The Falklands Play (TV 2002)

Twenty years ago, Britain went to war to regain the Falkland Islands. The Falklands Play is a gripping account of how Margaret Thatcher's government handled the biggest crisis in British ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Samuels

Writer:

Ian Curteis

Stars:

Patricia Hodge, James Fox, John Standing

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Patricia Hodge	...	Rt Hon Margaret Thatcher MP (Prime Minister)
James Fox	...	Rt Hon Peter, 6th Baron Carrington KCMG MC (Foreign Secretary)
John Standing	...	Rt Hon William Whitelaw CH MC MP (Home Secretary)
Michael Cochrane	...	Rt Hon Nicholas Ridley MP (Financial Secretary to the Treasury)
Jeremy Child	...	Rt Hon Francis Pym MC MP (Lord President of the Council / Foreign Secretary)
Rupert Vansittart	...	Sir Robert Armstrong (Cabinet Secretary)
Jonathan Coy	...	Richard Luce MP (Minister of State, Foreign Office)
Clive Merrison	...	Rt Hon John Nott MP (Secretary of State for Defence)
Peter Blythe	...	Rt Hon Sir Michael Havers QC MP (Attorney-General)
Jeremy Clyde	...	Sir Nicholas Henderson (HM Ambassador to the United States)
Colin Stinton	...	Alexander Haig (US Secretary of State)
Shaughan Seymour	...	Adm. Sir Henry Leach (First Sea Lord)
Anthony Calf	...	Robin Fearn (Head of Falkland Islands Department, Foreign Office)
Jasper Jacob	...	John Wilkinson MP (Parliamentary Private Secretary to John Nott)
Richard Cordery	...	Tom Enders (US Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs)

Storyline

Twenty years ago, Britain went to war to regain the Falkland Islands. The Falklands Play is a gripping account of how Margaret Thatcher's government handled the biggest crisis in British foreign affairs since Suez. It tells the story of how Argentina - an ally of the British - fought the Conservative government and invaded sovereign British territory. This play charts the backroom manoeuvrings between Thatcher's government and the military, between the British and the Americans, and the Americans and the Argentineans that led to a breakdown in diplomacy, to war and to Britain's eventual victory.

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Plot Keywords:

britain | falklands | falkland islands | argentina | south georgia island | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Details

Official Sites:

BBC Four

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 April 2002 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally commissioned by the BBC in 1987 but wasn't filmed until 2002.

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Quotes

Alexander Haig: We are trying to de-escalise a war.
Margaret Thatcher: So am I. But you do not do it by appeasement. You increase its chances. You see this table? This was where Neville Chamberlain sat in 1938 when he spoke on the wireless about the Czechs as "far away people about whom we know nothing and with whom we have so little in common". Munich! Appeasement! A world war followed because of that irresponsible, woolly-minded, indecisive, slip-shod attitude and the deaths of 45 million people.
Tom Enders: The fact that we have to treat...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in When TV Goes to War (2011)

User Reviews

What a treat you will have if this ever gets on DVD

What is with the world, The Falklands Play is great viewing or what I would call "Great TV" I was lucky to be at home the night this was aired on TV.

Within minutes I knew this is great TV. Who cares if shows the Rt Hon Margaret Thatcher as a great PM or not. The acting is what I was watching Patricia Hodge is just so good at Playing Maggie & as for Shaughan Seymour as Adm Sir Henry Leach is he a good actor or is Carrie Hilton, Casting Director one of the greats or maybe Michael Samuels the Director who knows how to get the best out of the actors or just maybe all three.

I am waiting for this to come out on DVD. I will buy it, great viewing great acting.

Ohh how lucky was I again, this was on on Friday 8 th March 2006 & this time I had the VRC ready. It was just as good as the 1 st time I watched it, no that is wrong, it was better, I have seen it twice since Friday, there are bits I never noticed the 1 st time & not even the 2 nd time. I can only say again what great TV & so well acted.

Thank you BBC 4 for showing this.

Update March 2007 now on DVD & yes i have bought a copy.

I have since bought "An Ungentlemanly Act" on DVD, great well worth the £4.99p from Play.com.