Lucan 

A two-part drama about infamous aristocrat Lord Lucan, who mysteriously disappeared in 1974 after being accused of murdering his children's nanny.

Stars:

Rory Kinnear, Catherine McCormack, Christopher Eccleston

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Rory Kinnear	...	Lord Lucan 2 episodes, 2013
Catherine McCormack	...	Lady Veronica Lucan 2 episodes, 2013
Christopher Eccleston	...	John Aspinall 2 episodes, 2013
Alistair Petrie	...	Jimmy Goldsmith 2 episodes, 2013

Storyline

In 2003 author John Pearson interviews elderly John Burke and Susie Maxwell-Scott for his book 'The Gamblers', centering on the Clermont Club, a Mayfair casino run by ruthless zoo keeper John Aspinall some thirty years earlier. His chief client is John Bingham, Lord Lucan, ironically nicknamed Lucky due to his consistent losing streak. When Lucan's long-suffering wife Veronica protests at his profligacy he is violent and, under Aspinall's malign influence, tries - and fails - to discredit Veronica's sanity to gain custody of their children after their divorce. Whilst Veronica delights in the friendship of her nanny Sandra Rivett Lucan, once more led on by Aspinall, arrives at Veronica's house with murder in mind but, in the dark, accidentally kills Sandra, rather than intended victim Veronica. Realizing his mistake he attacks Veronica but she escapes and seeks help in a pub from where she is taken to hospital. As Lucan goes on the run Aspinall summons fellow club members and insists ...

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Plot Keywords:

tv mini series | nanny | english channel | aristocrat | casino | 

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Taglines:

The incredible story of a high society murder and the most famous fugitive of all.

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 February 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Mystery of Lord Lucan

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

ITV Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

63 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

[after the fatal attack on nanny Sandra Rivett, Aspinall has called together Lord Lucan's friends]
John Aspinall: Right. You all know why you're here. A friend of ours is in trouble. As far as we can tell, there was some sort of incident last night at 46 Lower Belgrave Street, and Lucky Lucan is wanted for questioning over an attack on his wife and, it seems, the death of his children's nanny. I'll begin by asking if anybody has heard from Lucky in the last twelve hours.
[everyone shakes their heads]
Dominick Elwes: What about...
[...]

User Reviews

Low-Key Retelling of a Notorious Murder and Disappearance

Based on the work of the journalist John Pearson, LUCAN tells the story of the murders committed by Lord ("Lucky") Lucan (Rory Pearson), as well as explaining his subsequent disappearance. Adriam Shergold's production portrays Lucan as a perpetual loser, someone trying to live up to his aristocratic image yet perpetually humiliated - often consciously so - by his close friend, the tiger-loving John Aspinall (Christopher Eccleston). Following repeated fruitless attempts to obtain custody of his children, Lucan resolves to murder his wife (Catherine McCormack), but even that simple deed goes wrong for him. LUCAN portrays an aristocratic world that, even by the mid-1970s, was an anachronism; no one should automatically expect privileged treatment, whatever their background. Lucan is simply part of that world - as portrayed by Rory Kinnear, he maintains a British stiff upper-lip (it would be bad form to show one's emotions), but we can see how his lack of success affects him. The narrative unfolds in leisurely fashion, giving plenty of opportunity for the distinguished cast to show off their acting paces. Paul Freeman, Michael Gambon, Gemma Jones and Jane Lapotaire all have the chance to shine in various roles. Although LUCAN portrays a thoroughly unsympathetic character inhabiting a world of leisured privilege - where gambling is considered a 'profession' rather than an illness - we can nonetheless understand the motives behind his actions.