Genre:

miniseries, made for TV, drama.  4 episodes

Synopsis:

The principal character of 'Karaoke' is Daniel Feeld (played by
Albert Finney), an English playwright in late middle-age who is working
on the television production of his latest play, itself entitled
'Karaoke'. The play concerns the relationship between a young woman,
Sandra Sollars (Saffron Burrows), her boyfriend Peter Beasley (Ralph
Brown) and Arthur 'Pig' Mailion (Hywel Bennett), the owner of the
sleazy karaoke/hostess bar where Sandra works. One evening, while
sitting in a restaurant, Feeld becomes convinced that a couple at a
nearby table who resemble the fictional Sandra and Peter are repeating
lines of dialogue from the play. Daniel later encounters the young
woman and discovers that her name is indeed Sandra, and that she works
in a club owned by one Arthur Mailion. He relates the coincidence to a
frightened Sandra, who runs away, leaving behind her handbag. Daniel
subsequently relates the story to his agent Ben Baglin (Roy Hudd) and
agent Anna Griffiths (Anna Chancellor), who assume that Daniel's
apparent paranoia is due to his worsening health through heavy drinking
and smoking. Daniel discovers a small pistol and a credit card in
Sandra's handbag. After using the card to determine her address, he
visits her home in order to return the bag, but first removes the
pistol. He discovers that Sandra was carrying the pistol because of her
intention to avenge a savage attack on her mother (Alison Steadman)
carried out by Mailion years earlier. Disturbed by the possibility that
the death of the fictional Sandra in his play may come true in real
life, Daniel decides to change his play. Meanwhile, having also
discovered the existence of the real Mailion, Anna discusses with the
play's director, Nick Balmer (Richard E. Grant) the possibility of
changing Mailion's name in order to avoid litigation.

Nick has been conducting an affair with Linda Langer (Keeley Hawes),
the actress who plays Sandra in the film version of 'Karaoke', but is
also the intended victim of a blackmail plot hatched by Linda and
Mailion. He dismisses the attempt, is beaten up by Mailion's thugs, and
confesses all to his wife, Lady Balmer (Julie Christie), with whom he
is reconciled. Daniel is admitted to hospital and told he has only
weeks to live. He changes his will, leaving his body to an experimental
cryogenics laboratory, and offering a generous portion of his estate to
Sandra and her mother, on the condition that Sandra ceases working at
the club and renounces her intention to kill Mailion. Sandra agrees,
but Daniel remains uneasy about her intentions. One night, he leaves
the hospital, taking the pistol with him, and visits Mailion's club,
where he performs a striking version of 'Pennies From Heaven' before
shooting Mailion dead and arranging with Baglin to cover up the murder.

Keeley Hawes Role:

Linda Langer

External Links:

• IMDb