Parnell and the Englishwoman is a British television miniseries which aired on BBC Two in four hour-long episodes from 9 to 30 January 1991, and RTÉ One from 10 to 31 January 1991.[1][2] The story is based on an episode in the life of Irish politician Charles Stewart Parnell and is based on Hugh Leonard's historical novel of the same name. The series was also shown on Masterpiece Theatre in the United States.
| Parnell and the Englishwoman | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Hugh Leonard |
| Directed by | John Bruce |
| Starring | Trevor Eve Francesca Annis David Robb |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Terry Coles |
| Production companies | BBC Polymuse |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC Two RTÉ One |
| Release | 9 January – 30 January 1991 |
The television miniseries was produced by the BBC and Polymuse.[3][4] It stars Trevor Eve and Francesca Annis
Plot summary
editIrish politician Charles Parnell and Katharine O'Shea, wife of another politician Captain William O'Shea, begin an affair that lasts for many years. It eventually leads to his political downfall and the crumbling of the Irish party in Parliament.[citation needed]
Cast
edit- Trevor Eve as Charles Stewart Parnell
- Francesca Annis as Katharine O'Shea
- David Robb as William O'Shea
- Lorcan Cranitch as Timothy Healy
- Sheila Ruskin as Anna Steele
- Shaughan Seymour as Joseph Chamberlain
- Robert Lang as Mr. Gladstone
- Stanley Townsend as Thomas Sexton
Reception
editWriting for The Los Angeles Times, Ray Loynd called the series "redolent of Victorian splendor, of soft green rolling fields and country and seaside manors. But coursing through that serene world is the hurly-burly of political intrigue and the unquenched passions of a secret affair that brought down the man often called "the uncrowned king of Ireland.""[5] John O'Connor of the New York Times called it an "old-fashioned BBC drama. The pacing is almost stately, the sets and costumes are rich in period authenticity, the script is intelligent. Politics involving the Irish and the English are so convoluted that absolute clarity is probably impossible within the confines of a drama, but Mr. Leonard manages to touch on a remarkable number of crucial points. And the performances, predictably, are extraordinarily good, with Mr. Eve, Miss Annis and Mr. Robb setting a demanding pace for the fine supporting cast. It's comforting to find this sort of highly professional production still around these days."[6]
References
edit- ^ "Parnell and theEnglishwoman". The Radio Times. No. 3498. 27 December 1990. p. 79. ISSN 0033-8060. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "Irish Film & TV Research Online - Trinity College Dublin". www.tcd.ie. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "Parnell And The Englishwoman (BBC-2 1991, Trevor Eve, Francesca Annis)". Memorable TV. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "Polymuse". BFI. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ Loynd, Ray (28 December 1991). "The Scandal in 1880s That Rocked 'Parnell'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
- ^ O'Connor, John (27 December 1991). "Love, Politics and Disaster In 19th-Century Ireland". New York Times. Retrieved 21 September 2017.