Gems

Gems was a daytime serial networked by ITV, and broadcast 3 times a week Wednesday-Friday. It ran for three series, and was set in a small fashion house in London's Covent Garden. 'Gems' was a company ran by two brothers, Stephen and Alan Stone, who, despite being business partners had little in common, and therefore friction arose. Stephen was a designer with a roving eye for women, while Alan, who looked after the financial affairs was happily married with two children, however, in the second series Alan's wife was killed in a car crash, whilst doing some work for the company, and much of the latter half of the second season saw Alan trying to come to terms with his wife's death, and trying to look after their two young children alone. As Alan's involvement in the company became distracted, there were financial difficulties which forced them to seek an outside partner. The relationship was not a harmonious one, as their new partner was a financier and involved in big business, and Stephen distrusted the new partners motives.

The third and final series was something of an anti-climax and ended with the company being sold and Stephen deciding to go and live and work abroad.

The programme was well acted and produced, and was quite pacey and fast moving. Strangely, UK Gold, a satellite channel in the UK has never repeated this series, though it was made by Thames TV, for whom UK Gold hold the rights. The cast were not well-known, with the possible exception of GINA MAHER, an attractive girl who appeared in several comedy series in the late 80s/early 90s.