{{Short description|1978 British TV comedy series}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox television | image = In the Looking Glass film Opening titles (1978).png | caption = Opening titles | alt_name = | genre = Surreal comedy | creator = | developer = | writer = | director = Andrew Gosling | creative_director = | starring = {{unbulleted list | John Wells | John Fortune | Madeline Smith }} | theme_music_composer = | opentheme = | endtheme = | composer = | country = United Kingdom | language = English | num_series = | num_episodes = 6 | list_episodes = | executive_producer = | producer = Ian Keill | editor = | location = | cinematography = | camera = | runtime = | company = | channel = BBC Two | first_aired = {{start date|1978|1|17|df=yes}} | last_aired = {{end date|1978|2|21|df=yes}} | related = }} '''''In the Looking Glass''''' is a surreal television series, broadcast on BBC2 in 1978. It starred John Wells, John Fortune, and Madeline Smith, was directed by Andrew Gosling and produced by Ian Keill. The music for the songs was composed by Carl Davis. The animations and illustrations were by Graham McCallum and Bob Gale.<ref>{{cite web|title=In the Looking Glass (1978)|url=https://www.ravensbourne.ac.uk/bbc-motion-graphics-archive/looking-glass-1978|website=Ravensbourne London University|access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref> The same team had previously created 1974's ''The End of the Pier Show''. Wells, Fortune and Davis appear to have been the main writers for both series.<ref>{{cite web|website=The BBCi Guide to Comedy|title=The End of the Pier Show|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/e/endofthepiershow_1299001045.shtml|accessdate=23 January 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031204181814/https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/e/endofthepiershow_1299001045.shtml|archive-date=4 December 2003}}</ref>

''In the Looking Glass'' was notable for its design, overlaying live action and drawn or animated backgrounds, for instance, a hole drilled to the centre of the earth, or the Monopoly board on which a character risks being crushed by rolling dice. The production team (Keill, Gosling and designer Graham McCallum) went on to develop this approach further in the "live action comic strip" series ''Jane'' (1982), for which McCallum won two BAFTA Best Graphics awards.

==Awards== In the Looking Glass was nominated for the "Most Original Programme/Series" BAFTA award for 1979 (the award was won by ''Pennies from Heaven'').<ref>{{cite web|website=British Academy of Film and Television Arts|title=Television / Most Original Programme/Series|url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/television/most-original-programme-series|accessdate=22 May 2025}}</ref>

==Episode list== Broadcast dates: *Deserts (17 January 1978) – guest Harold Berens<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC Two Schedule for 17 January 1978|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/service_bbc_two_england/1978-01-17|website=BBC Programme Index|access-date=3 October 2025}}</ref> *Space (24 January 1978) – guests Richard Murdoch, Ruth Kettlewell and Gillian Gregory<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC Two Schedule for 24 January 1978|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/service_bbc_two_england/1978-01-24|website=BBC Programme Index|access-date=3 October 2025}}</ref> *Fading Away (31 January 1978) – guests John Bird and David Battley<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC Two Schedule for 31 January 1978|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/service_bbc_two_england/1978-01-31|website=BBC Programme Index|access-date=28 October 2025}}</ref> *Atlantis (7 February 1978) – guest Terence Bayler<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC Two Schedule for 7 February 1978|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/service_bbc_two_england/1978-02-07|website=BBC Programme Index|access-date=28 October 2025}}</ref> *The Centre of the Earth (14 February 1978) – guests Valentine Dyall, Bob Hoskins and John Dair<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC Two Schedule for 14 February 1978|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/service_bbc_two_england/1978-02-14|website=BBC Programme Index|access-date=28 October 2025}}</ref> *Monopoly (21 February 1978) – guests Anna Quayle, Howard Goorney and Rita Webb<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC Two Schedule for 21 February 1978|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/service_bbc_two_england/1978-02-21|website=BBC Programme Index|access-date=28 October 2025}}</ref>

==References== <references/>

==External links== * {{IMDb title|id=1909502|title=In the Looking Glass}} * [https://www.ravensbourne.ac.uk/bbc-motion-graphics-archive/looking-glass-1978 Opening titles] at Ravensbourne University

{{DEFAULTSORT:In The Looking Glass}} Category:BBC television comedy Category:1970s British comedy television series Category:1978 British television series debuts Category:1978 British television series endings