''Widows'' is a British primetime

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

crime drama Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

that was broadcast in 1983 and 1985, produced by

Euston Films Euston Films is a British film and television production company. It was originally a subsidiary of Thames Television, and operated from 1971 to 1994, producing various series for Thames, which were screened nationally on the ITV network. Euston ...

for

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

and aired on the ITV network. Two six-part series were written by crime writer

Lynda La Plante Lynda Joy La Plante, CBE (née Titchmarsh; born 15 March 1943) is an English author, screenwriter and former actress often known for writing the '' Prime Suspect'' television crime series. In 2024 she was honoured with the Crime Writers' Asso ...

. The executive producer for the series was

Verity Lambert Verity Ann Lambert (27 November 1935 – 22 November 2007) was an English television and film producer. Lambert began working in television in the 1950s. She began her career as a producer at the BBC by becoming the founding producer of t ...

. In 1984 it was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series or Serial.

Plot

Three armed robbers — Harry Rawlins, Terry Miller, and Joe Perelli — are killed during an armed robbery. They are survived by their widows, Dolly Rawlins (

Ann Mitchell Ann Mitchell (born 22 April 1939) is a British stage and television actress. She came to prominence in the 1980s when she starred as Dolly Rawlins in the crime series ''Widows'' as well as the sequels '' Widows 2'' and '' She's Out'', all writt ...

), Shirley Miller ( Fiona Hendley), and Linda Perelli ( Maureen O'Farrell). With the police applying pressure, and a rival gang intending to take over Harry Rawlins' crime business, the widows turn to Dolly for leadership. She uses Harry's famous "ledgers", a cache of books detailing all his robberies over the years, to find the details of the failed robbery, and, enlisting the help of a fourth woman, Bella O'Reilly (

Eva Mottley Eva Henderson Mottley (24 October 1953 – 14 February 1985) was a Barbadian-born British actress. She played Bella O'Reilly in the television drama ''Widows'', and Corinne Tulser, wife of Denzil Tulser, in ''Only Fools and Horses''. Early ...

), they resolve to pull off the raid themselves. At the same time, they discover the "fourth man" in the raid escaped—leaving their husbands for dead. Dolly must contend with the police and the gang, as well as her fellow widows, agitating for vengeance. The first series of ''Widows'' concluded with the widows pulling off the raid, and escaping to Rio. In the final scenes, they discovered that the "fourth man" was in fact Harry Rawlins ( Maurice O'Connell), Dolly's husband. A second series followed in 1985. This series saw the widows return from Rio to track down Harry Rawlins, revealed at the conclusion of the original ''Widows'' to be the surviving "fourth man" from the original raid. Harry is determined to pay back the widows for staging his raid, and the widows have a score to settle with him for running out on their husbands. Actress Eva Mottley left the production before the second series, claiming that she had been sexually and racially abused by the production staff. She died by suicide soon after. Debby Bishop took over the role of Bella for series 2. A sequel series, '' She's Out'', set ten years after the events of ''Widows'', was produced in 1995.

Cast

Major cast

as Dolly Rawlins * Maureen O'Farrell as Linda Perelli * Fiona Hendley as Shirley Miller *

as Bella O'Reilly (Series 1) * Debby Bishop as Bella O'Reilly (Series 2) * Kate Williams as Audrey Withey * Maurice O'Connell as Harry Rawlins * David Calder as D.I. George Resnick *

Paul Jesson Paul Jesson is an English stage, television and film actor and an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has played leading roles at the National Theatre and the RSC and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Su ...

as D.S./D.I. Alec Fuller

Supporting cast

Series 1

* Peter Machin as D.C. Robin Andrews * Jeffrey Chiswick as Arnie Fisher *

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 Charlie Staincliffe *

Stanley Meadows Stanley Meadows (born 14 July 1931 in Stepney, London, England) is a retired British film and television actor. Meadows was the son of a shopowner in Stepney Green. He won a scholarship to Forest School, in Epping Forest, and eventually graduate ...

as Eddie Rawlins * Carol Gillies as Alice Gunner *

Dudley Sutton Dudley Sutton (6 April 1933 – 15 September 2018) was an English actor. Active in radio, stage, film and television, he was best known for his role of Tinker Dill in the BBC Television comedy/drama series ''Lovejoy''. Early life Sutton was b ...

as Boxer Davis * Terry Cowling as Jimmy Nunn *

Christopher Ellison Christopher Michael Ellison (born 16 December 1946 in St Pancras, London) is a British actor from London. He is best known for his role as DCI Frank Burnside in the ITV police series ''The Bill'' and short-lived spin-off series '' Burnside''. ...

as Tony Fisher *

Terence Harvey Terence John Humes (October 1944 – 7 September 2017), known professionally as Terence Harvey, was a British television actor. Among his many roles was the prosecution counsel in '' The Execution of Gary Glitter''. He also appeared in '' From Hel ...

as Chief Insp. Saunders * James Lister as Carlos Moreno *

Catherine Neilson Catherine Neilson (born 3 October 1957) is a British stage, television and film actress, who was active from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. Career On stage, Neilson starred as Christie in ''Traps'' by Caryl Churchill, at the Royal Court Theatre ...

as Trudie Nunn * Peter Lovstrom as Greg Withey * Michael John Paliotti as Joe Perelli * Terry Stuart as Terry Miller

Series 2

Stephen Yardley Stephen Yardley (born 24 March 1942) is an English actor. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1963, he became known for his many roles on UK television between 1964 and 2004. Career In the mid-1960s, Yardley was a perm ...

as Vic Morgan * Andrew Kazamia as Micky Tesco * Peter Machin as D.C. Robin Andrews * Mike Felix as Eddie Bates * Peter Lovstrom as Greg Withey * Christopher Whitehouse as Gordon Murphy *

Pavel Douglas Pavel Douglas (born 5 January 1951) is a Polish-born actor based in the United Kingdom. Biography Douglas was born in Kraków on 5 January 1951, and was naturalised in 1959. By the end of the 1970s, having been brought up in Scotland and France, ...

as D.S. Tommy Reynolds *

Damien Thomas Damien Roy Charles Noel Court-Thomas (11 April 1942 – 18 April 2025), known by his stage name Damien Thomas, was a British actor noted for his roles in British films and television, such as his role as Father Martin Alvito in the 1980 minise ...

as Jose Camarena * Jim Carter as D.I. Frinton *

Ann Michelle Ann Michelle (born 11 August 1952) is a British actress. Biography Michelle was born on 11 August 1952 in Chigwell, Essex, and was educated at Knewnham Primary School and West Hatch Technical High School. Her father Joseph was a fish trade ...

as Jackie Rawlins *

as Chief Insp. Saunders *

as Trudie Nunn * Winston Crooke as Harvey Rintle

Episode list

Series 1 (1983)

Series 2 (1985)

In other media

American remake

In 2002, the first series was re-made for the American market, but the plot was significantly changed. Instead of a traditional armed robbery, this version united the three widows and the fourth woman in a plan to steal a famous painting. This version starred

Mercedes Ruehl Mercedes J. Ruehl ( ; born February 28, 1948) is an American screen, stage, and television actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award. Ruehl won the Academy Award f ...

as Dolly Rawlins,

Brooke Shields Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress. A child model starting at the age of 11 months, Shields gained widespread notoriety at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film ''Pretty Baby (1978 film), Pretty Baby ...

as Shirley Heller,

Rosie Perez Rosa Maria Perez (born September 6, 1964) is an American actress. Her breakthrough came at age 24 with her portrayal of Tina in the film '' Do the Right Thing'' (1989), followed by '' White Men Can't Jump'' (1992). Perez's performance in '' Fear ...

as Linda Perelli, and

N'Bushe Wright N'Bushe Wright ( ; born September 7, 1969) is an American actress and dancer. She attended and trained as a dancer at the Alvin Ailey Dance Center and the Martha Graham School of Dance. She is known mainly for her role as Dr. Karen Jenson in th ...

as Bella O'Reilly. The miniseries aired on ABC between 6 August and 27 August 2002, and is produced by Patchett/Kaufman Entertainment, in association with

Greengrass Productions The American Broadcasting Company has formed a number of production companies since its formation in 1943 and under various parent companies and owners up until the present day under ownership by the Walt Disney Company. ABC Film Syndication, or A ...

and distributed by

Buena Vista Television Buena ( ) is a borough in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough, and all of Atlantic County, is part of South Jersey and the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Phil ...

Film adaptation

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of counterculture of the 1960s, 1960s counterculture, made him a top box office draw for his films of the late ...

directed a film adaptation, and co-wrote the screenplay with

Gillian Flynn Gillian Schieber Flynn (; born February 24, 1971) is an American author, screenwriter, and producer, best known for her Thriller (genre), thriller and Mystery fiction, mystery novels ''Sharp Objects'' (2006), ''Dark Places (Flynn novel), Dark Plac ...

New Regency New Regency Productions is an American-British-Luxembourgish entertainment company formed by Arnon Milchan. It was founded in 1991 as the successor to Regency International Pictures (formerly known as Embassy International Pictures N.V.). Hist ...

produce the film. In September 2016

Viola Davis Viola Davis ( ; born August 11, 1965) is an American actress and film producer. List of awards and nominations received by Viola Davis, Her accolades include both the Triple Crown of Acting and EGOT. ''Time (magazine), Time'' named her one of ...

was announced as starring as Dolly Rawlins. In January 2017,

André Holland André Holland (born December 28, 1979) is an American actor. He is widely known for his 2016 performance as Kevin in the Academy Award-winning film ''Moonlight''. Holland has acted in film, television, and theatre productions. He starred as D ...

and

Cynthia Erivo Cynthia Chinasaokwu Onyedinmanasu Amarachukwu Owezuke Echimino Erivo ( ; born 8 January 1987) is a British actress and singer. Known for her work on both stage and screen, she is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Cynt ...

were announced as starring in the film.

Elizabeth Debicki Elizabeth Debicki (born 24 August 1990) is an Australian actress. Born in Paris and raised in Melbourne, she studied acting at the University of Melbourne. Her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors ...

was in talks to join the film in February 2017. The same month,

Michelle Rodriguez Mayte Michelle Rodríguez (born July 12, 1978) is an American actress. She began her career in 2000, playing a troubled boxer in the independent sports drama film ''Girlfight'' (2000), where she won the Independent Spirit Awards, Independent S ...

and

Daniel Kaluuya Daniel Kaluuya (; born 24 February 1989) is an English actor. His work encompasses both screen and stage, and List of awards and nominations received by Daniel Kaluuya, his accolades include an Academy Awards, Academy Award, two British Academy ...

were named among the cast. In March 2017,

Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Liam Neeson, several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, BAFT ...

was in discussions to star as Viola Davis' husband, and subsequently joined the cast.

Robert Duvall Robert Selden Duvall (; born January 5, 1931) is an American actor. With a career spanning seven decades, he is regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. He has received an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a British Academy Film Awards ...

joined the cast in April, as did

Garret Dillahunt Garret Lee Dillahunt (born November 24, 1964) is an American actor. He is best known for his work in television, including the roles Burt Chance on the Fox sitcom '' Raising Hope'', for which he was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television ...

Jacki Weaver Jacqueline Ruth Weaver (born 25 May 1947) is an Australian theatre, film, and television actress. Her accolades include five AACTA Awards (including the Longford Lyell Award) and a National Board of Review Award, in addition to nominations ...

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo Manuel García-Rulfo Lapuente (born February 25, 1981) is a Mexico, Mexican actor. He is known for his starring role as lawyer Mickey Haller in the television legal drama series The Lincoln Lawyer (TV series), ''The Lincoln Lawyer'' since 2022. H ...

and

Lukas Haas Lukas Daniel Haas (born April 16, 1976) is an American actor and musician. His acting career has spanned four decades, during which he has appeared in more than 50 feature films and a number of television shows and stage productions. His notable ...

in May 2017.

Carrie Coon Carrie Alexandra Coon (born January 24, 1981) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex characters on stage and screen, she has received a Critics' Choice Television Award, as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards a ...

was cast in June 2017, with

Michael Harney Michael John Harney is an American actor of film, television, and theater. He is best known for starring on the Netflix original series '' Orange Is the New Black'' as Corrections Officer Sam Healy. In 2019, he had a recurring role in the Apple ...

and

Jon Bernthal Jonathan Edward Bernthal (; born September 20, 1976) is an American actor. He came to prominence for portraying Shane Walsh on the AMC horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' (2010–2012; 2018), where he was a starring cast member in the f ...

announced as cast members a month later.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

began on 8 May 2017.

Home media

The series was initially made available on VHS via Fremantle Home Entertainment; "Series One" was released on 13 May 2002, while "Series Two" was made available on 8 July 2002. The Complete Series of ''Widows'' was released on DVD, first from Fremantle, on 19 April 2010, and again from Revelation Films, with the addition of the sequel series ''She's Out'' (which is included in all subsequent releases), then from Network on 5 November 2018. On 5 November 2018, Network also released the complete series on standard definition Blu-ray.

References

External links

''Widows''
at the

Internet Movie Database IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

''Widows 2''
at the

Encyclopedia of Television
{{DEFAULTSORT:Widows (Tv Series) 1980s British drama television series 1983 British television series debuts 1985 British television series endings 1980s British crime television series ITV television dramas Television shows produced by Thames Television Television series by Fremantle (company) Television shows set in London Television series by Euston Films British English-language television shows