^ "South of the Border – Nostalgia Central". Nostalgia Central. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ Malik, Sarita (25 October 2001). Representing Black Britain: Black and Asian Images on Television. SAGE. p. 144. ISBN 978-1-4129-3284-4.