The Jewel in the Crown (1984– )

The British Raj: though their position seems secure, thoughtful English men and women know that "their" time in India is coming to an end. The story begins with an unjust arrest for rape, ... See full summary »

Stars:

Tim Pigott-Smith, Geraldine James, Wendy Morgan

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 9 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Tim Pigott-Smith	...	Ronald Merrick (13 episodes, 1984)
Geraldine James	...	Sarah Layton (12 episodes, 1984)
Wendy Morgan	...	Susan Layton (11 episodes, 1984)
Judy Parfitt	...	Mildred Layton (9 episodes, 1984)
Rosemary Leach	...	Aunt Fenny (7 episodes, 1984)
Peggy Ashcroft	...	Barbie Batchelor (7 episodes, 1984)
Geoffrey Beevers	...	Kevin Coley (7 episodes, 1984)
Eric Porter	...	Dimitri Bronowsky (6 episodes, 1984)
Nicholas Le Prevost	...	Nigel Rowan (6 episodes, 1984)
Art Malik	...	Hari Kumar (6 episodes, 1984)
Derrick Branche	...	Ahmed Kasim (6 episodes, 1984)

Storyline

The British Raj: though their position seems secure, thoughtful English men and women know that "their" time in India is coming to an end. The story begins with an unjust arrest for rape, and the consequences of this echo through the series. Questions of identity and personal responsibility are explored against a background of war and personal intrigue.

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Plot Keywords:

rape | india | british raj | kidnapping | wedding | 

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Genres:

Drama | History | Romance | War

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 February 1985 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Juvelen i kronan

Filming Locations:

Kashmir, India

Company Credits

Production Co:

Granada Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

778 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Dimitri Bronowsky: [looks at Perron's shoulder-tabs] Tell me what this stands for - AEC?
Capt. Ronald Merrick: [quickly] Army Education Corps.
Dimitri Bronowsky: I see. Tell me - how does one educate an army?
Guy Perron: One tries to see to it that it doesn't get bored.

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Connections

Referenced in Casting a Classic (2008)

User Reviews

Crowning Glory

There's a small scene in the first 2 hour episode of Jewel in the Crown about 80 minutes in. Susan Wooldridge, a gangly maladroit, clearly not cut out for India, is sleeping. The long awaited rain wakes her and she gets up and walks out onto the balcony. The obsessional loving care and artistry that is evident in just this single minute tell you everything you need to know about the quality of Jewel in the Crown. The set and the lighting on the sleeping figure momentarily transforms the character who will later be known, pejoratively as "that Manners girl" into the Diana-like beauty she always imagined she would become. Wooldridge is convincingly asleep and wakes naturally, and surprise, delight and relief register on her face as she revels in the feel of rain on her face. Nothing is out the book. It's all fresh, original, new. A great piece of acting by Wooldridge, never surpassed or even approached by all the other actors and actresses who have had to play this popular little scene, present in so many other movies. A great piece of directing, lighting, scene setting and costume design.

Aside from this one, there are 649 other minutes and the same care and devotion is taken with all of them. In the episode "The Mughal Room", Sara Layton and Guy Perron spend Guy's last afternoon exploring the Governor's Summer residence at Pankot. 7 minutes go by without any dialogue in this little elegy for the cobwebbed glory of the Raj before they settle down in one of the bedrooms to make love. You won't find anything else like it in mainstream television. Very hard to do but very beautiful.

But then the whole story is excellent, beautifully paced, tragic, funny, pathetic, illuminating and exciting by turns. I've watched it a number of times and I never want it to end.

It really is the best drama series ever made.