Howards End (TV series)

Last updated

Howards End
Howards End (miniseries) titlecard.JPG
Genre Drama
Based on Howards End
by E. M. Forster
Written by Kenneth Lonergan
Directed by Hettie MacDonald
Starring
Composer Nico Muhly
Country of origin
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes4 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Sophie Gardiner
  • Scott Huff
  • Joshua D. Maurer
  • Alixandre Witlin
  • David A. Stern
  • Colin Callender
Producer
  • Laura Hastings-Smith
CinematographyWojciech Szepel
Running time56–58 minutes
Production companies
  • Playground Television UK
  • City Entertainment
  • KippSter Entertainment
Original release
Network
Release12 November (2017-11-12) 
3 December 2017 (2017-12-03)

Howards End is a British-American drama television series based on the 1910 novel of the same name by E. M. Forster. The series was adapted by Kenneth Lonergan, directed by Hettie MacDonald, and stars Hayley Atwell. The four-part series is a co-production between British network BBC One and American network Starz. It premiered on 12 November 2017 in the United Kingdom and 8 April 2018 in the United States.

Contents

Premise

Howards End examines "the changing landscape of social and class divisions in turn-of-the-century England through the prism of three families: the intellectual and idealistic Schlegels, the wealthy Wilcoxes from the world of business and the working-class Basts." [1]

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Guest

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateUS release dateUK viewers
(millions) [2]
US viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1" Hettie MacDonald Kenneth Lonergan 12 November 2017 (2017-11-12)8 April 20188.300.217 [3]
After meeting the Wilcoxes on the Continent, Helen Schlegel visits them at Howards End. There, an unfortunate engagement between Helen and Paul Wilcox is quickly ended. The wealthy Wilcoxes decide that the Schlegels—Helen, her older sister Margaret, and brother Tibby—are of the unreliable, idealistic sort. The Schlegels meet and become interested in Leonard Bast, a lower class clerk. While the rest of the Wilcox family are away, Margaret and Mrs. Wilcox meet and become close friends.
2"Episode 2"Hettie MacDonaldKenneth Lonergan19 November 2017 (2017-11-19)15 April 20185.680.276 [4]
Mrs. Wilcox dies. After the funeral, the family discovers that Mrs. Wilcox, knowing the Schlegels must soon leave their home, has written a note bequeathing Howards End to Margaret. Henry Wilcox assumes his wife was not of sound mind and the children believe that the Schlegels maneuvered to obtain an inheritance. They destroy the note. Helen becomes more interested in helping Leonard Bast. Mr. Wilcox becomes interested in Margaret and she him.
3"Episode 3"Hettie MacDonaldKenneth Lonergan26 November 2017 (2017-11-26)22 April 20185.420.207 [5]
Henry and Margaret plan their wedding to the dismay of the Wilcox children, especially the eldest son, Charles. Helen dislikes Henry and his business activities and strongly disapproves of the wedding. Based on advice Henry gave to Margaret and Helen, Leonard has left his job and then loses his new job. He and his wife are now destitute, something Helen strives to rectify.
4"Episode 4"Hettie MacDonaldKenneth Lonergan3 December 2017 (2017-12-03)29 April 20185.060.275 [6]
Helen has mysteriously left for Germany and for months avoids contact with Margaret. She returns because their aunt's illness and the mystery of her departure is revealed. A confrontation at Howards End with Leonard, Henry's son Charles, and the Schlegel sisters ends in tragedy. Margaret nobly resolves the ensuing conflict.

Production

Development

On 28 November 2012 it was announced that Playground Entertainment, in association with City Entertainment and KippSter Entertainment, had acquired the screen rights to E.M. Forster's novel Howards End with the intention of adapting it into a television drama for BBC Two. Executive producers for the production were set to include Colin Callender, Joshua D. Maurer, Alixandre Witlin, and David A. Stern. [7] On 11 October 2013 it was announced that Kenneth Lonergan had been chosen to adapt the novel. The production had yet to be greenlit by the BBC but it was reportedly expected to consist of four episodes. It was additionally announced that Polly Hill would be executive producing for the BBC. [8] On 28 December 2015 it was announced that BBC One had officially greenlit the production. [9] On 7 June 2016 it was announced that Hettie MacDonald would direct all four episodes of the serial. [10] On 15 February 2017 it was announced that Starz was joining the production as a co-producer. [1]

Casting

Alongside the announcement that Starz was joining the production, it was confirmed that Hayley Atwell, Matthew Macfadyen, and Tracey Ullman would star in the series. [1] A few days later, it was announced that Julia Ormond, Philippa Coulthard, Joseph Quinn, Rosalind Eleazar, and Alex Lawther had also joined the main cast. [11]

Filming

Principal photography for the drama began during the summer of 2016. [9] The house used for Howards End is Vann House, near Hambledon; dating from 1542 but remodelled by WD Caröe after 1907 with gardens designed by Gertrude Jekyll. Scenes were filmed at Waverley Abbey, West Wycombe Park, Ballard Down, Swanage Pier and Harry Warren House on Studland Bay. London locations included Myddelton Square in Clerkenwell, Great Russell Street, Chancery Lane, the British Museum, Australia House and Simpsons in the Strand. [12] [13] [14]

Release

Marketing

On 4 May 2017 the first image from the series was released. [15] On 7 December 2017 Starz released the first trailer for American audiences. [16]

Premiere

On 1 November 2017 the series held its official British premiere in London at the BFI Southbank.[ citation needed ] On 4 April 2018 the series held its official American premiere in New York City at the Whitby Hotel. [17]

Broadcast

Howards End is broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom, ABC TV in Australia [18] and Starz in the United States. [1] The series premiered in the United States on 8 April 2018 on Starz. [19]

Reception

Critical response

The series was met with a positive response from critics. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an 88% approval rating with an average rating of 7.73 out of 10 based on 34 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Hayley Atwell shines in Howards End, a beautiful, if borderline superficial, adaptation of a much-revered book." [20] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 86 out of 100 based on 15 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [21]

Related Research Articles

<i>Howards End</i> 1910 novel by E. M. Forster

Howards End is a novel by E. M. Forster, first published in 1910, about social conventions, codes of conduct and relationships in turn-of-the-century England. Howards End is considered by many to be Forster's masterpiece. The book was conceived in June 1908 and worked on throughout the following year; it was completed in July 1910.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth Lonergan</span> American film director, playwright, and screenwriter

Kenneth Lonergan is an American film director, playwright, and screenwriter. He is the co-writer of the film Gangs of New York (2002), and wrote and directed You Can Count on Me (2000), Margaret (2011), and Manchester by the Sea (2016). Lonergan is also known for his work as a playwright. His most noted plays include This Is Our Youth, Lobby Hero and The Waverly Gallery. Each also had a successful revival engagement on Broadway, which resulted in each play receiving a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayley Atwell</span> British and American actress (born 1982)

Hayley Elizabeth Atwell is a British and American actress. After appearing on various West End productions, Atwell gained popularity for her roles in period-drama films, appearing in the films Brideshead Revisited (2008), The Duchess (2008) and the miniseries The Pillars of the Earth (2010); for the latter two, she was nominated for a British Independent Film Award and a Golden Globe Award respectively.

<i>Counterpart</i> (TV series) 2017 American science fiction thriller television series

Counterpart is an American science fiction thriller television series starring J. K. Simmons. It was created by Justin Marks and was first broadcast on the premium cable network Starz. The series ran for 20 episodes across two seasons. It premiered on December 10, 2017, and aired its final episode on February 17, 2019.

<i>American Gods</i> (TV series) American television series

American Gods is an American fantasy drama television series based on Neil Gaiman's 2001 novel of the same name and developed by Bryan Fuller and Michael Green for the premium cable network Starz. Produced by Fremantle North America and distributed by Lionsgate Television, the first season premiered on April 30, 2017. Fuller and Green served as the showrunners for the first season and were replaced by Jesse Alexander for the second season. Charles H. Eglee served as showrunner for the third season. Gaiman served as an executive producer.

<i>Queen Sugar</i> 2016 American drama television series

Queen Sugar is an American drama television series created and executive produced by Ava DuVernay, with Oprah Winfrey serving as an executive producer. DuVernay also directed the first two episodes. The series is based on the 2014 novel of the same name by American writer Natalie Baszile. Queen Sugar centers on the lives of three siblings in rural Louisiana who must deal with the aftermath of their father's sudden death and decide the fate of his 800-acre sugarcane farm. The mainstream themes in the series often accompany episodes centered on racial profiling, the long reach of chattel slavery in American history and the inequities in the criminal justice system, and other issues related to African Americans.

<i>The White Princess</i> (miniseries) 2017 British-American television series

The White Princess is a historical drama television miniseries developed for Starz. It is based on Philippa Gregory's 2013 novel of the same name and, to a lesser extent, its 2014 sequel The King's Curse. It is a sequel to the 2013 miniseries The White Queen, which adapted three of Gregory's previous novels, and begins immediately where The White Queen finished.

Sweetbitter is an American drama television series, based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Stephanie Danler and inspired by her time working in New York’s well-known restaurant Union Square Café. The show premiered on May 6, 2018, on Starz. In July 2018, it was announced that Starz had renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on July 14, 2019. In December 2019, the series was canceled after two seasons.

<i>Vida</i> (TV series) 2018 American drama television series

Vida is an American drama television series created by Tanya Saracho and inspired by the short story "Pour Vida" by Richard Villegas Jr. The series stars Melissa Barrera, Mishel Prada, Ser Anzoategui, Chelsea Rendon, Carlos Miranda, Maria-Elena Laas, and Roberta Colindrez. Vida tells the story of two Mexican American sisters who move back to their childhood home in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles after the death of their mother.

The Rook is an American television series, loosely based on the novel of the same name by Daniel O'Malley, and originally adapted by Stephenie Meyer. It was ordered direct-to-series at Starz in July 2017. Meyer left the series due to creative differences as the first and second episodes were being filmed. It premiered on June 30, 2019, in the United States on Starz and on July 1, 2019, in the United Kingdom on the Virgin TV Ultra HD channel. On March 4, 2020, Starz confirmed that they had decided not to continue it beyond the original eight episode miniseries.

<i>Hightown</i> (TV series) 2020 American crime drama television series

Hightown is an American crime drama television series that premiered on Starz on May 17, 2020. The series is created by Rebecca Cutter and executive produced by Cutter, Gary Lennon, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, and KristieAnne Reed and stars Monica Raymund and James Badge Dale. In June 2020, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on October 17, 2021. In March 2022, the series was renewed for a third season. The third and final season premiered on January 26, 2024.

Power Book II: Ghost, or simply Ghost is an American crime drama television series created by Courtney A. Kemp that premiered on September 6, 2020 on Starz. The series is both a direct sequel and spin-off to Power.

Power Book IV: Force, or simply Force is an American crime drama television series created by Robert Munic that premiered on February 6, 2022, on Starz. The series is a sequel and third spin-off to Power created by Courtney A. Kemp. In March 2022, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on September 1, 2023. In December 2023, the series was renewed for a third season.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan, or simply Raising Kanan is an American crime drama television series created by Sascha Penn that premiered on July 18, 2021 on Starz. It is a prequel and second spin-off to Power.

<i>Gaslit</i> (TV series) American television series

Gaslit is an American political thriller television limited series based on the first season of the podcast Slow Burn by Leon Neyfakh. It stars Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Dan Stevens, Betty Gilpin, Shea Whigham, and Darby Camp. It premiered on Starz on April 24, 2022.

<i>Shining Vale</i> 2022 American comedy horror television series

Shining Vale is an American satirical comedy horror television series created by Jeff Astrof and Sharon Horgan. The series stars Courteney Cox, Greg Kinnear, Sherilyn Fenn, Mira Sorvino, Merrin Dungey, and Judith Light. It premiered on Starz on March 6, 2022. In May 2022, the series was renewed for a second season. The second season premiered on October 13, 2023. In December 2023, the series was canceled after two seasons, with its seasons to be removed from the streaming service.

The Serpent Queen is an American historical drama television series about the life of Catherine de' Medici, the 16th century Queen of France, as portrayed by actress Samantha Morton. The series was created by Justin Haythe and is based on the 2004 nonfiction book Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie Frieda. The Serpent Queen premiered on Starz network on September 11, 2022. Starz renewed the series for a second season on October 27, 2022 which is scheduled to premiere in 2024.

<i>BMF</i> (TV series) American crime drama television series

BMF is an American crime drama television series created by Randy Huggins, which follows the Black Mafia Family, a drug trafficking and money laundering organization. The series premiered on September 26, 2021, on Starz. After the series premiere, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on January 6, 2023. In January 2023, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on March 1, 2024. On February 29, 2024, ahead of the third season premiere, the series was renewed for a fourth season.

<i>Accused</i> (2023 TV series) 2023 American crime drama anthology television series

Accused is an American crime drama television series developed by Howard Gordon that is based on the 2010 British series of the same name, created by Jimmy McGovern. The series premiered on Fox on January 22, 2023. In March 2023, the series was renewed for a second season.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Andreeva, Nellie (15 February 2017). "Starz Boards 'Howards End' BBC Limited Series; Hayley Atwell, Matthew Macfadyen & Tracey Ullman To Star". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  2. "Weekly top 30 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board . Retrieved 10 April 2018. (User must select "BBC1" in the Channel field and then select the appropriate year, month and week to retrieve the figure for each episode)
  3. Metcalf, Mitch (10 April 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.8.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 10 April 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  4. Metcalf, Mitch (17 April 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.15.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  5. Metcalf, Mitch (24 April 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.22.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  6. Metcalf, Mitch (1 May 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.29.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  7. Andreeva, Nellie; Tartaglione, Nancy (28 November 2012). "BBC Two Preps 'Howards End' Miniseries Produced By Colin Callender". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  8. Tartaglione, Nancy (11 October 2013). "Kenneth Lonergan To Script 'Howards End' Miniseries Project For BBC, Playground". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  9. 1 2 Tartaglione, Nancy (28 December 2015). "'Howards End' Drama Greenlit By BBC One With Kenneth Lonergan Scripting". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  10. Jaafar, Ali (7 June 2016). "Hettie Macdonald To Direct 'Howards End' Adaptation For BBC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  11. Petski, Denise (17 February 2017). "'Howards End': Julia Ormond, Philippa Coulthard, Joseph Quinn, More Join Starz/BBC Miniseries". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  12. Lacey, Stephen (30 April 2014). "Edwardian spirit: Vann garden in Surrey". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  13. "Where is BBC drama Howards End filmed?". Radio Times. 28 March 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  14. Deehan, Tom (10 November 2017). "London and Surrey locations bring new Howards End adaptation to life » The Location Guide". The Location Guide. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  15. Petski, Denise (4 May 2017). "'Howards End': Hayley Atwell & Matthew Macfadyen In First Image From Starz Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  16. Evans, Greg (7 December 2017). "'Howards End': Trailer, Premiere Set For Starz Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  17. Funmbi (5 April 2018). "'Howards End' Cast & Creators Attend NYC Premiere - We So Nerdy". We So Nerdy. Archived from the original on 8 April 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  18. "Howards End: Series 1 Ep 1". ABC TV . March 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  19. Pedersen, Erik (12 January 2018). "Starz Sets Premiere Dates For Rookie Dramas 'Howards End', 'Vida' & Sweetbitter' – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  20. "Howards End - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  21. "Howards End". Metacritic. Retrieved 21 September 2018.