There once was a Victorian author by the name of Anthony Trollope…
The Pallisers, like the Barchester Chronicles, is based on the works of Anthony Trollope. The Pallisers is a BBC production from the 1970s, so don’t be surprised when you see and hear just that…. 1970s technology. But, you will not be surprised to see absolutely beautiful costumes and sets. And the acting is without fault (anyway, to me!)
Lady Glencora is played beautifully by Susan Hampshire (Monarch of the Glen, Barchester Chronicles). Philip Lathan plays her doting husband, Plantagenet Palliser (thus the name for the series). Don’t be surprised to see many other faces we have grown to love….. Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius and Brother Cadfael), Penelope Keith (To the Manor Born), Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews (both from Brideshead Revisited), just to name a few.
The saga follows the Palliser family as they work their way up the political ladder. It also answers the age old question…. what’s a girl with money to do!?!
I don’t want to reveal too much, but I must say that watching the series (which consists of 26 episodes) was almost like watching several different miniseries. The Pallisers is based on six of Anthony Trollope’s novels, which is why there are definite changes in the story line. It’s not that it is difficult to follow, but you will be aware of definite shifts that take place with the plots and characters.
Although it is not a mystery, it is a very enjoyable British series… which apparently was shown on Masterpiece Theatre many years ago… unbeknownst to me!
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A.C.R. says
Susan Hampshire is wonderful in this. Also, her Vanity Fair series is excellent (she was younger then). And in the same year (1967) she was Fleur in the outstanding early version of the Forsyte Saga which was longer and more true to the book than the more modern version in 2002.
The clergy of Britain complained that church attendance was down Sunday evenings when the program aired. This earlier version is also less politically correct. In the famous 1967 BBC viewer poll slightly more viewers favored Soames Forsyte over his wife Irene in their feud !!