Directed by Alan Parker, the semi-autobiographical The Evacuees was Rosenthal’s first drama for the BBC and follows the story of two young Jewish boys uprooted from Manchester during the Second World War and sent to live in Blackpool. The pair face the trauma of being away from home and being attacked by gangs of kids because they are different.
After a comically doomed attempt to escape on roller-skates, the brothers finally get the chance to tell all to their mother in the form of a story when she comes to visit. With its brilliantly judged mix of humour and pathos, The Evacuees remains one of the most popular dramas produced by the BBC in the ’70s.