BBC Television Shakespeare, The (BBC 1978-1985)

An attempt to stage all of Shakespeare’s 37 plays to form a definitive canon of his work, however the attempt lacked cohesion as the plays were filmed in such a wide variety of styles, with some shot on film, some studio bound etc.

The casts though featured the cream of British acting talent including John Gielgud, Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, James Bolam, Timothy West, and Virginia McKenna. The Merry Wives of Windsor.

An alphabetical listing of the plays produced:-
ALLS WELL THAT ENDS WELL (1980)
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA (1981)
AS YOU LIKE IT (1979)
CYMBELINE (1983)
HAMLET (1980)
HENRY II (1979)
HENRY IV Parts 1&2 (1979)
HENRY V (1979)
HENRY VI Parts 1-3 (1983)
JULIUS CAESAR (1979)
KING LEAR (1982)
MACBETH (1983)
MEASURE FOR MEASURE(1978)
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (1980)
THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR
A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (1984)
OTHELLO (1980)
PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE (1984)
RICHARD II (1978)
RICHARD III (1982)
ROMEO AND JULIET (1978)
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (1980)
THE TEMPEST (1980)
TIMON OF ATHENS (1981)
TITUS ANDRONICUS (1985)
THE TRADEGY OF CORIALANUS (1984)
TROILUS AND CRESSIDA (1981)
TWELFTH NIGHT (1980)
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (1984)
THE WINTERS TALE (1980)

production details
UK / BBC / 1978-85

Producers: Cedric Messina, Jonathan Miller, Shaun Sutton