The lives of John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, and his wife Sarah.
Top-Rated Episodes
S1.E10
With the death of her brother-in-law William III in 1702, Princess Anne becomes Queen. She becomes a popular monarch, even is there are many Jacobites in Parliament who feel that she is not the true ...
S1.E8
With King William III away commanding his armies, Queen Mary II is left in charge of the affairs of State. She visits her sister Princess Anne who has recently lost her newborn son and again demands ...
S1.E2
John Churchill pursues the young Sarah Jennings but she is convinced they can have no future together. Sarah is poor, much as Churchill is, and her mother is convinced that Churchill's father will ...
Need some help finding the best things to watch on Netflix? Let our editors help you find what's trending and what's worth your time.
Related News
-
The First Churchills - DVD Review
17 July 2013 | Monsters and Critics -
Summer TV Leave You Feeling Vexed? Acorn Has The Answer
31 May 2013 | bestbritishtv -
John Neville obituary
22 November 2011 | The Guardian - Film News
Whether you're ready for the return of your favorite show or need to catch up, May is packed with an array of returning series.
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: The First Churchills (1969)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Edit
Cast
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (14) »
Storyline
The lives of John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, and his wife Sarah.
Plot Keywords:
period drama | house of stuart | church of england | politics | aristocracy |Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
Edit
(uncredited)
By Henry Purcell
[Closing credits theme]
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Judi Dench was slated to star as Sarah, but was unable to. The role went to Susan Hampshire, who went on to win an Emmy for her portrayal of Sarah Churchill. See more »Soundtracks
Rondeau From Abdelazer Suite(uncredited)
By Henry Purcell
[Closing credits theme]
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
10 January 1971 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The First Churchills See more »Filming Locations:
Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, UKCompany Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
This was the first and still my favorite presentation on Masterpiece Theatre. It was based on Winston Churchill's biography of his most noted ancestor, John Churchill First Duke of Marlborough. OF course with Winston writing it, John Churchill turns out to be something of a plaster saint.
Well, Marlborough may have been Great Britain's greatest land soldier, but a saint, no one but Winnie would think that.
What's not shown is Marlborough's political dexterity, his opportunism, his acquisitiveness. In the four volume life of the Duke, Winston gives some rather tortured explanations about certain incidents in his life. The series lightly glosses over them. Loyalty was not one of his bigger virtues.
A clearer picture is given of Sarah Jennings, the Duchess. She was close to Princess, later Queen Anne and through her really, was Marlborough able to rise to perform the great military deeds he did perform in the War of Spanish Succession. Another reviewer was dismayed how it showed that petticoat politics brought about his downfall. Yes, but petticoat politics enable him to rise in the first place.
Sarah was something of a shrew and could really wear on one's nerves. She certainly did with Queen Anne, who by all accounts was probably one of the most decent people ever to be monarch in England/Great Britain. That's what brought down the Marlborough hegemony of the first decade of the 18th century.
John Neville and Susan Hampshire will forever be enshrined in my mind as the perfect conception of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. Margaret Tyzack is also a perfect Queen Anne, in fact the whole cast seems like it stepped right out of the late Stuart era.
Someday we may get a more accurate and balanced picture of the Duke of Marlborough and his era to compare this with. Maybe one not written by a descendant who was interested in glorifying the most prominent branch on the family tree.