BBC Television Shakespeare 45 years old

The BBC Television Shakespeare is a series of British television adaptations of the plays of William Shakespeare, created by Cedric Messina and produced by BBC Television. It was transmitted in the UK from 3 December 1978 to 27 April 1985 and spanned seven series. Development of the series began in 1975 when Messina saw that Glamis Castle would make a perfect location for an adaptation of Shakespeare's play As You Like It. On returning to London, he envisioned an entire series devoted exclusively to the dramatic works of Shakespeare. After encountering numerous problems trying to produce the series, Messina eventually pitched the idea to the BBC’s departmental heads and the series was greenlighted. The series as a whole received generally negative reviews from critics.

Credits

Cast

Name Character
Helen Mirren She was 33 , now 78 years old
Tony Doyle He was 20 , 41 years old when he died
Patrick Stewart He was 38 , now 83 years old
Julian Glover He was 43 , now 89 years old
Barbara Kellerman She was 28 , now 74 years old
Anthony Hopkins He was 40 , now 86 years old
Brenda Blethyn She was 32 , now 78 years old
Jonathan Pryce He was 31 , now 76 years old
Donald Sumpter He was 35 , now 81 years old
Phyllida Law She was 46 , now 91 years old
Margaret Tyzack She was 47 , 79 years old when she died
Robert Gwilym He was 21 , now 67 years old
Ben Kingsley He was 34 , now 80 years old
Simon Chandler He was 25 , now 71 years old
Wendy Hiller She was 66 , 90 years old when she died
Alan Rickman He was 32 , 69 years old when he died
Bob Hoskins He was 36 , 71 years old when he died
Judy Davis She was 23 , now 68 years old
Tony Haygarth He was 33 , 72 years old when he died
John Cleese He was 39 , now 84 years old
Eileen Atkins She was 44 , now 89 years old
Alan Howard He was 41 , 77 years old when he died
Alan Bennett He was 44 , now 89 years old
Adrienne Corri She was 48 , 85 years old when she died
Sinéad Cusack She was 30 , now 76 years old
Vernon Dobtcheff He was 44 , now 89 years old
Claire Bloom She was 47 , now 93 years old
Alun Armstrong He was 32 , now 77 years old
Jon Finch He was 37 , 71 years old when he died
Maureen Lipman She was 32 , now 77 years old
Juliet Stevenson She was 22 , now 67 years old
John Rhys-Davies He was 34 , now 79 years old
Gemma Jones She was 35 , now 81 years old
Anna Quayle She was 46 , 86 years old when she died
Paul Brooke He was 34 , now 79 years old
Edward Hardwicke He was 46 , 78 years old when he died
Oliver Cotton He was 34 , now 79 years old
Brian Deacon He was 29 , now 75 years old
David Kelly He was 49 , 82 years old when he died
Cherie Lunghi She was 26 , now 71 years old
Richard Griffiths He was 31 , 65 years old when he died
Danny Webb He was 20 , 25 years old when he died
Zoë Wanamaker She was 29 , now 74 years old
Brian Glover He was 44 , 63 years old when he died
Kenneth Cranham He was 33 , now 79 years old
John Gielgud He was 74 , 96 years old when he died
Robert Eddison He was 70 , 83 years old when he died
David Rintoul He was 30 , now 75 years old
Warren Clarke He was 31 , 67 years old when he died
Jonathan Hyde He was 30 , now 75 years old

Crew

Name Job title
Desmond Davis Directing He was 52 , now 97 years old Director
David Hugh Jones Directing He was 44 , 74 years old when he died Director
Herbert Wise Directing He was 54 , 90 years old when he died Director
Stuart Burge Directing He was 60 , 84 years old when he died Director
Jack Gold Directing He was 48 , now 93 years old Director
BBC Television Shakespeare poster
BBC Television Shakespeare (45 years)

Ended

  • First Air Date: 1978-12-01
  • Runtime: [150] minutes
  • Number of Episodes: 68