"Tess of the D'Urbervilles" (2008) TV mini-series

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Seasons:

1

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The story of Tess Durbeyfield, a low-born country girl whose family find they have noble connections.

Plot Keywords:

TV Mini-Series | Class Differences | England | Period Piece | 19th Century

Cast

Gemma Arterton	...	Tess Durbeyfield (4 episodes, 2008)
Eddie Redmayne	...	Angel Clare (4 episodes, 2008)
Ruth Jones	...	Joan Durbeyfield (4 episodes, 2008)
Hans Matheson	...	Alec D'Urberville (4 episodes, 2008)
Ian Puleston-Davies	...	John Durbeyfield (4 episodes, 2008)
Christopher Fairbank	...	Groby (4 episodes, 2008)
Jo Woodcock	...	Liza-Lu Durbeyfield (4 episodes, 2008)
Steven Robertson	...	Cuthbert Clare (4 episodes, 2008)
Hugh Skinner	...	Felix Clare (4 episodes, 2008)
Jodie Whittaker	...	Izzy Huett (3 episodes, 2008)
Kenneth Cranham	...	Mr Clare (3 episodes, 2008)
Donald Sumpter	...	Parson Tringham (3 episodes, 2008)
Rebekah Staton	...	Marion (3 episodes, 2008)
Jessica Turner	...	Mrs Clare (3 episodes, 2008)
Jeany Spark	...	Mercy Chant (3 episodes, 2008)
Joel Rowbottom	...	Abraham Durbeyfield (3 episodes, 2008)
Christine Bottomley	...	Kate (3 episodes, 2008)
Emma Stansfield	...	Mary (3 episodes, 2008)
Emily Beecham	...	Retty Priddle (2 episodes, 2008)
Trevor Cooper	...	Mr Crick (2 episodes, 2008)
Sally Bankes	...	Mrs Crick (2 episodes, 2008)

(more)

Series Directed by
David Blair		(4 episodes, 2008)

Series Writing credits
Thomas Hardy		(4 episodes, 2008)
David Nicholls		(4 episodes, 2008)

Series Produced by
Rebecca Eaton	....	executive producer: WGBH (4 episodes, 2008)
Kate Harwood	....	executive producer (4 episodes, 2008)
Robbie Sandison	....	line producer (4 episodes, 2008)
David Snodin	....	producer (4 episodes, 2008)

Series Original Music by
Robert Lane		(4 episodes, 2008)

Series Cinematography by
Wojciech Szepel		(4 episodes, 2008)

Series Film Editing by
Pia Di Ciaula		(4 episodes, 2008)

Series Casting by
Kate Rhodes James		(4 episodes, 2008)

Series Production Design by
Candida Otton		(4 episodes, 2008)

Series Art Direction by
Andrea Coathupe		(4 episodes, 2008)

Series Makeup Department
Bee Archer	....	makeup artist (4 episodes, 2008)
Pamela Haddock	....	makeup designer (4 episodes, 2008)
Hannah Proverbs	....	assistant makeup artist (4 episodes, 2008)
Vicki Lang	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes, 2008)

Series Production Management
Sue Bunyan	....	production manager (4 episodes, 2008)
Sam Lucas	....	post-production supervisor (4 episodes, 2008)
Darin McLeod	....	unit manager (unknown episodes)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Victoria Banks	....	second assistant director (4 episodes, 2008)
Finn McGrath	....	first assistant director (4 episodes, 2008)
Chantelle Stoffel	....	third assistant director (4 episodes, 2008)
Lindsay Furness	....	third assistant director (unknown episodes, 2008)

Series Art Department
Will Cann	....	stand-by props (4 episodes, 2008)
Danny Clements	....	dressing props (4 episodes, 2008)
Elizabeth Marcussen	....	assistant buyer (4 episodes, 2008)
Jonathan Holbrook	....	painter (unknown episodes)
Catriona McKail	....	stand-by art director (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Wayne Brooks	....	sound effects editor (4 episodes, 2008)
Ben Cross	....	foley editor (4 episodes, 2008)
Chris Roberts	....	dialogue editor (4 episodes, 2008)
Leyton Rooney	....	foley editor (4 episodes, 2008)
Alan Sallabank	....	dubbing mixer (4 episodes, 2008)
Bruce Wills	....	sound recordist (4 episodes, 2008)
Steve Wright	....	boom operator (4 episodes, 2008)
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer (3 episodes, 2008)
Elliott Childs	....	assistant sound editor (unknown episodes, 2008)
Adam Davidson	....	adr recordist (unknown episodes, 2008)
Paul Kerr	....	second boom operator (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Chris Mortimer	....	visual effects supervisor (unknown episodes, 2008)
Iain Read	....	digital effects artist (unknown episodes, 2008)
Simon Rowe	....	digital compositor (unknown episodes, 2008)
Yolanda Rubio	....	digital effects artist (unknown episodes, 2008)

Series Stunts
Gareth Milne	....	stunt coordinator (2 episodes, 2008)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Batten	....	additional camera operator (4 episodes, 2008)
Nick Beeks-Sanders	....	camera operator (4 episodes, 2008)
Nick Briggs	....	stills photographer (4 episodes, 2008)
Jamie Phillips	....	clapper loader (4 episodes, 2008)
Robin Stone	....	grip (4 episodes, 2008)
Carolyn Hughes	....	camera trainee (unknown episodes, 2008)
Brian Beaumont	....	gaffer (unknown episodes)
Peter Davies	....	best boy (unknown episodes)
Steve Hopkins	....	additional electrician (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Jane Anderson	....	casting associate (4 episodes, 2008)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gini Lewis	....	daily costume assistant (4 episodes, 2008)
Hannah Summers	....	costume daily (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Simon Brook	....	on-line editor (4 episodes, 2008)
Supriya Naidu-James	....	first assistant editor (unknown episodes, 2008)
Trevor Brown	....	colorist (unknown episodes)
Kane Williams	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Steve Parr	....	music recording & mixing (4 episodes, 2008)

Series Transportation Department
Bowfie Baird	....	driver: main unit (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Laragh Cresswell	....	assistant coordinator (4 episodes, 2008)
Carmel Maloney	....	production consultant (4 episodes, 2008)
Elaine Matthews	....	script supervisor (4 episodes, 2008)
Jake Sainsbury	....	location assistant (4 episodes, 2008)
Pam Weaver	....	animal handler (4 episodes, 2008)
Ash Cross	....	production assistant (unknown episodes, 2008)
Simon Nixon	....	location manager (unknown episodes)
Eve Wheeler	....	production accountant (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• BBC Drama Productions
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• WGBH

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2008) (UK) (TV) (BBC 1)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (2009) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Other Companies

• Fuji Photo Film  motion picture film supplied by
• HireWorks  Avid equipment rental
• Take 2 Film Services  camera equipment provided by

Runtime:

240 min (4 parts)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Bath, Somerset, England, UK

Company:

BBC Drama Productions

Trivia:

BBC Television's first-ever adaptation of Hardy's novel.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: There are two musical anachronisms. First, Angel plays an autoharp which was not invented until the 1880s in Germany, and would not have been an English folk instrument at the time of TESS. Secondly, the congregation is heard singing "How Great Thou Art," which was written in Swedish in 1885, but was not commonly known in English until Stuart Hine's translation (circa 1950).

Movie Connections:

Version of Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1998) (TV)

Good adaptation

This is the first BBC dramatisation of this wonderful novel by Thomas Hardy, which I have read several times. I first knew it from the Roman Polanski film which has a different approach to casting - Tess was played by Nastassja Kinski who was more obviously sexual in her appearance, and Angel Clare was Peter Firth, who to me had more charisma than Eddie Redmayne. I loved that film and it was very upsetting to watch, when I was in my teens. Now I'm older and wiser, but Tess's story is so tragic that it still has enormous sadness. I felt that the protagonists in this version were more believable as young people living in a rural community, but the romance between Tess and Angel was not very convincing. Angel was well represented as a weak man who makes bad decisions, but he could have been more attractive, to persuade me that all the milkmaids were in love with him. So on the whole, although the story was told in faithful detail and well done, it didn't excite me in the way I expected. I always have sympathy for Tess as a character - whether or not she was technically raped is open to interpretation, but the main facts are that she was an innocent girl who was preyed upon by one man and let down by another. However, to be a tragic heroine, she possesses character flaws that allow her to succumb to the events that overcome her. It is a sad story that has relevance still, and it is a good introduction for viewers who have never read the wonderful book.