| The Mayor of Casterbridge | |
|---|---|
| DVD cover | |
| Genre | Classic serial |
| Based on | The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy |
| Screenplay by | Dennis Potter |
| Directed by | David Giles |
| Starring | Alan Bates |
| Composer | Carl Davis |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Jonathan Powell |
| Running time | 50 min. (per episode) & 55 min. (final ep.) [1] |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC2 |
| Release | 22 January – 5 March 1978 |
The Mayor of Casterbridge is a 1978 BBC seven-part serial based on the eponymous 1886 book by the British novelist Thomas Hardy. [2] The six-hour drama was written by television dramatist Dennis Potter and directed by David Giles with Alan Bates as the title character. [3] [4] It was released as a 3-disc DVD box set in May 2003.
On a drunken impulse, Henchard sells his wife and daughter at a country fair, an outrageous act for which he suffers agonising remorse. Years later, when he has become a respected and prosperous man, his wife returns to find him. Henchard's attempt to right the long-ago wrong sets in motion a series of events that spell his destruction.
The series was shot entirely on location in Dorset, largely in the village of Corfe Castle. [3]