Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years was a period drama serial telling the story of Winston Churchill’s years in the political wilderness after his meteoric rise at the start of the 20th Century before again coming to the fore during World War II.
Hardy’s brilliant performance as Churchill won critical acclaim and a BAFTA award in 1982. He reprised the role in The Sittaford Mystery, Bomber Harris and War and Remembrance and at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the end of World War II in 1995 when he quoted a number of Churchill’s wartime speeches in character.
production details
Creators: Richard Broke, Martin Gilbert Producer: Richard Broke Executive Producer: Mark Shivas
UK / ITV – Southern / 8x60m-e / 1981 6 September – 11 October
Creators: Richard Broke, Martin Gilbert
Producer: Richard Broke
Executive Producer: Mark Shivas
cast
ROBERT HARDY as Winston Churchill
SIAN PHILLIPS as Clemintine
PETER BARKWORTH as Stanley Baldwin
SAM WANAMAKER as Bernard Baruch
ERIC PORTER as Neville Chamberlain
TIM PIGGOTT-SMITH as Brenda Bracken
EDWARD WOODWARD as Samuel Hoare
NIGEL HAVERS as Randolph Churchill
