"A Dance to the Music of Time" (1997) TV mini-series

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

9 October 1997 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Adultery | British TV | TV Mini-Series | 1930s | Upper Class

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Gillian Barge	...	Mrs. Erdleigh (4 episodes, 1997)
Nicholas Jones	...	Bob Duport / ... (4 episodes, 1997)
Simon Russell Beale	...	Widmerpool (4 episodes, 1997)
Annabel Mullion	...	Mona (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)
Adrian Scarborough	...	JC Quiggin / ... (3 episodes, 1997)
James Fleet	...	Moreland (3 episodes, 1997)
Robin Bailey	...	Uncle Alfred (3 episodes, 1997)
Jonathan Cake	...	Peter Templer (3 episodes, 1997)
Claire Skinner	...	Jean (3 episodes, 1997)
Grant Thatcher	...	Mark Members (3 episodes, 1997)
Edward Fox	...	Uncle Giles (2 episodes, 1997)
Sarah Badel	...	Lady Molly (2 episodes, 1997)
Carmen du Sautoy	...	Miss Weedon (2 episodes, 1997)
Osmund Bullock	...	Erridge (2 episodes, 1997)
Geraldine Alexander	...	Susan (2 episodes, 1997)
Alan Bennett	...	Sillery (2 episodes, 1997)
Barbara Durkin	...	Betty (2 episodes, 1997)
Emma Fielding	...	Isobel (2 episodes, 1997)
Oliver Ford Davies	...	Le Bas (2 episodes, 1997)
Carmen Gómez	...	Rosie Mansach (2 episodes, 1997)
Caroline Harker	...	Priscilla (2 episodes, 1997)
Andrew Havill	...	Sunny Farebrother (2 episodes, 1997)
Laura Heath	...	Fiona Cuts / ... (2 episodes, 1997)
Anastasia Hille	...	Matilda (2 episodes, 1997)
Nigel Lindsay	...	Odo Stevens (2 episodes, 1997)
Rachel Lumberg	...	Judy (2 episodes, 1997)
Danny Midwinter	...	Chuck (2 episodes, 1997)
Tony Osoba	...	Colonel Flores (2 episodes, 1997)
Bryan Pringle	...	Smith (2 episodes, 1997)
Miranda Richardson	...	Pamela Flitton (2 episodes, 1997)
Nicholas Rowe	...	David Pennistone / ... (2 episodes, 1997)
Zoë Wanamaker	...	Audrey Maclintick (2 episodes, 1997)
Michael Williams	...	Ted Jeavons (2 episodes, 1997)

Runtime:

UK:416 min (4 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Berkeley Castle, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England, UK

Company:

Table Top Productions

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: 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.

Change of actors

It's possibly a bit late to post this question but as I have only now managed to see the video, here goes anyway. Does anyone know WHY it was deemed necessary to replace James Purefoy and Emma Fielding as Nicholas Jenkins and his wife in the last film of the series? Most of the other characters were left to age, convincingly or otherwise, even Widmerpool himself. Though Joanna David did at least bear a tolerable resemblance to how Isobel (Fielding) might have looked in later life, John Standing, excellent actor though he is, didn't look remotely like an aged James Purefoy. The changeover broke the continuum of events for me and was a constant source of irritation. What was behind this strange, irrational decision?