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Masterpiece on PBS

1971, TV Show

Masterpiece: TV Guide News

PBS's longest running (and most honored) dramatic series is an Anglophile's delight, featuring British adaptations of literary classics and original works. The first `Masterpiece' was `The First Churchills,' and since then it has won nine Peabodys and 29 Emmys (beginning with Susan Hampshire's Best Actress award for `Churchills'). Its many memorable productions include `Upstairs, Downstairs,' `I, Claudius,' 'The Jewel in the Crown,' `House of Cards,' `Poldark' and `Prime Suspect.'

I would love to hear more ... | Matt Roush | 8/11/2008
Question: I would love to hear more from you on the end of the Foyle's War series on Masterpiece Mystery! I thought that the final episode ("All Clear") was brilliant. The balance of the uncertain post-war future with the bright expectation of the war's end was beautifully crafted. The relationships between all the characters were played out in just the right closing tone. The entrance of Andrew after such a long time was a joy. Michael Kitchen's portrayal of Foyle perhaps outshone... read more be the first to leave a comment
The last episode of Foyle's ... | Matt Roush | 8/1/2008
Question: The last episode of Foyle's War has aired. I'm not asking for your help in publicizing a campaign to send swords (foils, get it?) to the BBC. I'm not asking if there is a snowball's chance that the show will be picked up by, I don't know, the Cartoon Network. I'm simply marking the passing of a great series. Though they will be missed, I'm grateful to have spent any length of time with these characters. Now on to Mad Men. Answer: If only every series were allowed to reach as... read more be the first to leave a comment
New (and Some Old) Faces on Mystery! | Matt Roush | 7/13/2008
This summer, PBS’s rechristened Masterpiece Mystery! series is saying farewell to some favorite franchises, with the final installments of Foyle’s War (starting tonight), which I recently reviewed, and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. To fill the gap, Mystery! is turning to some old friends for next summer’s line-up, specifically Agatha Christie’s renowned sleuths Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, and introducing a new crime-solver. Kenneth Branagh will star and co-produce a... read more be the first to leave a comment
New (and Some Old) Faces on Mystery! | Matt Roush | 7/13/2008
This summer, PBS’s rechristened Masterpiece Mystery! series is saying farewell to some favorite franchises, with the final installments of Foyle’s War (starting tonight), which I recently reviewed, and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. To fill the gap, Mystery! is turning to some old friends for next summer’s line-up, specifically Agatha Christie’s renowned sleuths Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, and introducing a new crime-solver. Kenneth Branagh will star and co-produce a... read more be the first to leave a comment
I watched Masterpiece ... | Matt Roush | 6/27/2008
Question: I watched Masterpiece Mystery! last night and it is no longer Inspector Morse, but Robbie and his new sidekick. What is the sidekick's name, the one who was a theology student at Cambridge? I have seen him in other British shows and he is very compelling. Answer: That would be Laurence Fox co-starring as Hathaway with Inspector Lewis star Kevin Whateley in this follow-up series to the late Inspector Morse. Fox, the son of actor James Fox, was seen earlier this season on... read more be the first to leave a comment
It looks like Season 6 of ... | Matt Roush | 5/5/2008
Question: It looks like Season 6 of Foyle's War just aired in the U.K. When should I set my TiVo? Answer: Look for it on Masterpiece Mystery! (the new umbrella title) for three weekends in July, from July 13-27. This season (which PBS is calling "Series V," having apparently combined two British seasons in a past year) is billed as the last for the WWII whodunit series. The other summer Mystery franchises include the Inspector Morse spin-off Inspector Lewis starting June 22 and... read more be the first to leave a comment
A Sunday for the History Books | Matt Roush | 4/18/2008
I love it when TV can be both very, very good as well as good for you. Such is the case with a logjam of terrific historical dramas competing for attention this Sunday. Two of them had me fighting back tears (and occasionally losing the fight), and then there’s Showtime’s The Tudors, that stimulating royal tonic of sex, religion and other courtly intrigues. Not a lot of boo-hooing while watching this Henry VIII romp, but rarely a dull moment, either.The quality honors this weekend go... read more be the first to leave a comment
Thanks for your recent ... | Matt Roush | 1/21/2008
Question: Thanks for your recent dispatch on Thursday night.... my feelings exactly. And thanks for the recommendation of PBS' Masterpiece Theatre, enjoyed the first Jane Austen installment, can't wait for the others. Would have totally missed it if I hadn't read it in your column. OK, I'm going back to my book now.... but the good news is, if the strike keeps up, I'll be in great shape and very well-read. I wonder if birth rates will go up? Answer: Now wouldn't that be an interesting... read more be the first to leave a comment
PBS' Masterpiece Theatre Educates and Titillates! | Today's News: Our Take | 1/18/2008
The when: Sunday, Jan. 13, through Sunday, April 6, airing at 9 pm/ET; check local listings.Why watch?: For the first time in U.S. television history, Masterpiece Theatre is airing back-to-back adaptations of all six of Jane Austen's gloriously adaptable-to-the-screen novels, plus a new biopic entitled Miss Austen Regrets. To the uninitiated, Austen's books may seem like so much 19th-century chick lit, but don't be fooled: These deliciously spicy stories have more than their share of sniping... read more be the first to leave a comment
I am a huge fan of PBS' ... | Matt Roush | 1/14/2008
Question: I am a huge fan of PBS' Masterpiece Theatre/Mystery! series. One of my favorites is The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. Sharon Small is excellent as Barbara Havers, and her chemistry with Nathaniel Parker as Inspector Lynley is one of the best on TV. Series 5, which aired in the U.S. this year (2007), was definitely the best so far, particularly In the Blink of an Eye. It is a sign of good TV when one keeps thinking about a show, and this episode haunted me for days. I was very much... read more be the first to leave a comment
A Winter of TV Discontent? | Matt Roush | 12/4/2007
Just a thought: If the strike lasts much longer, do you think CBS' Big Brother house has room for all of us? I joke, of course, but I also fear that if things don't get resolved soon, it's going to be a long, cold winter indeed for fans of good old everyday regular non-reality TV.In the last few days, we’ve seen cliff-hanger episodes of Desperate Housewives and Heroes that felt like season finales, and for all we know, that’s what they might be, if production doesn’t resume early... read more be the first to leave a comment
The final Prime Suspect has ... | Matt Roush | 11/6/2006
Question: The final Prime Suspect has been shown here in London, and it was sensational. There was a bit of swearing in it, which added to the show. Do you think, though, that the swearing will be edited or dubbed over on the U.S. version? It would be a shame, as the swearing is used rarely and at the right moment to cause impact. The FCC and Parents Television Council don't seem to understand that sometimes sex and swearing increase the dramatic quality of a TV show. Can you imagine Tony... read more be the first to leave a comment
How is the Emmy chosen for ... | Matt Roush | 7/28/2006
Question: How is the Emmy chosen for best actress in a miniseries? Does the actress submit a certain block of time? Or do the voters watch the entire miniseries? I am hoping Gillian Anderson wins. Answer: I'm assuming that those who volunteer to judge this category are sent the entire movie or miniseries and are expected to watch the entire performance. Anything less would be unfair. But since you asked, I hope that the length of Bleak House (considerably longer than any of the other... read more be the first to leave a comment
Hi, Matt. Love this section ... | Matt Roush | 4/3/2006
Question: Hi, Matt. Love this section of TVGuide.com. There's an awful lot of great British stuff out there: MI-5, Hustle and, most recently, Doctor Who. U.S. drama gets pretty well recognized in the U.K. — while the ratings are pretty measly, they get praised nonetheless. A lot of British stuff goes unrecognized in the U.S., like Dancing with the Stars being a deal made by the BBC and ABC following the BBC's hit of Strictly Come Dancing. Now the rumor mill is churning again, saying that... read more be the first to leave a comment
I loved the premiere of Bleak ... | Matt Roush | 1/27/2006
Question: I loved the premiere of Bleak House on Masterpiece Theatre Sunday night. I was wondering if you feel that it has any chance of winning the Emmy in September, and if Gillian Anderson has a shot. I was also curious about how many times a Masterpiece Theatre production had won the Emmy for best miniseries. I know The Lost Prince won last year, but I was surprised a few years ago when The Forsyte Saga was not even nominated. Also, thanks to TV Guide for recommending Bleak House. I did not... read more be the first to leave a comment
Just wanted to tell you I was ... | Matt Roush | 1/20/2006
Question: Just wanted to tell you I was able to catch the upcoming Andrew Davies adaptation of Bleak House (airing on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre, starting Sunday) while in the U.K. during the Christmas holidays. All involved in this production give amazing performances, but Gillian Anderson's Lady Dedlock is top-notch! I've already put in my order for the Bleak House DVD and will be glued to PBS on Sunday evenings when this series begins. Too bad all television is not of this quality. Thanks for... read more be the first to leave a comment

Cast & Details

Premiered: January 10, 1971, on PBS

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Premise: PBS's longest running (and most honored) dramatic series is an Anglophile's delight, featuring British adaptations of literary classics and original works. The first `Masterpiece' was `The First Churchills,' and since then it has won nine Peabodys and 29 Emmys (beginning with Susan Hampshire's Best Actress award for `Churchills'). Its many memorable productions include `Upstairs, Downstairs,' `I, Claudius,' 'The Jewel in the Crown,' `House of Cards,' `Poldark' and `Prime Suspect.'

Masterpiece Cast

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