Not a lot of people know this, but the key TV programme in BBC’s Gay Britannia season this summer (which commemorated events around the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England), was directed by Irish man, Fergus O’Brien.
Set in the 1950s, O’Brien’s Against The Law follows the relationship of journalist Peter Wildeblood (Daniel Mays) and RAF corporal Peter McNally (Richard Gadd) who meet and begin a love affair at a time when being gay is illegal. Wildeblood ends up on trial for gross indecency, with McNally testifying for the prosecution, and his subsequent imprisonment starts a conversation, and ultimately, a change in the opinions around same-sex relationships.