Parnell and the Englishwoman

Parnell and the Englishwoman was a British television miniseries which aired on BBC Two in four hour-long episodes from 9 to 30 January 1991, and RTÉ One from 10 to 31 January 1991.[1][2] The story is based on an episode in the life of Irish politician Charles Stewart Parnell and is based on Hugh Leonard's historical novel of the same name. The series was also shown on Masterpiece Theatre in the United States.

Parnell and the Englishwoman
GenreDrama
Written byHugh Leonard
Directed byJohn Bruce
StarringTrevor Eve
Francesca Annis
David Robb
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original language(s)English
No. of series1
No. of episodes4
Production
Producer(s)Terry Coles
Production company(s)BBC
Polymuse
Release
Original networkBBC Two
RTÉ One
Original release9 January (1991-01-09) –
30 January 1991 (1991-01-30)

The television miniseries was produced by the BBC and Polymuse.[3][4] It stars Trevor Eve and Francesca Annis

Plot summary

Irish politician Charles Parnell and Katharine O'Shea, wife of another politician Captain William O'Shea, begin an affair that lasts for many years. It eventually leads to his political downfall and the crumbling of the Irish party in Parliament.

Cast

Reception

Writing for The Los Angeles Times, Ray Loynd called the series "redolent of Victorian splendor, of soft green rolling fields and country and seaside manors. But coursing through that serene world is the hurly-burly of political intrigue and the unquenched passions of a secret affair that brought down the man often called "the uncrowned king of Ireland.""[5] John O'Connor of the New York Times called it and "old-fashioned BBC drama. The pacing is almost stately, the sets and costumes are rich in period authenticity, the script is intelligent. Politics involving the Irish and the English are so convoluted that absolute clarity is probably impossible within the confines of a drama, but Mr. Leonard manages to touch on a remarkable number of crucial points. And the performances, predictably, are extraordinarily good, with Mr. Eve, Miss Annis and Mr. Robb setting a demanding pace for the fine supporting cast. It's comforting to find this sort of highly professional production still around these days."[6]

References
  1. "Parnell and theEnglishwoman". The Radio Times (3498). 1990-12-27. p. 79. ISSN 0033-8060. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
  2. "Irish Film & TV Research Online - Trinity College Dublin". www.tcd.ie. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
  3. "Parnell And The Englishwoman (BBC-2 1991, Trevor Eve, Francesca Annis)". Memorable TV. 2018-11-16. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
  4. "Polymuse". BFI. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
  5. Loynd, Ray (December 28, 1991). "The Scandal in 1880s That Rocked 'Parnell'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  6. O'Connor, John (December 27, 1991). "Love, Politics and Disaster In 19th-Century Ireland". New York Times. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
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