The Way We Live Now 

At the center of the story is Augustus Melmotte, a European-born city financier, whose origins are as mysterious as his business dealings. Trollope describes him as 'something in the city',... See full summary »

Stars:

David Suchet, Matthew Macfadyen, Cillian Murphy

7 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
David Suchet	...	Augustus Melmotte 4 episodes, 2001
Matthew Macfadyen	...	Sir Felix Carbury 4 episodes, 2001
Cillian Murphy	...	Paul Montague 4 episodes, 2001
Paloma Baeza	...	Hetta Carbury 4 episodes, 2001
Cheryl Campbell	...	Lady Carbury 4 episodes, 2001
Richard Cant	...	Dolly Longestaffe 4 episodes, 2001
Shirley Henderson	...	Marie Melmotte 4 episodes, 2001
Tom Fahy	...	Butler - Grosvenor Square 4 episodes, 2001
Allan Corduner	...	Croll 4 episodes, 2001
Angus Wright	...	Miles Grendall 4 episodes, 2001
Miranda Otto	...	Mrs. Hurtle 4 episodes, 2001
Stuart McQuarrie	...	Lord Nidderdale 4 episodes, 2001
Tony Britton	...	Lord Alfred Grendall 4 episodes, 2001
Oliver Ford Davies	...	Mr. Longestaffe 4 episodes, 2001
Helen Schlesinger	...	Madame Melmotte 4 episodes, 2001
Douglas Hodge	...	Roger Carbury 4 episodes, 2001
Maxine Peake	...	Ruby Ruggles 4 episodes, 2001
Graham Crowden	...	Marquis of Auld Reekie 4 episodes, 2001
Anne-Marie Duff	...	Georgiana Longestaffe 4 episodes, 2001
David Bradley	...	Mr. Broune 4 episodes, 2001
Sarah Niven	...	Simpson 3 episodes, 2001
Rob Brydon	...	Mr. Alf 3 episodes, 2001
Jon Rumney	...	Herr Vossner 3 episodes, 2001
Nicholas McGaughey	...	John Crumb 3 episodes, 2001
Michele Dotrice	...	Mrs. Pipkin 3 episodes, 2001
Jim Carter	...	Mr. Brehgert 3 episodes, 2001
Michael Riley	...	Hamilton K. Fisker 3 episodes, 2001
Lilo Baur	...	Didon 2 episodes, 2001
Tony Pritchard	...	Mr. Wakeham 2 episodes, 2001
Joanna David	...	Lady Pomona Longestaffe 2 episodes, 2001
Fenella Woolgar	...	Lady Julia Monogram 2 episodes, 2001

Storyline

At the center of the story is Augustus Melmotte, a European-born city financier, whose origins are as mysterious as his business dealings. Trollope describes him as 'something in the city', but the "something" part is not always clear. Within weeks of arriving in London, he announces a new company and promises instant fortune to those who join him in this scheme. Melmotte is surrounded by a circle of decadent aristos, scheming widows and nouveau riche businessmen, all trying to get a piece of the financial pie. His disobedient daughter, Marie, is played by Shirley Henderson, while Cheryl Campbell, Matthew Macfadyen and Paloma Baeza bring to life the aristocratic but impoverished Carbury family.

---

Plot Keywords:

railroad business | nouveau riche | victorian england | victorian era | 1800s | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mrs. Hurtle indicates that the year is 1870. Trollope did his homework creating the fictional railroad enterprise. In 1870 Salt Lake City had almost three times the population of either Los Angeles or Denver, benefiting from the post-Civil War expansion westward and the booming silver and copper mines in the Intermountain West. Also by 1870 Salt Lake City was connected by rail to the Union Pacific Railroad and other smaller regional lines connecting to the mines. Building a railroad to haul ore from the US Rockies to a Mexican seaport on the Gulf of Mexico and to return with goods, supplies, and homesteaders made commercial sense and could easily have been supported in principle by a US Congress governed by America's Manifest Destiny.

---

Quotes

Sir Felix Carbury: I may not be possessed of great wealth or property, but I am a baronet and a gentleman.
Augustus Melmotte: And I'm not, you imply.
Sir Felix Carbury: No! No, that's not what I meant at all!
Augustus Melmotte: I think we understand each other very well. You're to provide the rank and position and I am to provide the money. That's the bargain. I buy my daughter a place in society by paying you to marry her.

---

Connections

Featured in The Two Loves of Anthony Trollope (2004)

User Reviews

a great performance by David Suchet

We're still talking at home about David Suchet's performance, he's repulsive, horrifying, lying, charismatic, ugly, likable, credible and incredible. If he had been in an A movie, he could of had all the awards. I thought there weren't any actors like this around anymore. His character is Citizen Kane combined with Dracula, and he inhabits it with a vengeance. And the story! It seems to always be consciously paralleling the dot-com or Enron debacles, but isn't that what business has been like ever since stocks began?

Details

Official Sites:

PBS [United States]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 November 2001 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Way We Live Now

Filming Locations:

Nether Winchendon House, Nether Winchendon, Aylesbury HP18 0DY, United Kingdom

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), NOVA/WGBH Boston, Deep Indigo Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

300 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1