The Buddha of Suburbia (TV serial)
| The Buddha of Suburbia | |
|---|---|
BBC Films | |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC Two |
| Release | 3 November – 24 November 1993 |
The Buddha of Suburbia is a British four-part
album of the same name
).
Unable to find distribution in America, the series was given a limited engagement screening at The Public Theater in Manhattan from December 1994 to January 1995.[1]
Overview
Karim Amir is a mixed-race 17-year-old who lives in a South London suburb during the 1970s. With an English mother and a Pakistani father, Karim is uncertain of his cultural identity. As his father becomes a kind of spiritual guru to the surrounding middle-class neighbours, Karim begins to explore his cultural roots with hopes that he will achieve sexual and racial self-realisation.
Cast
- Naveen Andrews as Karim Amir
- Roshan Seth as Haroon Amir
- Susan Fleetwood as Eva Kay
- Steven Mackintosh as Charlie Kay
- Brenda Blethyn as Margaret Amir
- Harish Patel as Changez
- Nisha K. Nayar as Jamila
- David Bamber as Shadwell
- John McEnery as Uncle Ted
- Vicky Murdoch as Helen
- David Bradley as Helen's Father
- Jemma Redgrave as Eleanor
- Donald Sumpter as Matthew Pyke
- Jason Watkinsas Terry
- Richard Leaf as Photographer
- Amanda Root as First TV Producer
- Mark Strong as Second TV Producer
Production
Filming
Segments for the series were filmed at Naveen Andrews' old school
hippies, and musicians cast by actress Barbie Wilde.[2]
Music
The series features many songs
under the same name on 8 November 1993, the music on the album is completely reworked, with the exception of the programme's theme song "The Buddha of Suburbia".[3] A promotional music video was made for the song, featuring Bowie performing the song while strolling around the London suburb of Bickley as scenes from the series are intercut throughout.[4] The rest of the original television soundtrack
remained unreleased.
References
- ^ O'Connor, John J. (29 December 1994). "CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; Is the BBC Too Adult For American Viewers?". The New York Times. p. 2. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
- ^ Keehnen, Owen. "Wilde Thing or Cenobite Barbie: Barbie Wilde Tells All". Racks and Razors. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
- ^ Bowie, David. The Buddha of Suburbia liner notes (BMG International, 1994) (available at Bassman's David Bowie page Archived 22 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine)
- ^ David Bowie (1993). Buddha of Suburbia (Music Video). EMI. Retrieved 14 March 2013.[dead YouTube link]
External links
- The Buddha of Suburbia at IMDb
- British Film Institute Screen Online
- The Buddha of Suburbia at the British Library - includes related articles, videos and items from Kureishi's archive
