''The Barchester Chronicles'' is a 1982 British television serial produced by Jonathan Powell for the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

. 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. He is best known for the sitcom ''Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt'' and th ...

Anthony Trollope Anthony Trollope ( ; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among the best-known of his 47 novels are two series of six novels each collectively known as the ''Chronicles of Barsetshire ...

'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 concer ...

, '' The Warden'' (1855) and '' Barchester Towers'' (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, and formerly known as Peterborough Abbey or St Peter's Abbey, is a cathedral in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, in the United Kingdom. The seat of the Church ...

, 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 as Mr Harding *

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

as Archdeacon Grantly * Angela Pleasence as Mrs Grantly * Cyril Luckham as Bishop Grantly * David Gwillim as John Bold * George Costigan as Tom Towers * John Ringham as Finney * Barbara Flynn as Mary Bold * Janet Maw as Eleanor Harding * Clive Swift 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 distinctive deep, wikt:languid#Etymology 1, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and b ...

as Obadiah Slope * Susan Hampshire as Signora Madeline Neroni *

Ursula Howells Ursula Howells (17 September 1922 – 16 October 2005) was an English actress whose elegant presence kept her much in demand for roles in film and television. Life and career Howells was born in London, the daughter of composer Herbert Howells, ...

as Miss Thorne * Peter Blythe as Bertie Stanhope * Susan Edmonstone as Charlotte Stanhope * Joseph O'Conor 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 * Wally Thomas as Moody * Kenneth Keeling as Gazy * Denis Carey as Skulpit * Richard Leech as Wilfred Thorne * George Malpas as the ticket collector * Mischa De La Motte as The Dean * Raymond Platt as Haphazard's clerk * Alec Bregonzi as a Footman * Paddy Ward as Hotel Waiter * Roger Booth as Plomacy * Joe Ritchie as Coffee House Waiter * Michael Aldridge as Sir Abraham Haphazard * Phyllida Law as Mrs. Stanhope * Ian Brimble as Harry Greenacre * Keith Marsh as Bell * Jim Baker as Quiverful son * Harold Gasnier as Form Tutor

Filming locations

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

Awards

The series won a

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

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

* * * Available for streaming or download on archive.org
Barchester Chronicles
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 British English-language television shows Chronicles of Barsetshire {{drama-tv-prog-stub