"Nancy Astor" (1982) TV mini-series

Director:

Richard Stroud

Writer:

Derek Marlowe (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

15 April 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

Virginia-born Lady Astor is the first woman to sit in Parliament. Her outspokenness in unpopular causes leaves her open to heartbreak...

Plot Keywords:

Parliament | Playboy | Husband Wife Relationship | Politics | Election

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 4 nominations

Cast

Victoria Burgoyne	...	Lucy (1 episode, 1982)
Joe Praml	...	Col. Newbourne (1 episode, 1982)
David Riley	...	Hotel Manager (1 episode, 1982)

Also Known As:

Masterpiece Theatre: Nancy Astor (USA)

Runtime:

UK:55 min (9 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Why was this series made?

I'm giving this series a "6" because the acting and production standards are high. But this was the Masterpiece Theatre series that broke me of the habit of watching Masterpiece Theatre. It was one thing to watch a series about "The First Churchills" or "King Edward VII", because they were historical figures of importance. But Lady Astor? She was the first woman elected to be a member of Britain's Parliament, and was outspoken...some would say courageous. But she did not do anything of note - there is no major legislation connected to her. She was also wrong-headed. She was an anti-Semite and a member of the appeasement group known as "the Cliveden" set (named for the home of her and her husband, Cliveden, where the group met). Why honor her? My guess was that it seemed she was interesting, as she was of American birth and rose in British society. So what about that? I would have preferred a series of some other figure - if they had to do one on appeasers they could have done Nevil Chamberlain (Eric Porter did play him - rather sympathetically - in WINSTON CHURCHILL: THE WILDERNESS YEARS, with Robert Hardy as Churchill). Chamberlain had a career before 1938 when he did a series of government reforms on taxes and on simplifying the laws. Had he not got fooled by himself and Hitler at Munich he was trying to reform the British educational system. Now that actually is interesting. But Chamberlain had no American roots. It really was a waste of a series.