Period BBC drama Gunpowder, Treason And Plot was told in two parts with separate casts. In the first story Mary Queen of Scots (Clemence Posey) arrives from France to take up her Scottish throne where her Catholicism clashes with Protestant Scotland.
The second story sees Mary’s son, James (Robert Carlyle), as an adult taking up his throne in England and foiling a plot to blow up parliament with gunpowder.
NOTE: Initially billed as a four-part series – The first story was shown as two distinct episodes shown back-to-back as a double-bill; the second story was shown as a single double-length episode. Both stories are probably available to be packaged in either manner.
Cast:
(story 1) – CLEMENCE POESY as Mary, Queen of Scots; KEVIN McKIDD as Bothwell; CATHERINE McCORMACK as Queen Elizabeth I; STEVEN DUFFY as Lord James; DANIELA NARDINI as Lady Huntly; PAUL NICHOLLS as Lord Damley
(story 2) – ROBERT CARLYLE as James I; SIRA STAMPE as Anne of Denmark; TIM McINNERNY as Cecil; IAIN ROBERTSON as Huntly; RICHARD COYLE as Catesby; EMILIA FOX as Lady Margaret; MICHAEL FASSBENDER as Guy Fawkes
Writer: Jimmy McGovern / Director: Gillies MacKinnon / Producers: Gub Neal, AJ Wands
UK / BBC Two / 2×100 minute episodes (see note) / Broadcast 14-21 March 2004