The Mallens(1979)

The Mallens is a British television drama adapted from four Catherine Cookson novels. Produced by Granada Television for ITV1, the series ran for thirteen episodes between June 1979 and July 1980. Set in 19th-century Northumberland, the story follows Thomas Mallen, a ruthless squire of High Banks Hall, whose genetic white hair streak marks him as a man of questionable morals. Mallen fathers numerous illegitimate children, each inheriting his distinctive white streak—a visible curse that condemns them to lives of tragedy and ruin. As the generations unfold, the Mallen name becomes synonymous with scandal and misfortune, exploring themes of class, inheritance, and the inescapable weight of family legacy in Victorian England.