"The Cazalets" (2001) TV series

Director:

Suri Krishnamma

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

22 June 2001 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot Keywords:

England | Death | Pregnancy | Pacifist | Family Relationships

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Hugh Bonneville	...	Hugh Cazalet (6 episodes, 2001)
Stephen Dillane	...	Edward Cazalet (6 episodes, 2001)
Lesley Manville	...	Villy Cazalet (6 episodes, 2001)
Joanna Page	...	Zoe Cazalet (6 episodes, 2001)
Anna Chancellor	...	Diana Mackintosh (6 episodes, 2001)
Penny Downie	...	Sid (6 episodes, 2001)
Anastasia Hille	...	Sybil Cazalet (6 episodes, 2001)
John McArdle	...	Tonbridge (6 episodes, 2001)
Ursula Howells	...	Kitty Cazalet (6 episodes, 2001)
Patsy Rowlands	...	Miss Millament (6 episodes, 2001)
Frederick Treves	...	William Cazalet (6 episodes, 2001)
Catherine Russell	...	Rachel Cazalet (6 episodes, 2001)
Florence Hoath	...	Clary Cazalet (6 episodes, 2001)
Jacqueline Tong	...	Mrs. Cripps (6 episodes, 2001)
Emma Griffiths Malin	...	Louise Cazalet (6 episodes, 2001)
Claudia Renton	...	Polly Cazalet (6 episodes, 2001)
Camilla Mathias	...	Maid (6 episodes, 2001)
Paul Rhys	...	Rupert Cazalet (5 episodes, 2001)
Ben Simpson	...	Teddy Cazalet (4 episodes, 2001)
Alexander Pownall	...	Neville Cazalet (4 episodes, 2001)
Tammy Mendelson	...	Dottie (4 episodes, 2001)
Francesca Wicks	...	Lydia Cazalet (4 episodes, 2001)
Rosie Ede	...	Phyllis (3 episodes, 2001)
Katya Harvey	...	Stella Rose (3 episodes, 2001)
Stephen Churchett	...	Dr. Carr (2 episodes, 2001)
Claire Hackett	...	Mrs. Tonbridge (2 episodes, 2001)
Gregg Prentice	...	Harry Tonbridge (2 episodes, 2001)
Eve Pearce	...	Aunt Anna (2 episodes, 2001)
Cate Fowler	...	Mrs. Rose (2 episodes, 2001)
Mark Bazeley	...	Michael Hadleigh (2 episodes, 2001)
Matthew Marsh	...	Otto Rose (2 episodes, 2001)
Lavinia Bertram	...	Ellen (2 episodes, 2001)

Also Known As:

The Cazalet Chronicle (UK) (working title)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Wrotham Park, Barnet, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the credits for two of the episodes they misspell the actor who plays Christopher Castle's name, instead of "Nicholas Audsley" he's listed as "Nicholas Adsley".

Movie Connections:

Featured in Verity Lambert: Drama Queen (2008) (TV)

Hudson would not approve

The new PBS series "The Cazalets" is billed as a latter day "Upstairs Downstairs." It isn't. The characters are far less finely formed and the first episode was a back to back (well, front to front) series of graphic sexual couplings. Set in England on the eve of WW2, it appears that nobody in the British Isles did anything in 37 and 38 other than bonk each other. Marital sex. Extra marital sex. Violent sex. Lesbian sex. Even incest. And this was only episode one! What can we expect in coming weeks? Kinky sex? SM sex? Bestiality? Really! This is not the mandate of either PBS or BBC. There are x-rated channels for such voyeurism.

The first episode also has some glaring errors. The word "flak" is used twice. A German acronym for "fliegerabwehrkanonen" or "anti aircraft guns", it entered the language only in the early years of the war and would have been in no-one's vocabulary in 37 and 38.

The first episode also shows the servants gathered around a small radio listening to Neville Chamberlain's address. Small radios were rare in 1938 and they certainly were not in plastic cases. There also appear to be no antenna or ground wires, essential elements of the receivers of the period. I spotted these two errors because they fall within my knowledge. How many others might there also have been?

It's an interesting snapshot of an interesting period of history. But like most snapshots, it was done without much thought or artistry.