A Dance to the Music of Time 

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

Stars:

Gillian Barge, Nicholas Jones, Simon Russell Beale

3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

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

Storyline

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

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Plot Keywords:

female rear nudity | fortune telling | ritz hotel london | black shirt | reference to marx | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 October 1997 (UK)

Also Known As:

A Dance to the Music of Time

Filming Locations:

Berkeley Castle, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Table Top Productions, Channel 4 Television Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

416 min (4 parts)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

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.

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Soundtracks

Twentieth Century Blues
(uncredited)
By Noël Coward
[theme]

User Reviews

Memmorable adaptation with just a few flaws

They don't make adaptations like this any more - no doubt for cost reasons and a lack of imagination and bravery at the TV companies. 7 hours of solid drama, yet full of incidental humour and some very fine characterisations.

Unfortunately it is flawed, and the flaws make it just very good viewing rather than the excellent series it should have been. The biggest flaws to my mind are:

1 The decision to replace Nick and his wife by new actors for Film 4 was totally wrong. Nick ages far too much in too short a space of time, and looks completely different. This creates a real problem of believability.

2 Still on ageing, some of the actors are 'aged' very well, whilst others (especially the ladies and Odo) seem hardly any different as the decades progress.

3 Film 4 is by far the weakest, though to be fair this reflects the books on which it is based. Perhaps it should have been cut further and the earlier years given even greater prominence.

4 Despite a great deal of pruning, there are still too many characters and insufficient narration for non-aficionados of the books to be sure all the time of who is who.

5 The scenes often seem to be a succession of dramatic deaths - difficult to avoid with the way the story has to be condensed, but very predictable nonetheless.

However, it's still pretty good, and light years removed from much of the dumbed-down drama on TV today.