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Mystery!; Mother Love

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Series

Mystery!

Program

Mother Love

Program Number

1102

Series Description

Premiered in 1980 -- offshoot of MASTERPIECE THEATRE. Showcase for the best of British drama in the mystery genre. Current producer, Rebecca Eaton. See individual episode titles for more information. Host: 1980: Gene Shalit; 1981-1989: Vincent Price; 1989-present: Diana Rigg Series release date: 1980

Program Description

Broadcast October 25-November 8, 1990 Starring series host Diana Rigg, who steps in front of a different camera to portray a mother so obsessively devoted to her son (James Wilby) that she’ll let nothing or no one come between them. Also stars David McCallum.

1102: 10/25/1990: In this, the first part of a three part series, we are introduced to Kit's immaculate and doting mother, Helena. Divorced and unhappy, her whole world is her son. Against his mother's wishes, Kit secretly continues to have a relationship with his father, and Kit, his wife, and his father, Alex, are all forced to become conspirators in deception. Helena's obsessive love is gradually revealed to be psychosis; a sickness that allows Helena to justify the killing of Alex's new wife, Ruth.

1103: 11/1/1990: Having successfully framed George Batt for the murder of Alex's wife, Helena feels that her betrayal has been vindicated. Yet her triumph turns to rage, when she learns of Alex's new marriage to a beautiful, American actress, and the birth of their twins. When Kit becomes paralyzed after emergency surgery on a benign brain tumor, Helena secretly blames his wife, Angela.

1104: 11/8/1990: In the conclusion of "Mother Love", Helena moves in with Angela fearing that she too is a traitor. Her suspicions are confirmed when Helena catches Angela kissing Alex goodbye outside his house. Helena rushes to the hospital where Kit lays unconscious and confides her plans to poison Alex's twins. Impatient for news of the twin's deaths, Helena disguises her voice and calls Alex. Not knowing that it is Helena calling, Emily asserts that she and Kit have grown up together as brother and sister. Helena is devastated. Realizing that even her son has conspired against her, Helena removes Kit from his respirator. Miraculously, Helena's attempt to kill her son jolts Kit back to consciousness, and he discloses Helena's murderous intentions.

Duration

00:66:00

Asset Type

Broadcast program

Media Type

Video

Genres

Drama

Creators

Eaton, Rebecca (Series Producer)

Citation

Chicago: “Mystery!; Mother Love,” GBH Archives, accessed December 1, 2023, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_D090DBFEFC8A4C7A833E53F14F999BB0.

MLA: “Mystery!; Mother Love.” GBH Archives. Web. December 1, 2023. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_D090DBFEFC8A4C7A833E53F14F999BB0>.

APA: Mystery!; Mother Love. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_D090DBFEFC8A4C7A833E53F14F999BB0