A Dance to the Music of Time (1997– )

Anthony Powell's 12 volume novel sequence "A Dance to the Music of Time" has been dramatised for television.

Stars:

Gillian Barge, Nicholas Jones, Simon Russell Beale

3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Gillian Barge	...	Mrs. Erdleigh (4 episodes, 1997)
Nicholas Jones	...	Bob Duport (4 episodes, 1997)
Simon Russell Beale	...	Widmerpool (4 episodes, 1997)
Robin Bailey	...	Uncle Alfred (3 episodes, 1997)
Jonathan Cake	...	Peter Templer (3 episodes, 1997)
James Fleet	...	Moreland (3 episodes, 1997)
Richard Pasco	...	Sir Magnus Donners (3 episodes, 1997)
James Purefoy	...	Nicholas Jenkins (3 episodes, 1997)
Paul Rhys	...	Charles Stringham (3 episodes, 1997)
Annabel Mullion	...	Mona (3 episodes, 1997)
Claire Skinner	...	Jean (3 episodes, 1997)
Adrian Scarborough	...	JG Quiggin (3 episodes, 1997)
Grant Thatcher	...	Mark Members (3 episodes, 1997)
Sarah Badel	...	Lady Molly (2 episodes, 1997)
Alan Bennett	...	Sillery (2 episodes, 1997)
Emma Fielding	...	Isobel (2 episodes, 1997)
Oliver Ford Davies	...	Le Bas (2 episodes, 1997)
Edward Fox	...	Uncle Giles (2 episodes, 1997)
Anastasia Hille	...	Matilda (2 episodes, 1997)
Nigel Lindsay	...	Odo Stevens (2 episodes, 1997)
Miranda Richardson	...	Pamela Flitton (2 episodes, 1997)
Zoë Wanamaker	...	Audrey Maclintick (2 episodes, 1997)
Michael Williams	...	Ted Jeavons (2 episodes, 1997)
Geraldine Alexander	...	Susan (2 episodes, 1997)
Carmen Du Sautoy	...	Miss Weedon (2 episodes, 1997)
Nicholas Rowe	...	David Pennistone (2 episodes, 1997)
Barbara Durkin	...	Betty (2 episodes, 1997)
Andrew Havill	...	Sunny Farebrother (2 episodes, 1997)
Osmund Bullock	...	Erridge (2 episodes, 1997)
Caroline Harker	...	Priscilla (2 episodes, 1997)
Tony Osoba	...	Colonel Flores (2 episodes, 1997)
Bryan Pringle	...	Smith (2 episodes, 1997)

Storyline

Anthony Powell's 12 volume novel sequence "A Dance to the Music of Time" has been dramatised for television.

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Plot Keywords:

british tv | black shirt | oxford | dancing | 1930s | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 October 1997 (UK)

Also Known As:

Horos sti mousiki tou hronou

Filming Locations:

Berkeley Castle, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Table Top Productions, Channel 4 Television Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

416 min 416 min (4 parts)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the final segment, when Widmerpool is kissing the feet of the disciples, the edge of his phony hairpiece is clearly visible on the back of his head.

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Soundtracks

"Twentieth Century Blues"
(uncredited)
By Noel Coward
[theme]

User Reviews

Memmorable adaptation with just a few flaws

They don't make adaptations like this any more - no doubt for cost reasons and a lack of imagination and bravery at the TV companies. 7 hours of solid drama, yet full of incidental humour and some very fine characterisations.

Unfortunately it is flawed, and the flaws make it just very good viewing rather than the excellent series it should have been. The biggest flaws to my mind are:

1 The decision to replace Nick and his wife by new actors for Film 4 was totally wrong. Nick ages far too much in too short a space of time, and looks completely different. This creates a real problem of believability.

2 Still on ageing, some of the actors are 'aged' very well, whilst others (especially the ladies and Odo) seem hardly any different as the decades progress.

3 Film 4 is by far the weakest, though to be fair this reflects the books on which it is based. Perhaps it should have been cut further and the earlier years given even greater prominence.

4 Despite a great deal of pruning, there are still too many characters and insufficient narration for non-aficionados of the books to be sure all the time of who is who.

5 The scenes often seem to be a succession of dramatic deaths - difficult to avoid with the way the story has to be condensed, but very predictable nonetheless.

However, it's still pretty good, and light years removed from much of the dumbed-down drama on TV today.