To the Ends of the Earth 

In 1812, young British aristocrat Edmund Talbot travels by ship to Australia, and learns more about himself and about life than he had ever bargained for.

Stars:

Benedict Cumberbatch, Jared Harris, Jamie Sives

2 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Benedict Cumberbatch	...	Edmund Talbot 3 episodes, 2005
Jared Harris	...	Captain Anderson 3 episodes, 2005
Jamie Sives	...	1st Lieutenant Summers 3 episodes, 2005
Richard McCabe	...	Mr. Brocklebank 3 episodes, 2005
Victoria Hamilton	...	Miss Granham 3 episodes, 2005
Tim Delap	...	Mr. Bowles 3 episodes, 2005
Vanessa Pike	...	Mrs. Pike 3 episodes, 2005
Jonathan Slinger	...	Mr. Pike 3 episodes, 2005
Robert Hobbs	...	Lieutenant Cumbersham 3 episodes, 2005
Sam Neill	...	Mr. Prettiman 3 episodes, 2005
Chris Walker	...	Oldmeadow 3 episodes, 2005
Denise Black	...	Mrs. Brocklebank 3 episodes, 2005
Paula Jennings	...	Zenobia 3 episodes, 2005
Brian Pettifer	...	Wheeler 3 episodes, 2005
Tom Fisher	...	Askew 3 episodes, 2005
Daniel Evans	...	Parson Colley 3 episodes, 2005
Theo Landey	...	Bates 3 episodes, 2005
Calum Callaghan	...	Willis 3 episodes, 2005
Adam Woolf	...	Phillips 3 episodes, 2005
Jonathan Pienaar	...	Smiles 3 episodes, 2005
Kirsty Motzouris	...	Phoebe Pike 3 episodes, 2005
Kelly Motzouris	...	Annibel Pike 3 episodes, 2005
Daniel Newman	...	Gibbs 3 episodes, 2005
Danelle Drury	...	Mrs. East 3 episodes, 2005
Damon Berry	...	Mr. East 3 episodes, 2005
Lionel Newton	...	Jones 3 episodes, 2005
JJ Feild	...	Lieutenant Deverel 2 episodes, 2005
Niall Macgregor	...	Lieutenant Benét 2 episodes, 2005
James Gracie	...	Billy Rogers 2 episodes, 2005
Joanna Page	...	Marion Chumley 2 episodes, 2005

Storyline

In the early 1800s young Edmund Talbot travels on a not too sea-worthy ship to New South Wales to take up a post with its governor. He keeps a journal, recording his impressions of crew and passengers. He gets on well with the Captain, Anderson, an amateur botanist who grows plants in his cabin, but, due to a social gaffe, well-meaning young parson Colley falls foul of the captain, later getting drunk and having gay sex with crew members. Despite Edmund's efforts to broker an understanding he remains in his cabin, where he literally wastes away. Edmund has a sexual encounter with the comely Zenobia, travelling with her parents, but he comes to realize that they are not related at all, merely a sexual threesome. Miss Granham, travelling to take up the job of a governess, falls for the older Mr. Prettiman, whom Edmund despises as a free-thinker, though they eventually reconcile. Prettiman is badly injured in a fall and Miss Granham agrees to marry him immediately, with flowers provided ...

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Plot Keywords:

homosexual | ship | australia | sex | british | 

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Taglines:

An Epic Journey of Self Discovery

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

BBC [UK] Official PBS/Masterpiece Theatre [United States]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 July 2005 (UK)

Also Known As:

To the Ends of the Earth

Filming Locations:

Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC),Power,Powercorp

Technical Specs

Runtime:

267 min (3 parts)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16 : 9

Did You Know?

Trivia

Benedict Cumberbatch, Denise Black and Theo Lande were robbed and kidnapped while filming in South Africa. They were on their way back from scuba diving when they had a flat tire on an isolated dirt road. An armed gang of six men came upon them, took their money, credit cards and mobile phones, frisked them for anything else of value, then put them into their car and drove away with them. Eventually, they stopped and forced Cumberbatch into the trunk of the car, but he began telling them that he had a heart and brain problem and might die in the small space, and they would get into a great deal of trouble if found with a dead Englishman. Following an argument among the kidnappers, he was taken out. After stopping under a bridge, the actors were made to get out and crouch, and after a few terrifying minutes, they realized their assailants had fled the scene.

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Goofs

At the end of the series when Edmund is on the dock looking out at the small boats, the same slender blond girl wearing a tan blouse passes behind him twice, from left to right, in a few seconds.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
Edmund Talbot: Good God!

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Soundtracks

Bonny at Morn
Traditional

User Reviews

Incredible

To The Ends of the Earth is truly incredible. I watched it having been so impressed by Benedict Cumberbatch in the brilliant Sherlock. And he doesn't disappoint here, in fact once again in a performance wider in range perhaps than Sherlock he is amazing, as are the support actors. And it does help that the characters are well developed and that you care for them.

To The Ends of the Earth also has some wonderful production values. You can never go wrong with luscious photography, gorgeous scenery and settings and sumptuous costumes, with a period detail so evocative you feel you are there living the moment(the first series I've seen do that since The Crimson Petal and the White). To The Ends of the Earth has all of this, and also a music score that is beautiful, haunting and rousing and never undermines or overshadows the drama/action.

The story is rich, narrative-wise and thematically and always absorbing, and the dialogue intelligent and thoughtful while never feeling stilted. Overall, it is incredible and a must see. 10/10 Bethany Cox