''The Barchester Chronicles'' is a 1982 British television serial produced by Jonathan Powell for the BBC. It is an adaptation by

Alan Plater Alan Frederick Plater (15 April 1935 – 25 June 2010) was an English playwright and screenwriter, who worked extensively in British television from the 1960s to the 2000s. Career Plater was born in Jarrow, County Durham, although his family ...

Anthony Trollope Anthony Trollope (; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels collectively known as the '' Chronicles of Barsetshire'', which revolves ar ...

's first two

Chronicles of Barsetshire The ''Chronicles of Barsetshire'' is a series of six novels by English author Anthony Trollope, published between 1855 and 1867. They are set in the fictional English county of Barsetshire and its cathedral town of Barchester. The novels conce ...

, ''

The Warden ''The Warden'' is a novel by English author Anthony Trollope published by Longman in 1855. It is the first book in the ''Chronicles of Barsetshire'' series, followed by ''Barchester Towers''. Synopsis ''The Warden'' concerns Mr Septimus Hardi ...

'' (1855) and ''

Barchester Towers ''Barchester Towers'' is a novel by English author Anthony Trollope published by Longmans in 1857. It is the second book in the ''Chronicles of Barsetshire'' series, preceded by '' The Warden'' and followed by '' Doctor Thorne''. Among other thi ...

'' (1857). The series was directed by David Giles. Location work was videotaped in and around

Peterborough Cathedral Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Pau ...

, using locations such as the Deanery and Laurel Court.

Plot overview

The clerical community around Barchester's cathedral is rocked by a press investigation into the finances of Hiram's Hospital almshouse. Following the death of the bishop in the midst of the controversy, the chaplain and wife of the new bishop lead a reforming crusade, which arouses strong opposition within the diocese. These public events have a significant effect on the private lives of many of those involved.

Cast

Donald Pleasence Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before transitioning into a screen career, where he played numerous supporting and character roles including RAF ...

as Mr Harding *

Nigel Hawthorne Sir Nigel Barnard Hawthorne (5 April 1929 – 26 December 2001) was an English actor. He is most known for his stage acting and his portrayal of Sir Humphrey Appleby, the permanent secretary in the 1980s sitcom '' Yes Minister'' and the Cabi ...

as Archdeacon Grantly * Angela Pleasence as Mrs Grantly *

Cyril Luckham Cyril Alexander Garland Luckham (25 July 1907 – 8 February 1989) was an English film, television and theatre actor. He was the husband of stage and screen actress Violet Lamb. Career The son of a paymaster captain in the Royal Navy, Cyril Lu ...

as Bishop Grantly * David Gwillim as John Bold *

George Costigan George J. Costigan (born 8 August 1947) is an English actor who is best known for portraying Bob in the 1987 film ''Rita, Sue and Bob Too'' and for roles in TV series such as '' Happy Valley'' and '' So Haunt Me''. Early life Born in Portsmouth ...

as Tom Towers *

John Ringham John Henry Ringham (10 February 1928 – 20 October 2008) was a British actor who appeared on both television and stage. Among his roles was that of Norman Warrender in the 1980s sitcom '' Just Good Friends''. Early life Ringham was born in Ch ...

as Finney *

Barbara Flynn Barbara Flynn (born Barbara Joy McMurray, 5 August 1948) is an English actress. She first came to prominence playing Freda Ashton in the ITV drama series '' A Family at War'' (1970–1972). She went on to play the milk woman in the BBC comedy ...

as Mary Bold *

Janet Maw Janet Maw (born 16 May 1954) is an English actress. She was a member of the BBC's Radio Drama Company."Radio and audio book companies", in Lloyd Trott, ed., ''Actors and Performers Yearbook 2016'', pp. 353-354 Career Television * ''The Mayor of ...

as Eleanor Harding *

Clive Swift Clive Walter Swift (9 February 1936 – 1 February 2019) was an English actor and songwriter. A classically trained actor, his stage work included performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, but he was best known to television viewers for h ...

as Bishop Proudie *

Geraldine McEwan Geraldine McEwan (born Geraldine McKeown; 9 May 1932 – 30 January 2015) was an English actress, who had a long career in film, theatre and television. Michael Coveney described her, in a tribute article, as "a great comic stylist, with ...

as Mrs Proudie *

Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his deep, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and became a member of the Royal Shakesp ...

as Obadiah Slope *

Susan Hampshire Susan Hampshire, Lady Kulukundis, (born 12 May 1937) is an English actress known for her many television and film roles. A three-time Emmy Award winner, she won for '' The Forsyte Saga'' in 1970, ''The First Churchills'' in 1969, and for ''Vani ...

as Signora Madeline Neroni * Ursula Howells as Miss Thorne *

Peter Blythe Peter Blythe (14 September 1934 – 27 June 2004) was an English character actor, probably best known as Samuel "Soapy Sam" Ballard in '' Rumpole of the Bailey''. Early life Born in Yorkshire, Blythe studied drama on scholarship at the Roy ...

as Bertie Stanhope * Susan Edmonstone as Charlotte Stanhope *

Joseph O'Conor Joseph O'Conor (14 February 1916 – 21 January 2001) was an Irish actor and playwright. Early years O'Conor was born in DublinAlan Strachan ''The Independent'', 2 February 2001Stephen GilbertObituary ''The Guardian'', 25 January 2001 on ...

as Bunce * Jonathan Adams as Mr Quiverful * Maggie Jones as Mrs Quiverful * Clifford Parrish as Handy * Derek New as Mr Arabin * Richard Bebb as Dr Stanhope * William Redgrave as Samuel Grantly * Trevor Baxter as Dr. Gwynne *

as Tom Towers * Wally Thomas as Moody * Kenneth Keeling as Gazy * Denis Carey as Skulpit *

Richard Leech Richard Leeper McClelland (24 November 1922 – 24 March 2004), known professionally as Richard Leech, was an Irish actor. Richard Leeper McClelland was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Isabella Frances (Leeper) and Herbert Saunderson McCl ...

as Wilfred Thorne * George Malpas as the ticket collector * Mischa De La Motte as The Dean * Raymond Platt as Haphazard's clerk *

Alec Bregonzi Alec Bregonzi (21 April 1930, London – 4 June 2006) was an England, English actor who appeared in a number of stage and television roles. Bregonzi began his career as a professional actor in 1955 in repertory theatre in Farnham, then in Yo ...

as a Footman * Paddy Ward as Hotel Waiter * Roger Booth as Plomacy * Joe Ritchie as Coffee House Waiter *

Michael Aldridge Michael William ffolliott Aldridge (9 September 1920 – 10 January 1994) was an English actor. He was known for playing Seymour Utterthwaite in the television series ''Last of the Summer Wine'' from 1986 to 1990 and he had a long career as a ...

as Sir Abraham Haphazard *

Phyllida Law Phyllida Ann Law (born 8 May 1932) is a British actress, known for her numerous roles in film and television. Early life Law was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Meg "Mego" and William Law, a journalist. Prior to the Second World War, her fath ...

as Mrs. Stanhope * Ian Brimble as Harry Greenacre *

Keith Marsh Keith Marsh (1926 – 28 January 2013) was an English actor who appeared in numerous television productions over a 50-year period. Born in Blackpool, Lancashire, he is perhaps best known for playing Jacko in the Thames Television sitcom '' ...

as Bell * Jim Baker as Quiverfull child * Harold Gasnier as Form Tutor

Filming locations

Chavenage House-geograph-4082530-by-Paul-Best

Laurel Court next to Peterborough Cathedral (geograph 4904572)

Chavenage House Chavenage House, Beverston, Gloucestershire is a country house dating from the late 16th century. The house was built in 1576 and is constructed of Cotswold stone, with a Cotswold stone tiled roof. David Verey and Alan Brooks, in their Glouceste ...

, Tetbury, Gloucestershire *Abbots Gate, Peterborough Cathedral *The Deanery, Gravel Walk, Peterborough Cathedral *Laurel Court, Vineyard Road, Peterborough

Awards

The series won a BAFTA award for Design (Chris Pemsel) in 1982, also being nominated for Drama Series/Serial (Jonathan Powell, David Giles), Costume Design (Juanita Waterson), Graphics (Stewart Austin), Make Up (Elizabeth Rowell), Sound Supervisor (Chick Anthony), Video Cameraman (Geoff Feld), and Video Lighting (Howard King).

References

External links

* * BBC television dramas Period television series Television shows based on British novels 1982 British television series debuts 1982 British television series endings 1980s British drama television series 1980s British television miniseries English-language television shows {{drama-tv-prog-stub