At the court of Charles II, young John Churchill advances his career by serving the king’s bastard son, Monmouth, in the field of battle, and by bedding the king’s mistress, the Duchess of Cleveland. Young Sarah Jennings is also advancing at court, by befriending the king’s sister-in-law, the Duchess of York, and teaching the York princesses, Mary and Anne, the art of gambling. At a court masque, the two meet, and sparks fly.
In 1675 a masque was performed at the Court of Charles II at Whitehall. There the young soldier John Churchill, Groom of the Bedchamber to the King's brother, fell in love with a pretty lady-in-waiting, Sarah Jennings.
John and Sarah have married. Lord Shaftesbury has threatened Charles with rebellion. To appease his Protestant Parliament, Charles has arranged a marriage between Mary and the Prince of Orange.
The rage against Popery in England continues. James, Duke of Monmouth, has become the protégé of Shaftesbury who plans to make him King. But Churchill has refused to support Monmouth. Charles has resisted all pressure to disinherit his brother James.
Charles has been forced to send James into exile and to dissolve his factious parliament at Oxford. The Princess Anne has married George, Prince of Denmark, and has chosen Sarah to be one of her Ladies of the Bedchamber.
Monmouth, the hope of the Protestant rebels, was defeated by John Churchill at Sedgemoor.
John Churchill owed much to James II. But the King was clearly determined to destroy the Protestant religion and the laws of England, so John decided to support William of Orange and the Revolution of 1688.
William III, with Churchill's help, has defeated James' attempted invasion of Ireland. John has been suspected of treason and dismissed from Court. Princess Anne has refused to obey her sister Mary and part with Sarah.
In an atmosphere of national panic John, falsely accused of Jacobite treachery, has been imprisoned for a time in the Tower. After Mary's death, William receives Anne at Court.
Before he died William III recognised Marlborough as his successor in the task of defeating France. With the accession of Anne, John and Sarah have risen to a position of pre-eminence.
To save the Holy Roman Empire from French invasion Marlborough led his allied troops into Germany and defeated the French at the Battle of Blenheim.
Marlborough continues his success in the war against France, but his prestige at home and with Anne has been impaired by the devious backstairs intrigue of Robert Harley.
The cultivated Mrs Adela Gereth is worried that her son Owen will marry Mona Brigstock - she considers Mona to be brash and completely unsuitable. Owen soon gets engaged to Mona and expects to take over Poynton, the family's large country house, which is filled with valuable antique furniture, pictures and collections. Mrs Gereth does not want to let go of the house, but she is even more attached to the contents.
Owen asks his friend Fleda Vetch to help him to persuade his mother to clear out of Poynton. Mrs Gereth decides to move to another house on the estate, called Ricks. But she does not plan to lose her favourite pictures and pieces of furniture as well.
Fleda vists Mrs Gereth at Ricks and finds she has furnished it with all the best furniture and pictures from Poynton. Mona Brigstock is angry with what she looks on as this theft. Meanwhile, Owen is now more attracted to Fleda than to Mona and tells Fleda he loves for her - but she says he should honour his promise to Mona, unless she lets him go.
Mrs Gereth returns all the best furniture to Poynton, just before Owen and Mona get married, and they go abroad on their honeymoon. Owen writes to Fleda, inviting her to choose one item from the house for herself. She goes to Poynton, but finds it has gone up in flames, with all of its contents.
Catalina of Aragon, a Spanish princess, is set to wed Arthur Tudor, eldest son on King Henry VII. Shortly after they wed, Arthur is taken by illness. Catalina then catches the eye of Arthur's brother, Henry. When Henry VII dies, he tells his son Henry that he must marry Catalina. Henry becomes the King of England and marries Catalina. Being loved by her new subjects, Catalina changes her name to the English version, Catherine. After many years, she is still loved by her subjects, but it's a different story with her husband.
his second episode of the series overlaps with the first, and thus begins when Queen Anne and King Henry are already estranged. After several pregnancies, Anne has provided her husband with only one surviving child, Princess Elizabeth. Extremely unpopular with both the public and the aristocracy, Anne has few friends to protect her when Henry's eye lights upon the virginal Jane Seymour. New prime minister Thomas Cromwell manufactures adultery charges against the queen, including a charge of incest with her own brother which are confirmed by her vengeful sister-in-law, Lady Rochford. Put on trial for treason, the result is a foregone conclusion and Anne Boleyn bravely faces the executioner's axe.
The third episode of the series is told in flashback, as Queen Jane Seymour lies on her deathbed, after giving birth to Henry's sole male heir, Prince Edward. Anxious to rid himself of the shrewish Anne Boleyn, and desperate for a son, Henry is charmed by the naive and pious Jane, the daughter of a wealthy country aristocrat. Political and religious turmoil threaten their happy marriage, as Catholic and Protestant factions clash but Jane is able to provide King Henry with his long-awaited male heir. Tragically, it is at the cost of her own life as she dies six days after her son's birth.
Religious strife between Catholics and Protestants continues to swell in Europe. To try to balance the Catholic threat of France and Spain, Thomas Cromwell persuades King Henry into a political marriage with the sister of the Protestant German Duke of Cleves. Sadly, the artist Hans Holbein, assigned the task of painting the prospective bride, takes artistic liberties, and Henry is unpleasantly surprised when his bride arrives and is not the beauty portrayed in her portrait. Though alone in a foreign land, Anne is shrewd enough to negotiate a divorce from Henry, and remains in England, well cared for, as “the King’s sister.” Her success is not shared by Cromwell, however, who is executed for his role in arranging the disastrous marriage. Though not mentioned in the series, Anne of Cleves outlived all the other wives of Henry VIII..
The powerful Duke of Norfolk, the leading Catholic aristocrat in England, dangles his smokin' hot teenaged niece Catherine Howard before the aging but still horny King Henry, who foolishly marries her. It is only a matter of time before Catherine's indiscretions with men her own age are revealed, and she meets the same fate as predecessor Anne Boleyn.
Corpulent and old, Henry makes a final trip to the altar, with the puritan Lady Latimer, Catherine Parr. The new queen brings Henry’s estranged daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, back into the family fold, but irritates the king by debating religion with him and his advisors. The Catholic Bishop of Winchester sets out to prove Catherine to be a heretic, but is thwarted by Henry’s affection for his last queen. Finally, Henry VIII dies, leaving his kingdom fractured by religious differences, and divided over the legitimacy of his daughters. At his own request, he is buried next to the wife who provided him with a son, Jane Seymour.
The boy king Edward VI dies, and in accordance with the will of his father, Henry VIII, the throne of England passes to Edward's young cousin Lady Jane Grey, who has just married Lord Guildford Dudley. But Henry's daughter Princess Mary (whom Henry deemed to be illegitimate) wants the throne, and support rallies around her. Queen Jane is deposed, and then beheaded. The reign of 'Bloody Mary' has begun.
Elizabeth begins to become more involved with her court favourite Robert Dudley whilst she is being courted by all the overly anxious heads of Europe determined to secure the young English Queen's hand in marriage.
Princess Elizabeth, Mary's Protestant sister, inherits the throne.
Elizabeth's neverending battle of wits with the imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots almost costs Elizabeth her life.
Elizabeth's former brother in law Philip of Spain vows revenge on his long standing rival for both Mary's execution and the constant pillaging of Spain's treasure ships by Sir Francis Drake.
Elizabeth's favour falls on the brash young Earl of Essex, who through his hot headed behaviour alienates the formerly besotted Queen who is put into the agonizing position of ordering his execution as a danger to the state. Elizabeth's own slow death then follows not long after ending an eventful but glorious reign.
It's 1757 and the Red Indians are caught between the British and the French.
On their way to join their father at Fort William Henry, Cora and Alice Munro with their escort Major Heyward are betrayed by their Indian guide, Magua. Hawkeye and the Mohicans, Chingachgook and Uncas have come to the rescue.
Cora, Alice and Heyward have been captured by Magua and the Hurons. Hawkeye has left Fort William in a desperate attempt to bring help.
Hawkeye has undertaken to guide Cora and Alice to their father at Fort William Henry.
Cora and Alice have joined their father. Munro has been ordered by General Webb to surrender the fort to the French.
Munro has surrendered Fort William Henry to the French. Waiting in the woods as the British garrison marches out are Magua and the hostile Hurons.
Heyward has implemented a plan to rescue Alice who, with Cora has fallen into the hands of Magua. Uncas has been captured by the Hurons and sentenced to death.
Magua has taken to the forest with Cora as his prisoner. Uncas prepares to follow and fight to save her.
Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey
Miss Francie Fitzpatrick, boarding in her cousin's home, falls for a penniless English officer, against her cousin's wishes.
Francie, unwilling to follow Charlotte's plans for her, is banished from Lismoyle.
Francie, having been abandoned by Charlotte and Hawkins, marries Lambert.
Save the Cathedral's revered all-boys choir or spend the money to restore the Cathedral to its former glory? That's the no-holds-barred controversy that rips apart the community surrounding England's Aldminster Cathedral in The Choir.
Interview Day is a warm-hearted story about parents and their children on the day of their interviews for entrance into Cambridge University. The story follows three different families, and reveals that the parents are more anxious than their sons and daughters. The program stars Sir Alec Guinness, Maureen Lipman, and Tom Wilkinson.
Rebecca tells the story of a young woman who unwittingly enters a labyrinth of horror that threatens to destroy her. Each turn takes her deeper into the mystery of her drowned predecessor and her own relationship with the moody and enigmatic Maxim. Du Maurier's genius is to meld the forms of gothic romance and suspense thriller in a completely convincing way.
After the cunning Lawyer Wakem takes over a mill owned for centuries by the Tulliver family, daughter Maggie Tulliver adds insult to injury when she falls in love with Wakem's handsome son -- despite the fierce opposition of her brother Tom. This sparkling adaptation of George Eliot's beloved novel also stars Bernard Hill as Maggie's father and Lucy Whybrow as her cousin Lucy.
Based upon Wilkie Collins Victorian mystery, the gothic tale tells of a pair of half sisters whose lives end up caught in a grand conspiracy revolving around a mentally ill woman dressed in white. As the story unfolds, murder, love, marriage, and greed stand between the two women and happy lives. Their only hope is the secret the woman in white waits to tell them.
About a World War I British regiment (composed of workers at the royal estate at Sandringham), which goes into combat at Ballipoli in 1915.--from TV Guide.
Part One opens with Davids birth, which occurs shortly after the death of his father. Great Aunt Betsey arrives for the event, eagerly anticipating a girl. Thwarted in her wishes, she leaves in disgust, never to return. Young David has a happy childhood, with a memorable visit to his nanny Peggottys relatives, who live in a ship house on the coast. On his return, he finds his mother has married Mr. Murdstone, a paranoid disciplinarian. After David bites Murdstone during a beating, the boy is sent to a boarding school run by the severe Mr. Creakle. There, he falls under the protection of Steerforth, an older student. The school is the least of Murdstones torments, for when Davids mother dies the stepfather sends him to work at a sweatshop in London. Again, David finds a patron--this time Mr. Micawber, a profligate family man with whom he lodges. But Micawber is soon sent to debtors prison, and David is homeless. Destitute, he walks to Dover where he has heard his Aunt Betsey lives. She offers him a nurturing home, shared with her lovable, lunatic lodger, Mr. Dick. The first part closes as David matures into a young man, with bright prospects before him.
The plot thickens in Part Two, which finds David residing with Aunt Betseys lawyer, Mr. Wickfield and his daughter, Agnes. Wickfields obsequious clerk, Uriah Heep, lurks malevolently on the margins. Meanwhile, David is apprenticed to another lawyer, Mr. Spenlow, who has a charming if flighty daughter, Dora. Oblivious to the charms of Agnes, whom he treats as a sister, David falls in love with Dora and begins courting her, although her father disapproves. Unbeknownst to all, Heep has his eye on Agnes and on Wickfields business. By chance, David encounters his old schoolboy hero, Steerforth. Together they set forth to visit the ship house, where reside Davids old nanny, Peggotty; her taciturn husband, Barkis; Peggottys fisherman brother, Daniel; his nephew, Ham; and Hams cousin and fiance, Little Emily. Secretly enamored with Emily, the unscrupulous Steerforth convinces her to run away with him. Daniel sets out in hot pursuit, following them through many countries. More villainy unfolds as Heep ruins not only Wickfield but Aunt Betsey, who, with Mr. Dick, comes to live with David. Meanwhile, Micawber has reentered the picture as Heeps reluctant clerk. Wickfield expires, leaving Dora penniless and hence a fitting match for the equally destitute David. They marry and David pursues his new career as an author, but Dora, too, soon dies. All is not lost, for Micawber exposes Heeps financial fraud, restoring Aunt Betseys wealth. And Daniel finally tracks down Emily, who has been abandoned to an appalling life by Steerforth. Just as David arrives at the ship house with news of Emilys rescue, Ham dies in a storm while trying to rescue a drowning man, who turns out to be Steerforth. Dickens ties up loose ends by seeing that David and Agnes are married; that the Micawbers, Daniel and Emily start a new life in Australia; and Aunt Betsey finally gets that niece
""Uncle Daniel Ponder, blessed with a loving heart, not much common sense and the riches of Croesus, throws his Southern hometown into an uproar in The Ponder Heart, adapted from the late Eudora Welty's award-winning comic novel. ""--from Masterpiece Theatre's official website
Linda's marriage to to the Commuist Christian raises few eyebrows, but Polly's betrothal to Boy Dougdale raises many.
""London, in the 1870's. Infamous financier, Augustus Melmotte, arrives in town. As he sets up home in a grand new house at Grosvenor Square, rumors of his financial wizardry and his eligible heiress daughter, Marie, spread like wild fire. Concerns that Melmotte may also be an accomplished swindler are...Read more here.
""Georgiana Longestaffe, snobbish but desperate to find a husband, arrives in London as a reluctant guest of the Melmottes. Melmotte announces that Marie is to marry another of her suitors, Lord Nidderdale. Marie tells Felix that she has her own money and makes it clear that she will defy her father. Aided by her maid Didon, she begins to plot her elopement with Felix. Paul is concerned that Melmotte refuses to discuss the practicalities of building the railway, and decides to go to Mexico ..."" Read more here.
Innocents is a powerful and absorbing true story of ill children, desperate parents, and incompetent medical care based on the recent notorious Bristol Royal Infirmary scandal.
An Australian TV adaption of JIll Ker Conway's memoir chronicles the academic's childhood on a Nerw South Wales sheep ranch in the late 1930's and '40's.--from TV Guide
The coming of age story chronicle of a Puerto Rican girl in early 1960's New York.
Behold the Forsytes!
Irene and architect Philip Bosinney only have eyes for each other, and Bosinney's heartborken fiancee sees it.
""Irene's affair with architect Philip Bosinney reaches a crossroads as this eight-our adaptation of John Galsworthy's Victorian-family drama reaches its midway point. As the episode opens, Bosinney is awaiting the judge's ruling in Soames' lawsuit against him. But he and Irene plan to run off together no matter what. After all, he tells her 'respectability won't keep you warm at night.' Soames, however, won't give his wife up with out a fight. Meanwhile, Old Jolyon wants to ""retire from London"" and take Young Jolyon and his family--June included--with him.""--From TV Guide
""Irene has left Soames and it has been left to June to bury Bossiney. But there are also ""new beginnings"": Old Jolyon (Corin Redgrave) buys Robin Hill, the house Bosinney designed for Soames, and moves there with June, Young Jolyon (Rupert Graves) and his family. Five years later, the now-lonely Old Jolyon meets Irene, who's now a music teacher. She has suffered through hard times since leaving Soames. ""We can be pathetic together,"" he tells her.""--from TV Guide
""The Forsyte Saga,"" Part 5. Old Jolyson's bequest finally gives Irene financial security. Twelve years later, Soames (Damian Lewis) decides to divorce her. ""We're two peas in a pod---both abandoned,"" he tells his sister, Winifred (Amanda Root), when her blackguard husband, Dartie (Ben Miles), leaves her after one losing night too many at the gaming table. Irene: Gina McKee.--from TV Guide.
""The Forsyte Saga,"" Part 6. It's 1899, and Soames (Damian Lewis), 43, decides he wants a child. And since he can't divorce Irene, he wants her to be the mother. As usual, he won't take no for an answer. As for Irene (Gina McKee), she has found a friend in Young Jolyon (Rupert Graves). Meanwhile, Dartie (Ben Miles) has returned from South America, and Winifred (Amanda Root) has taken him back. But their son Val (Julian Ovenden) isn't so forgiving. Val has also fallen in love, with Jolyon's daughter Holly (Amanda Ryan), much to the distress of Holly's brother Jolly (Christian Coulson).--from TV Guide. NOTE: According to Russel Baker, Soames is 44. Click to subscribe to theforsytesaga2002
The dawn of a new century doesn't necessarily bring an end to old conflicts as the Forsyte family chronicle ends---for now. Masterpiece Theatre's dramatization of the first two novels in John Galsworthy's original Forsyte trilogy did not disappoint. Another set of stories, encompassing the third novel, is currently filming in England. Soames is desperate for a son---""on any terms!"" he screams to Irene. But for that to happen, Soames must divorce Irene. And Irene, as it happens, is growing ever closer to Young Jolyon. She finds any thought of reconciliation with Soames a ""degredation."" His private investigators, however, have led him to the conclusion that she and Jolyon are having an affair. Upon stumbling upon them at Robin Hill, he insists that they stay away from each other or he will divorce her with ""all degredation."" They show no sign of obliging, and falsely admit to having an affair. Soames, then procedes with the divorce. He mentions to Winnifred that it is a sad conc
He's a writer nosing for scandal. She's a prime minister looking for love. When they meet, neither is disappointed. Robson Green plays aspiring novelist Liam Marple, who makes his living as a faceless showbiz gossip columnist writing under the moniker "Mrs. Jones." Politics is the last thing on Liam's mind until he is assigned to get the dirt on Britain's controversial new leader. Caroline Goodall (Schindler's List, The Princess Diaries) co-stars as the object of this seedy mission: Prime Minister Laura Bowden, a selfless public servant and mother of two who ascended to the top job a few months earlier when the previous PM died. Now Laura faces her first general election and grim prospects from an electorate that considers her stiff and humorless. In addition, she faces brewing scandal from the not-so-subtle philandering of her husband.
1992. Millat (Christopher Simpson) is now a juvenile delinquent attending a progressive school with Archie's beautiful daughter, Irie (Sarah Ozeke). Busted for dope along with nerd Josh Malfen (James McAvoy), the three are sentenced to study sessions with Josh's intellectual parents, Marcus (Robert Bathurst), a controversial geneticist, and Joyce (Geraldine James), a famous gardener. When Samad torches Millat's possessions in a bonfire of teenage vanities, Millat moves in with the Malfens. But he is lured away by the Keepers of the Eternal and Victorious Islamic Nation (KEVIN) -- an Islamic sect with an acronym problem. Josh also turns radical, joining Fighting Animal Torture and Exploitation (FATE) -- an animal rights group targeting his father for crimes against mice. To Samad's horror, when long-absent Magid (also Christopher Simpson) finally returns from Bangladesh, he is more English than the English. Magid immediately goes to work for Marcus on FutureMouse, a transgenic Franken-s
This is a stage production of Thornton Wilder's classic play. Set at the beginning of the 20th century, it's about the ordinary lives of the people of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire - love, marriage, death.
In the first century, Rome ruled the known world, but it had only just conquered Britain. Queen Boudicca, widow of King Prasutagus of the Iceni in what is now East Anglia, led a revolt which shook the foundations of the empire: superpower versus super warrior. Meanwhile, the Emperor Claudius, who wanted Britain in the first place, has been murdered by Nero, who orders a savage revenge against the Iceni.
This is the story of a shy English schoolmaster who devotes his life to teaching at his old school.
Boris Pasternak's epic love story is set in the years around the First World War and the Russian Revolution of 1917. Yuri Zhivago is a young doctor and rising poet, about to be married to Anna. He meets Lara (the teenage mistress of a politician) when she tries to kill herself. Lara marries the Bolshevik Antipov, and as the Great War unfolds Yuri and Lara go off to war to tend the wounded, fall in love and lead a passionate affair as the old régime collapses.
Continuing the story of Dr Yuri Zhivago and Lara Antipova.
Second series of the family drama, adapted from Galsworthy's third novel. 1 of 3: Soames is disturbed when he sees Fleur playing with Jon at a birthday party. Eleven years later, Fleur decides to find out more about Jon, and why everyone seems to want to keep them apart.
Adaptation of John Galsworthy's third book, 'To Let', which chronicles a new generation of Forsytes. Jolyon arranges for Jon to travel abroad for two months to distract him from his blossoming relationship with Fleur.
Continuing John Galsworthy's epic story of the Forsytes, a rich and materialistic business family which becomes more artistic and less selfish as the years go by.
Based on the novel by Anthony Trollope, charting the demise of a marriage caused by the obsessive jealousy of a husband who is wrongly convinced that his wife is having an affair.
A riveting view of the German invasion and occupation of the Channel Islands, the only part of the British Isles that fell into Nazi hands, and how life was irrevocably changed overnight forms the backdrop of the gripping drama Island at War. With the imminent arrival of the Germans, Felicity Dorr decides to leave her husband; Wilf Jonas tries to evacuate his children; and the Mahys inherit a shop from their Jewish neighbour.
A riveting view of the German invasion and occupation of the Channel Islands, the only part of the British Isles that fell into Nazi hands, and how life was irrevocably changed overnight forms the backdrop of the gripping drama. Cassie faces an angry Lieutenant Walker after she refuses to serve the Germans. Philip Dorr returns to the island, on a secret mission.
A riveting view of the German invasion and occupation of the Channel Islands, the only part of the British Isles that fell into Nazi hands, and how life was irrevocably changed overnight. Stuck on St Gregory and in constant danger, Philip and Eugene try to avoid suspicion from the Germans.
A riveting view of the German invasion and occupation of the Channel Islands (the only part of the British Isles that fell into Nazi hands) and how life was irrevocably changed overnight.Walker makes Zelda an offer when he discovers her secret.
A riveting view of the German invasion and occupation of the Channel Islands and how life was irrevocably changed there overnightWalker makes Zelda an offer when he discovers her secret.Concluding part of the World War II drama. James and Wilf help philip plan his escape.
Watson persuades Sherlock Holmes to come out of retirement to hunt a serial killer. The pattern is that the murderer kills young ladies by gagging them with one of their stockings and then strangling them with the other.
15-year-old Davie Balfour is poised to receive a vast inheritance when he's lured onto a cargo ship, knocked unconscious, and kidnapped by his malevolent uncle Ebenezer, who devises a scheme to sell him into slavery. But Davie's unforeseen rescue at the hands of a Scottish rogue, Alan Breck, with them racing across the Scottish moors, with English bounty hunters in hot pursuit.
After escaping from the bounty hunters, Davie and Alan run into an old friend of Alan's, now the leader of a guerrilla band fighting the Redcoats. Soon after, though, the bounty hunters are on their tail once again, and Davie goes to Queensferry, near Edinburgh, to seek out his old family lawyer - with a view to tackling his Uncle Ebenezer.
The Virgin Queen is the more or less true story of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1557-1603). The production begins in the Tower of London, where Elizabeth has been imprisoned by Queen Mary, her half-sister, who hopes to bring England back to the Roman Catholic Church and who sees Elizabeth as a rallying-point for the supporters of the protestant Church of England. After the death of Mary, Elizabeth inherits the throne as Queen of England in her own right. Elizabeth sets out with high hopes, but she is soon torn between her love for Sir Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (a married man) and her duties as Queen.
The continuing story of Queen Elizabeth I of England. Elizabeth is under constant pressure to marry and secure the future of the crown by providing an heir, but she fears the loss of power that might come from having a husband and refuses to be forced into a political marriage. Meanwhile, the Queen becomes a strong ruler, and in the Age of Elizabeth her England even begins to become a player on the world stage.
The Durrells, an eccentric English family, move to the Greek island of Corfu in the 1930's, and the young Gerald Durrell becomes fascinated with the island's wildlife.
A coming-of-age story set in the UK during the second world war. Fourteen-year old Carrie Willow and her young brother Nick are evacuated from London during the Blitz and sent to a small Welsh town, where the strict Mr Samuel Evans and his sister take them in
TV film. Adaptation of Thomas Hardy's romantic tale of mid 19th century village life. Fancy Day, a new schoolteacher in a Dorset village, is put under pressure by her family to marry well. However, she falls for the poor Dick Dewy.
A spirited but plain governess escapes a sadistic home for charity children and goes to work for a moody employer, and captures his heart. But then a dark secret intrudes.
The spirited but plain young governess Jane Eyre has captured the heart of her moody employer, Rochester, but a dark secret intrudes.
Sally Lockhart is a feisty sixteen-year-old on a mission to discover the truth behind her father's death and unravel the secret behind the deadly phrase 'the seven blessings.'
Stewart Harcourt's adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula takes the dark character to England, where he becomes a powerful figure in the lives of an unhappily married couple.
In 19th century Victorian England, Mrs. Isabella Beeton produced what became an essential book for housewives of the day. She was married at a relatively young age to Sam Beeton, a publisher of books and magazines on a variety of subjects. Not someone to sit at home in the traditional role of a housewife, Mrs. Beeton started work in her husband's business, initially as an editor correcting English but then writing some of the columns herself. It as at this point that she developed an idea for a cookbook and Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management was born. Her life was not an easy one however.
The 37th season of Masterpiece Theatre begins with Part 1 of the five-part "The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard". Jane Horrocks plays Ros Pritchard, a British supermarket manager who is fed up with politicians and decides to run for parliament. Surprisingly, she ends up becoming Prime Minister.
"The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard" continues in this second part of five. The political honeymoon starts to turn sour for Ros when her proposal to move the seat of government from London stalls. A visiting dignitary's family is murdered, a critical book about Ros and her new political party is released, and unsavory photos of Ros' eldest daughter Emily are released to the public.
This third part of "The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard" takes place one year into Ros' service as Prime Minister. Ros faces an international crisis when a Lithuanian plane crashes over London.
"The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard" continues with this fourth part of five. Ros implements a new policy to combat global warming by banning unessential car traffic for one day a week.
"The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard" concludes in this fifth part of five, and the last new episode of Masterpiece Theatre in 2007.
This solid adaptation of Jane Austen's 'Persuasion', stars Sally Hawkins as 27-year-old Anne Elliot who is facing spinsterhood until a past love, the handsome Capt. Wentworth (Rupert Penry-Jones), reenters her life. The strong supporting cast includes Anthony Head ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") as Anne's father, the crotchety Sir Walter Elliot.
"The Complete Jane Austen" continues with its second installment with a new adaptation of "Northanger Abbey". Felicity Jones stars as Catherine Morland, a gothic-novel afficiando whose vivid imagination leads her into trouble during a stay with the wealthy Tilney family at their medieval country house, where Catherine's budding romance with the younger son, Henry Tilney (J.J. Field), is threatened.
The third installment of "The Complete Jane Austen" features a brand new adaptation of 'Mansfield Park.' Billie Piper stars as Fanny Price, a young woman from a poor background who has been raised by her wealthy uncle and aunt. While growing up amidst her new family, she forms a tight bond with the second son, Edmund (Blake Ritson), is severely chastised by her uncle (Douglas Hodge) for turning down a marriage proposal, and finds true love.
"Masterpiece Theatre's The Complete Jane Austen" continues with 'Miss Austen Regrets,' starring Olivia Williams and Hugh Bonneville. This new biopic depicts the romantic trials of Jane Austen, including two men whose proposals she rejected and the young surgeon who arrived too late to steal her heart.
The fifth installment of "The Complete Jane Austen" features the famously popular 1995 A&E/BBC dramatization of 'Pride and Prejudice,' now airing on "Masterpiece Theatre" for the first time. This dramatization stars Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet and Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. This first part of three comprises the first two episodes of the original six-episode 1995 television serial.
The fifth installment of "The Complete Jane Austen" features the famously popular 1995 A&E/BBC dramatization of 'Pride and Prejudice,' now airing on "Masterpiece Theatre" for the first time. This dramatization stars Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet and Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. This second part of three comprises the third and fourth episodes of the original six-episode 1995 television serial.
The fifth installment of "The Complete Jane Austen" features the famously popular 1995 A&E/BBC dramatization of 'Pride and Prejudice,' now airing on "Masterpiece Theatre" for the first time. This dramatization stars Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet and Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. This final part of three comprises the fifth and sixth episodes of the original six-episode 1995 television serial.
Emma Woodhouse has a rigid sense of propriety as regards matrimonial alliances. Unfortunately, she insists on matchmaking for her less forceful friend, Harriet, and so causes her to come to grief. Through the sharp words of Mr. Knightley, and the example of the opinionated Mrs. Elton, someone not unlike herself, Emma's attitudes begin to soften...
Following the death of Mr Dashwood, his wife and three daughters - Elinor, Marianne and Margret - are forced by money constraints to move to a small cottage in Devonshire. While Elinor is attached to Edward Ferrars, who has promised to visit her, Marianne attracts the attention of older Colonel Brandon and rogue Willoughby.
Marianne and Willoughby find themselves falling in love while Colonel Brandon is called away on urgent business. Elinor is relieved when Edward comes to visit, but his strange behavour leaves her confused. Elinor learns that Edward is engaged to Lucy Steele, while Marianne discovers the full extent of Willoughy's betrayal from Colonel Brandon and it leaves her in a downward spiral and her health takes a turn for the worse.
Timothy Spall and his son Rafe Spall appear together for the first time as father and son (as Mr. Emerson and his son George) in a new ITV adaptation by Andrew Davies of E.M. Forster's novel, 'A Room with a View.' This classic drama, set against the backdrop of rural Italy and England in the early twentieth century, tells the story of the impressionable young English woman, Lucy Honeychurch (Elaine Cassidy), and her attempts to find love and happiness.
Based on 1915 poem by Rudyard Kipling of the same name, this television dramatization of the 1997 stage play 'My Boy Jack' stars Daniel Radcliffe as John "Jack" Kipling, David Haig as Rudyard Kipling, and Kim Cattrall as Caroline Kipling. Davig Haig is the writer of both the stage play and the television screenplay. 'My Boy Jack' examines how grief affected Rudyard Kipling following the death of his son during World War I, at the Battle of Loos, in 1915.
"Cranford" is set in 1842-1843 in a small rural town dominated by a group of single and widowed middle class women who place great store on propriety, and on maintaining an appearance of gentility, even those whose means are barely adequate for the task. Arriving to town is a young man, Doctor Harrison (Simon Woods), who brings his own modern ideas to Cranford in the form of new treatments he has learned about at medical school in London.
Lady Ludlow's estate manager, Mr. Carter, catches young Harry Gregson trespassing but decides to hire him rather than report him to the constable. Matilda meets someone from her past. Rumors have it that the railway may be coming to Cranford. It's Christmas-time and Miss Matty isn't sure it would be appropriate to celebrate with friends and neighbors given the death of her sister. Mary Smith convinces her otherwise.
The residents of Cranford are suffering through a crime spree when Dr. Harrison's house is broken into and Mr. Johnson is attacked as he is closing his store. When Gregson is arrested for the crimes, young Harry has to admit that he and his father were out poaching at that time. By the time Valentine's day rolls around, Dr. Harrison's approach to Sophy receives a more positive reception. However, Miss Caroline Tomkinson receives an anonymous Valentine card and is more convinced than ever that Dr. Harrison is available.
This new adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," is about a young woman (Gemma Arterton) who learns that, though her family is poor, she's descended from aristocrats. She takes a position with a family who purchased her ancestral name, D'Urbervilles, and she is preyed upon by Alec (Hans Matheson), the libertine son, from whom she flees.
Tess (Gemma Arterton) tells Angel (Eddie Redmayne) about Alec (Hans Matheson) on their wedding night, which doesn't sit well with Angel. Later, while Angel attempts to start a new life in Brazil, she works on a farm and fends off advances from Alec, who has taken a renewed interest in her after a chance meeting.
Braving her father Edgar Linton's warning not to cross the estate border, young Catherine discovers her charming, but sickly cousin, and the manly Hareton are the heartlessly scorned and abused sons of wealthy Heatcliff on the Earnshaw estate. This launches a flashback how Heathcliff was raised as Cathy's best friend and her kind father, Mr Earnshaw.
The moment where Oliver Twist asks for more gruel is right up there with Hamlet's "To be, or not to be" line. You know it's coming, you wait, you get ready because it's on its way and then, bam! it's arrived: "Please sir, I want some more". Newcomer William Miller, as Oliver, wisely plays it straight as he holds out his bowl and blinks his sweet saucer eyes at wicked workhouse boss Mr Bumble (Gregor Fisher) in Sarah Phelps's roistering dramatisation of the Dickens story.
Sikes escapes back to London with a badly wounded Oliver, and Nancy nurses him, determined to save his life. Mr Bumble declares his love for Mrs Corney. Rose continues to search for Oliver, but is discovered by Monks, who tells Brownlow of her secret mission. Despite Corney and Bumble's attempts to extort money from him, Monks quickly gets the upper hand and leaves with the necklace, letter and a page of the register recording Oliver's birth.
One of Dickens' greatest love stories, Little Dorrit has the timely theme of chronic debt and financial collapse. Matthew Macfadyen (Pride and Prejudice) stars as hero Arthur Clennam, with Clair Foy as Amy "Little" Dorrit and Tom Courtenay as her father
Little Dorrit tells the story of the Dorrit family and the rich array of characters they encounter on their way from rags to riches and back again. Adapted by Andrew Davies, the miniseries stars Matthew Macfadyen, Tom Courtenay, Alun Armstrong and Claire Foy as "Little" Amy Dorrit.
Rigaud charms Arthur's mother when he visits her with the contents of the stolen box, and, whilst her butler stands by uncomfortably, she lets the Frenchman know that she will do business with him when she is ready. The newly-rich Dorrits leave the Marshalsea and Amy is appalled at how coldly her father treats Arthur when repaying the money he owes. Her snobbish siblings are equally as dismissive of Arthur. The Grand Tour moves on to Venice, where the Dorrits encounter Mrs. Merdle and Edmund at their hotel.
In Venice Fanny continues to cold -shoulder Edmund and spar with his mother, who writes to her husband to employ him,to get him out of Fanny's clutches, in the Bank. The bank is highly successful and Mr. Pancks tells Arthur to invest in it to increase capital for his business. Amy and Fanny are mutually horrified to see Mrs. General woo their father and Fanny finally marries Sparkler, to escape having to have Mrs. General as a step-mother. Amy is deeply upset when her father forbids her to return to London with the newly-weds.
After Mrs. General rejects his proposal of marriage, subsequently giving her notice, Mr. Dorrit falls spectacularly apart at Mrs. Merdle's masked ball, thinking he is back in the Marshalsea, and delivering a humiliating outburst to that effect. Soon afterward he passes away, as does Frederick, seemingly out of grief for his brother, and Amy returns to London, where she is given a home by Fanny and Edmund. Merdle's suicide note reveals that he was a swindler, robbing his investors and leaving thousands ruined. Mrs. Merdle agrees to Fanny's suggestion they do a 'moonlight flit' to escape creditors but Arthur submits to imprisonment in the Marshalsea, where the Plornishes bring food and optimism and John Chivery makes him realize Amy has always loved him. Daniel Doyce returns from Russia, having made a fortune, which he is happy to share with the man who set him up in business - Arthur, whose financial woes are now ended.
A teenage girl and her grandfather lose everything to a maniacal moneylender and flee his relentless pursuit. Derek Jacobi stars as Grandfather, with Sophie Vavasseur as Nell and Toby Jones as Quilp.
It's August 1844 and Miss Matty knows only too well that faces will always come and go in Cranford, but for now she is happy that her dear brother, Peter is home from India and that Martha, Jem and baby Tilly make for a lively household. Lady Ludlow is awaiting the return of her son, Septimus, and young Harry Gregson is about to start his education at Shrewsbury, benefiting from the moral support of Miss Galindo. Then there's news that wealthy widower, Mr Buxton has returned to live in Cranford, bringing with him his charming ward, Erminia and his handsome Eton-educated son, William. Whilst at nearby Thorn Cottage, Peggy Bell tries to make the best of things caring for her mother and brother Edward. Elsewhere, the world continues to change, but for now the railway has stopped five miles outside Cranford in spite of the efforts Captain Brown. All too soon life in Cranford will change in some very unexpected ways.
Everyone is overjoyed at the news that William Buxton and Peggy Bell are to be married - except it all comes as news to the elder Mr. Buxton who thinks his son is marrying beneath himself. With few choices left to him, William decides he will have to make his own fortune and begins working on the railroad with Mr. Brown. The ladies of the village are somewhat taken aback when Mrs. Jamieson announces that her sister-in-law, Lady Glenmire, will be visiting but then fails to invite anyone to meet her. It becomes known that Mrs. Jamieson thinks they are all beneath her Ladyship. Mr. Buxton has agreed to sell the railroad a small parcel of land they require in order to build the railroad to Cranford and puts the sale in the hands of Edward Bell. He thinks highly of the young man but he is to be deceived when not only does Edward cheat Mr. Buxton on the purchase price, he uses the deeds to the land to cover his own debts.
A new adaptation of Jane Austen's comic tale of a headstrong young woman's failed matchmaking schemes.
Emma Woodhouse is a radiant, privileged girl with a remarkable talent for matchmaking, as observed by her loving but disapproving father and childhood friend Mr. Knightley. When the decidedly less privileged Harriet Smith arrives, Emma meddles with fate to find her a match, until her flawless intuition is called into question.
Dissuaded from more matrimonial predictions, Emma nonetheless continues to cheerfully contemplate superior men, and meets one of her own in the handsome, gleaming Frank Churchill.
Secret agent Richard Hannay battles German spies on the eve of World War I in a riveting and romantic new version of the classic thriller by John Buchan, made famous in Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 movie. Masterpiece favorite Rupert Penry-Jones (Persuasion) stars as Hannay.
India, 1817 Two years after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington sends Sharpe to India to check out an Indian prince who appears to threaten British interests. The mission becomes dangerous when a general's daughter is kidnapped and Sharpe must find her.
The adventures of Colonel Richard Sharpe continue as he leads a ragtag party of civilians and soldiers on a march across India, with the murderous army of an opium lord in hot pursuit.
The most accurate adaptation of Anne Frank's account of life hiding from the Nazis stars Ellie Kendrick as a maturing teenager who undergoes an extraordinary ordeal. Iain Glen, Tamsin Greig and Felicity Jones also star. The Diary of Anne Frank airs on Holocaust Remembrance Day 2010.
The saga of two couples — one Jamaican, one English — whose lives intertwine in both friendship and tragic misunderstanding in post-World-War-II Britain. Naomie Harris and David Oyelowo star as the Jamaican immigrants, with Ruth Wilson and Benedict Cumberbatch as their English landlords.
After the war, Gilbert returns to Jamaica, where opportunity is even poorer than before the war. Eventually, he decides to seek better luck in England, where Jamaicans now have full rights as citizens. However he lacks the fare, and Hortense — desperate to fulfill her dream of living in England and resigned to Michael's death — makes a bargain.
