The Beiderbecke Affair Beiderbecke Trilogy", with the two sequel series being "The Beiderbecke Tapes" (1987) and "The Beiderbecke Connection" (1988). Rather than following a usual linear story structure, "The Beiderbecke Affair" — set in Leeds in 1985 — is a character-led drama with a plot that initially appears rather unclear, moving as it does from one seemingly unrelated event to another. These events—and the characters involved with them—are eventually shown to be interconnected. Geordie Trevor Chaplin (James Bolam) teaches woodwork, enjoys football and is passionate about jazz. Jill Swinburne (Barbara Flynn) is interested in neither football nor jazz but teaches English and wants
The Beiderbecke Connection in "The Beiderbecke Tapes", Jill and Trevor have a child - Firstborn. Big Al asks them to put up a friend of his and, of course, they agree. But when Ivan arrives, they find he speaks no English but thinks that "Bix is cool". Meetings with criminals, smuggling people over the border, fighting for the right to education even when it's against the rules. These and other adventures are played out to a soundtrack of jazz music in the style of Bix Beiderbecke performed by Frank Ricotti with Kenny Baker as featured cornet soloist. As with "The Beiderbecke Affair", the