Clarissa (1991– )

Clarissa Harlowe is a young 18th-century Englishwoman. Her family have aspirations to move into the aristocracy and want her to marry the repellent Mr Soames as part of their plan. Clarissa... See full summary »

Stars:

Saskia Wickham, Lynsey Baxter, Hermione Norris

5 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Saskia Wickham	...	Clarissa Harlowe (4 episodes, 1991)
Lynsey Baxter	...	Arabella Harlowe (4 episodes, 1991)
Hermione Norris	...	Anna Howe (4 episodes, 1991)
Frances Viner	...	Mrs. Harlowe (4 episodes, 1991)
Cathryn Harrison	...	Mrs. Sinclair (4 episodes, 1991)
Sean Pertwee	...	Jack Belford (4 episodes, 1991)
Jonny Phillips	...	James (4 episodes, 1991)
Darby Hawker	...	Dorcas (3 episodes, 1991)
Shirley Henderson	...	Sally (3 episodes, 1991)
Ralph Riach	...	Uncle Anthony (3 episodes, 1991)
Lucy Robinson	...	Deb (3 episodes, 1991)
Jon Sotherton	...	Hickman (3 episodes, 1991)
Matthew Wait	...	Joe Leman (3 episodes, 1991)
Jeffrey Wickham	...	Mr. Harlowe (3 episodes, 1991)
Sean Bean	...	Lovelace (2 episodes, 1991)
Julia Dearden	...	Mrs. Moore (2 episodes, 1991)
Michael Feast	...	Tomlinson (2 episodes, 1991)
Julian Firth	...	Solmes (2 episodes, 1991)
Allison Hancock	...	Betty (2 episodes, 1991)
Lorna Heilbron	...	Mrs. Howe (2 episodes, 1991)

Storyline

Clarissa Harlowe is a young 18th-century Englishwoman. Her family have aspirations to move into the aristocracy and want her to marry the repellent Mr Soames as part of their plan. Clarissa manages to escape from them with the help of the handsome Lovelace, whose intentions towards her prove to be less than entirely honourable.

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Plot Keywords:

18th century | wig | 1700s | harpsichord | sword fight | 

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Genres:

History

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 April 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Samuel Richardson's Clarissa - History of a Young Lady

Filming Locations:

Brocket Hall, Lemsford, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), WGBH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

156 min 180 min (3 parts)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

With a budget of over £3 million, filming on Clarissa began 29 Apr 1991 and continued for 16 weeks until 19 July 1991. Locations included several large country houses (one in the north of England, another near Stratford, and a third in Hampstead). Some exteriors were shot outside The Inns of Court in London but much of the filming was done at London's Ealing Studios, where a three-storey Georgian house was specially constructed for the series.

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Quotes

Clarissa: I cannot admire a man with no morals.
Anna: Clarry, men put on their morals as we put on our stays!

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Soundtracks

"Cuckolds All A Row"
(uncredited)
Traditional
From John Playford's 'The English Dancing Master', First Edition (1651)

User Reviews

Loved it!

I've not always been a big fan of period pieces, but I found this production to be riveting throughout. The performances of the actors were excellent, Saskia Wickam appeared to be a seasoned pro and I was so impressed to find this was her first major role. Sean Bean's portrayal of Lovelace was terrific - his presence on screen was amazing. His charisma was stunning, despite the wigs and ornate costumes, which I thought would be distracting. They were not at all. I would highly recommend this production to anyone - it's such a shame that it is so difficult to find. Hopefully it will be made available to American audiences again in the very near future. I'd love to see the entire four hour production originally shown on the BBC.