8 /10 1 Votes
Screenplay by David Butler Theme music composer Wilfred Josephs Original language(s) English First episode date 5 September 1978 Number of seasons 1 Director Claude Whatham | 8.1/10 IMDb Directed by Claude Whatham Country of origin United Kingdom No. of series 1 Network ITV Number of episodes 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cast Ian McShane, Mary Peach, Rosemary Leach, John Carlisle, Brewster Mason Similar Edward the Seventh, QED, Lovejoy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Disraeli is a British four-part serial about the great statesman and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Benjamin Disraeli. It was originally featured on British network ITV. With a screenplay by David Butler, it was produced by Cecil Clarke and directed by Claude Whatham. It focused on Disraeli's personal life as much as it did on his political persona spanning five decades of his life. Shot on site in England, it ended up with multiple Emmy nominations. It was broadcast in the US as part of Masterpiece Theatre in 1980. Distributed by Granada Productions, it is available in a 2-disc DVD set that runs 4 hours and 13 minutes.
Contents
Plot
The series starts with Disraeli already a young man, trying to make connections in high society and eventually run for office several times, unsuccessfully. Much of his personal life is covered, and his more successful involvement with politics starts in the second episode, which ends with his being sworn in as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The rest of the series chronicles his rise to power, the death of his wife and his two terms as prime minister.