''Lost Empires'' is a 1986 television

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

adaptation of J. B. Priestley's 1965 novel of the same name and starred

Colin Firth Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September 1960) is an English actor and producer. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Colin Firth, several accolades, including an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA Aw ...

, John Castle and

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

. Produced by

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV (TV network), ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend TV, ...

, it was shown as a serial, and premiered on the UK's ITV network between 24 October and 5 December 1986.

Plot

After the death of his mother, Richard Herncastle (Colin Firth) is offered a job by his maternal uncle. Nick Ollanton is a stage conjurer in variety theatre and Richard joins the act where he meets the other members of the team and the rest of the acts on the bill as they travel around Britain appearing at the Empires, the old variety theatres that have since vanished. He becomes our eyes as he experiences the last few months of peace before

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

breaks out and changes the world forever. During the course of the seven episodes (eight hours), Firth's character, young Richard Herncastle, sees the "whole wide world" from backstage at the

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

variety shows with which the magic act travels, just as his uncle Nick ( John Castle) has promised—hilarity, beauty, love, lust, fear, despair. Richard comes of age just as the world enters the fateful year of 1914—the outbreak of World War I, when the greatest of all disappearing acts becomes imminent: the disappearance of millions. The series has the second to last appearance of Olivier as a fading comedian named Harry Burrard, who has long since lost his audience and his comic abilities. Harry should have retired years before, however he has nowhere else to go and his brain is collapsing into

paranoia Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety, suspicion, or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of co ...

. The role is a sort of older version of Olivier's Archie Rice, from '' The Entertainer'' (1960).

Cast

as Richard Herncastle * John Castle as Nick Ollanton *

Gillian Bevan Gillian Bevan (born 13 February 1956) is an English actress, best known for her roles in British television shows and West End theatre. In 1988 she played Dorothy in the Royal Shakespeare Company's revival of their version of ''The Wizard of Oz ...

as Cissie Mapes * Beatie Edney as Nancy Ellis *

as Harry Burrard * Carmen du Sautoy as Julie Blane * Pamela Stephenson as Lilly Farris * Jim Carter as Inspector Crabbe

Awards

The series was nominated for six Television BAFTA Awards including Best Costume Design, Best Make-up. In the US Olivier received an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie.

Video and DVD

The series has been released on both VHS and DVD format.

References

External links

*
Photograph of cast.
1986 British television series debuts 1986 British television series endings 1980s British drama television series Television series set in 1914 Period television series ITV television dramas 1980s British television miniseries Television series by ITV Studios Television shows produced by Granada Television British English-language television shows Television shows set in England World War I television series {{UK-tv-prog-stub Television series set in the 1910s