Shooting the Past is a television drama by Stephen Poliakoff, produced by TalkBack Productions for BBC Two and first shown in 1999.

The staff is minimal and made up of shy eccentrics led by manager Marilyn Truman (Duncan) and head librarian Oswald Bates (Spall).

On their arrival, having expected the library of ten million photographs to have been disposed of and the building emptied, Anderson tells the staff that the majority of the collection must be destroyed if they cannot sell it.

Having alienated Anderson to the point that he's been banned from the building, Oswald attempts suicide, leaving notes on a final story.

According to Poliakoff on the commentary track of the DVD, the Jewish girl, Lily Katzmann, was played by Emma Sackville.