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LINKSTHE FALL OF EAGLES
ABC-BBC DVD / Region 4 / Released June 2009
Featuring Gemma Jones, Denis Lill, Patrick Stewart, Diane Keen, Maurice Denham, Curt Jurgens, Barry Foster, Laurence Naismith, Jan Francis, Michael Kitchen, Peter Vaughan,
This mammoth and impressive mid 1970's historical drama series is given an impressive release this month from ABC-BBC DVD. A very nice, sumptuous in fact, four disc set, complete with collectors booklet, brings all 13 episodes from The Fall of Eagles, a 1974 all star series telling the story of the rise and fall of the Hapzburg dynasty from the first emperor Franz-Joseph through to Kaiser Bill and his exile at the close of the first world war.
The cast is amazing and includes the likes of Patrick Stewart, Barry Foster, Laurence Naismith, Gemma Jones, Denis Lill, Michael Kitchen, Diane Keen, Colin Baker, Marius Goring, Peter Vaughan, Paul Eddington and Charles Gray to name just a few.
The brainchild of legendary BBC producer John Ellliot (who created the amazing A For Andromeda), Fall was initially going to be quite an examination of the life of the last Tsar but as research for the series got under it was decided to widen it out to take in the whole of Hapzburg and Hohenzollern dynasties, covering the period 1848 upto 1918. This allows the plays to focus on not just Tsar Nicholas II but also Germany's Kaiser Willhelm II and Emperor Franz Josef of the Austria-Hungary region.
This is a production of the highest calibre, from the writers (who include such strong names as Trevor Griffiths, Hugh Whitemore, Jack Pulman, Troy Kennedy Martin and Elliot himself), the directors (Rudolph Cartier - a true legend having been one of the guiding lights of both BBC and ITV in the mid to late 1950's, David Cunliffe and Bill Hays and of course the already mentioned superb cast.
Mixing recent history with top quality scripts and superb acting Fall of Eagles is the kind of series that the BBC has built its reputation for coming up with the best TV in the world on.
Extras include an excellent and informative booklet and cast interviews.
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