''The Rainbow'' is a

BBC television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...

three-episode serial of 1988 directed by

Stuart Burge Stuart Burge (15 January 1918 – 24 January 2002) was an English stage and film director, actor and producer. The son of H. O. Burge, by his marriage to K. M. Haig, Burge was educated at Eagle House School, Sandhurst, and Felsted School, E ...

, adapted from the

D. H. Lawrence David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright, literary critic, travel writer, essayist, and painter. His modernist works reflect on modernity, social alienation ...

novel ''

The Rainbow ''The Rainbow'' is a novel by British author D. H. Lawrence, first published by Methuen & Co. in 1915. It follows three generations of the Brangwen family living in Nottinghamshire, focusing particularly on the individual's struggle for growt ...

'' (1915).

Outline

Ursula Brangwen is the eldest child of Will Brangwen, a farmer, and his wife Anna. She has a fascination with rainbows and one day she runs away from home looking for the pot of gold at the end of one. As a teenager, Ursula has a crush on Winifred Inger, her gym mistress at the girls' high school, and she also has romantic feelings for Anton Skrebensky, who is at the boys' high school. They spend a lot of time together, including hill walking. Ursula agrees to become a nude model for a local artist, but she walks out after he makes a pass at her. She is jealous when Winifred gets engaged to her Uncle Henry. Ursula and Anton leave school. He joins the army and goes to fight in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

, while she moves to London and gets a job as a schoolteacher at an elementary school in the East End of London, where she has to fend off unwanted advances from the headmaster of the school. A year later, in the spring of 1901, Ursula returns to the farm and meets Anton, just home from the war, and they begin an affair. Ursula also starts to work for the Derbyshire miners union. When she thinks she is pregnant, Anton wants to marry her, but she turns him down, and he goes away. After fighting off an attempted rape by two miners, Ursula gets a telegram from Anton to say he has married someone else and has been posted to British India. During a rainstorm, a rainbow appears, and Ursula packs a suitcase and again runs away from home, chasing the rainbow. Her story is continued in D. H. Lawrence's novel ''

Women in Love ''Women in Love'' is a 1920 novel by English author D. H. Lawrence. It is a sequel to his earlier novel, '' The Rainbow'' (1915), and follows the continuing loves and lives of the Brangwen sisters, Gudrun and Ursula. Gudrun Brangwen, an arti ...

''.

Cast

Imogen Stubbs Imogen Stubbs (born 20 February 1961) is an English actress and writer. Her first leading part was in '' Privileged'' (1982), followed by '' A Summer Story'' (1988). Her first play, ''We Happy Few'', was produced in 2004. In 2008 she joined ' ...

as Ursula Brangwen * Robyn Cooper as Young Ursula Brangwen * Martin Wenner as Anton Skrebensky * Kate Buffery as Winifred Inger * Colin Tarrant as Will Brangwen *

Jane Gurnett Jane E. Gurnett (born 12 March 1957, in Dorset) is an English actress known for her roles in British TV series ''Casualty'' (1994–1996), ''Dangerfield'' (1998–1999) and the second incarnation of ''Crossroads'' (2001–2003). She moved to ...

as Anna Brangwen * John Evitts as Mr Harby *

John Tams John Tams (born 16 February 1949) is an English actor, singer, songwriter, composer and musician born in Holbrook, Derbyshire, Holbrook, Derbyshire, the son of a Public house, publican. He first worked as a reporter for the ''Ripley, Derbyshire ...

as Mr Brunt *

Clare Holman Clare Margaret Holman (born 12 January 1964) is an English actress. She portrayed forensic pathologist Dr. Laura Hobson in the crime drama series ''Inspector Morse'' and its spin-off '' Lewis'' from 1995 to 2015. Career Holman started her ac ...

as Gudrun Brangwen * Roy Spencer as Vicar * Emma Kedge as Ethel * Martin Bettridge as Billy Brangwen * Tom Bell as Old Tom Brangwen *

Jon Finch John Nicholas Finch (2 March 1942 – 28 December 2012) was an English stage and film actor who became well known for his Shakespearean roles. Most notably, he starred in films for directors Roman Polanski (''Macbeth'', 1971) and Alfred Hitchc ...

as Uncle Tom *

Eileen Way Eileen Mabel Elizabeth Way (2 September 1911 – 16 June 1994) was a British actress who appeared in film and television roles in a career dating back to the 1930s. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from the age of 16. She was ...

as Lydia Brangwen *Claire Thompson as Catherine *Kathryn Brown as Cassie *Tom Bailey as Williams *Paul Duke as Billy *

Emma Chambers Emma Gwynedd Mary Chambers (11 March 1964 – 21 February 2018) was an English actress. She played Alice Tinker in the BBC comedy ''The Vicar of Dibley'' and Honey Thacker in the film ''Notting Hill'' (1999). Beginning her career in 1987 o ...

as Margaret *Sarah-Jane Holm as Dorothy *

Fabia Drake Fabia Drake OBE (born Ethel McGlinchy; 20 January 1904 – 28 February 1990) was an English actress whose professional career spanned almost 73 years during the 20th century. Drake was born in Herne Bay, Kent. Her first professional role ...

as Aunt Olga *David Beames as Uncle Fred *Phyllida Hewatt as Mrs Phillips *

Amelda Brown Amelda Brown is a British actress of stage, film, and television. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1980, and became known for her work in fringe theatre. She played leading roles in the premieres of Caryl Churchil ...

as Maggie Schofield *

Marjie Lawrence Marjie Lawrence (21 January 1932 – 16 June 2010) was an English theatre, film and television actress. She spoke the first words uttered on ITV. Early life Born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, Marjie undertook weekend acting classes from a ...

as Ethel * Lola Almudevar as Catherine Brangwen *

Dilys Hamlett Dilys Hamlett (31 March 1928 in South Tidworth, Hampshire – 7 November 2002 in Cupar, Fife) was a British actress. Early life Dilys Hamlett was born on 31 March 1928 in South Tidworth, Hampshire (now in Wiltshire), and developed an early int ...

as Dr Frankstone *Sarah Crowden as Catherine Phillips *Cate Hamer as Louisa Phillips *John MacKay as Eddie *Graeme Aston as Wright *Graham Barlow as Hill *Annette Kashdan as Cassie *Amy Bell as Young Anna Brangwen *Laurie Eastwood as Margaret Brangwen *Suzy Roper as Theresa Brangwen *Aran Bell as Clem Phillips *Brian Hickey as David Schofield

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rainbow, The 1988 British television series debuts 1988 British television series endings 1980s British drama television series British historical television series BBC television dramas Television series by BBC Studios BBC Birmingham productions 1980s British television miniseries Television series set in the 1910s Television shows based on British novels British English-language television shows Television shows set in Derbyshire Films based on works by D. H. Lawrence Films directed by Stuart Burge