Stephen Poliakoff Remembers... Caught on a Train

Acclaimed screenwriter Stephen Poliakoff shares his memories of the BBC's 1980 television drama Caught on a Train, his Bafta award-winning collaboration with celebrated producer Kenith Trodd.

The drama was based on a real-life encounter Stephen experienced with an angry fellow passenger on a train trip across Europe. It stars the legendary Dame Peggy Ashcroft and Michael Kitchen as strangers who clash at the start of their journey but come to an understanding by the time they reach their destination.

Here, Stephen reveals how the production came together, why he was left thinking the drama may herald the end of his career, and which iconic James Bond villainess was almost cast as the leading lady.