A Perfect Hero

A Perfect Hero
Genre	Drama
Written by	Christopher Matthew Allan Prior
Directed by	James Cellan Jones
Starring	Nigel Havers James Fox Fiona Gillies Barbara Leigh-Hunt Nicholas Pritchard Amanda Elwes Patrick Ryecart Bernard Hepton Joanna Lumley
Composer	Richard Holmes
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	6
Production
Executive producers	Nick Elliott Michael Whitehall
Producer	James Cellan Jones
Production companies	Havahall Pictures LWT
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	17 May (1991-05-17) – 21 June 1991 (1991-06-21)

A Perfect Hero is a 1991 TV drama serial set in World War II England. It was produced by Havahall Pictures in association with LWT for ITV and first broadcast at 9:00pm on Friday 17 May 1991 and ran for six episodes. It was broadcast in the US as part of Masterpiece Theatre during Season 21 that ran from 1991 to 1992.

Plot summary

The miniseries is about a young RAF Fighter Pilot Flying Officer Hugh Fleming DFC, played by Nigel Havers, who is shot down during the Battle of Britain and is severely burned around the face and hands. While recovering and experiencing life as a scarred casualty of war, his colleagues and friends who had joined the RAF with him die one by one.

This series shows how burn victims are treated and how they have to recuperate. It is hard for Fleming because he was an extremely handsome young man who had no problem dating women. With his face deformed by the burns and the plastic surgery, his life becomes a rather more traumatic one.

Some aspects of the story are reminiscent of the life of Richard Hillary, as recounted in his 1943 book, "The Last Enemy."

Music

Episode end credits play the song The Bells of Hell Go Ting-a-ling-a-ling, which somewhat lightens the mood.

External links

• A Perfect Hero at IMDb
• Masterpiece Archive on PBS