TV Series

The Mayor of Casterbridge

The Dennis Potter adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic tale

5.7

1978

“The Dennis Potter adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic tale”

Synopsis

The Mayor of Casterbridge is a 1978 BBC seven-part serial based on the eponymous 1886 book by the British novelist Thomas Hardy. The six-hour drama was written by dramatist Dennis Potter and directed by David Giles, with Alan Bates as the title character. Michael Henchard, an out-of-work hay-trusser, gets drunk at a fair and, for five guineas, sells his wife and child to a sailor. When the horror of his act finally sets in, Henchard swears he will not touch alcohol for twenty-one years. Through hard work and acumen, he becomes rich, respected, and eventually the mayor of Casterbridge. But eighteen years after his fateful oath, his wife and daughter return to Casterbridge, and his fortunes steadily decline.

Created By

Dennis Potter

Drama

based on novel or bookminiseries

Cast & Crew

Alan Bates

as Michael Henchard

Janet Maw

as Elizabeth-Jane II

Jack Galloway

as Donald Farfrae

Seasons & Episodes

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