Storyline

The BBC Television Shakespeare is a series of British television adaptations of the plays of William Shakespeare, created by Cedric Messina and produced by BBC Television. It was transmitted in the UK from 3 December 1978 to 27 April 1985 and spanned seven series. Development of the series began in 1975 when Messina saw that Glamis Castle would make a perfect location for an adaptation of Shakespeare's play As You Like It. On returning to London, he envisioned an entire series devoted exclusively to the dramatic works of Shakespeare. After encountering numerous problems trying to produce the series, Messina eventually pitched the idea to the BBC’s departmental heads and the series was greenlighted. The series as a whole received generally negative reviews from critics.

First Aired

1978-12-03
Last Aired

1985-04-27
Creator
Genre

Drama, Comedy
Seasons

7
Episodes

68
Status

Ended
Language

English
Network

BBC Two

Keywords:

poetry stage prose

Stream and watch The BBC Television Shakespeare

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7

1. Romeo and Juliet

Romeo, heir of the lordly Montague family of the Italian city of Verona, goes wearing a mask to a danc...More

Romeo, heir of the lordly Montague family of the Italian city of Verona, goes wearing a mask to a dance held by the Capulets, their bitter rivals in the city. There, Romeo falls head over heels for Juliet Capulet, and they are secretly married by the obliging Friar Lawrence. Following a fight, Romeo is banished from the city, and Juliet's father promises her in marriage to another young fellow, Paris. Juliet unwisely agrees to a plan suggested by Friar Lawrence, takes a drug which will make her seem dead for two days and is put into the family vault, expecting Romeo to collect her when she wakes up. However, Romeo fails to get Friar Lawrence's message, believes Juliet is dead, kills Paris, then drinks poison and dies by Juliet's side. On waking up, she finds Romeo's body and stabs herself to death. As a result (if a rather unlikely one) the Montague and Capulet lords make up their ancient quarrel and a new friendship blossoms between the warring factions.Less

150mins 1978-12-03

2. King Richard the Second

Bolingbroke wrongly accuses Mowbray of killing Gloucester, the uncle of King Richard II. Richard (who ...More

Bolingbroke wrongly accuses Mowbray of killing Gloucester, the uncle of King Richard II. Richard (who in fact arranged the murder) orders a trial by combat between Bolingbroke and Mowbray, then turns this into exile for both of them. Bolingbroke's father, John of Gaunt, dies and Richard seizes his estates to pay for a campaign in Ireland. While Richard is off fighting the Irish, leaving the Duke of York as Regent, Bolingbroke invades England and the country rises in support of him. York vacillates, Richard lands in Wales, is arrested, and surrenders the crown to Bolingbroke, who becomes King Henry IV. A plot against Henry is discovered, Henry pardons his cousin Aumerle, but Richard is murdered while imprisoned at Pontefract.Less

150mins 1978-12-10

3. As You Like It

Duke Frederick has driven out the lawful Duke and usurped his duchy. Rosalind (daughter of the banishe...More

Duke Frederick has driven out the lawful Duke and usurped his duchy. Rosalind (daughter of the banished Duke) falls in love with Orlando de Boys, as he is beating Frederick's champion in a wrestling match. Frederick banishes her, too, and she leaves, disguised as a youth called Ganymede, taking Frederick's daughter Celia and his jester Touchstone with her. Rosalind's troupe heads for the Forest of Arden, where Rosalind's father is living quietly, with Orlando and his brother Jaques now members of the old Duke's rustic court. Rosalind decides to live for a time as Ganymede, and she/he finds Orlando hanging poems to Rosalind on trees (no doubt he knows what he's doing?)... Ganymede promises to cure Orlando of his love, while Touchstone woos a country girl, Audrey. Meanwhile, a shepherdess called Phebe falls in love with Ganymede, scorning the love of the bumpkin Silvius. Oliver de Boys, another brother of Orlando, arrives and falls heavily for Celia. At the end, Ganymede turns himselfLess

150mins 1978-12-17

4. Julius Caesar

Marcus Brutus is Caesar's close friend and a Roman praetor. Brutus allows himself to be cajoled into j...More

Marcus Brutus is Caesar's close friend and a Roman praetor. Brutus allows himself to be cajoled into joining a group of conspiring senators because of a growing suspicion — implanted by Caius Cassius — that Caesar intends to turn republican Rome into a monarchy under his own rule.Less

150mins 1979-02-11

5. Measure For Measure

This drama is classified as a comedy play by William Shakespeare. However it is also referred to as a ...More

This drama is classified as a comedy play by William Shakespeare. However it is also referred to as a 'problem play', because it cannot be easily described as either a tragedy or comedy. The story of the plot centres on Angelo who has been empowered by the Duke of Vienna to rule his land, whilst he wanders about disguised as a friar to investigate the moral decay of his dukedom. Resorting to an old law against fornication to enforce his strict standards of morality, Angelo proceeds to condemn fornicators to death. One of these fornicators is Claudio , a young man who has had pre-marital sex with his fiancee. Claudio's sister Isabella pleads for her brother's life. Angelo's lust is aroused and he uses his power to blackmail Isabella into his bed. Fortunately the Duke overhears. Angelo ends up in the bed of Mariana , a woman from his undisclosed past. Claudio is allowed to live happily ever after with his fiancee, and the virtuous Isabella ends up the Duke of Vienna's brideLess

150mins 1979-02-18

6. King Henry the Eighth

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150mins 1979-02-25

7. King Henry the Fourth, Part I

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150mins 1979-12-09

8. King Henry the Fourth, Part II

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150mins 1979-12-16

9. King Henry the Fifth

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150mins 1979-12-23

10. Twelfth Night, or, What You Will

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150mins 1980-01-06

11. The Tempest

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150mins 1980-02-27

12. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

A son avenges his father's murder, but his madness and indecision take its toll on everyone.

A son avenges his father's murder, but his madness and indecision take its toll on everyone.Less

150mins 1980-02-27

13. The Taming of the Shrew

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150mins 1980-10-23

14. The Merchant of Venice

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150mins 1980-02-17

15. All's Well That Ends Well

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150mins 1981-01-04

16. The Winter's Tale

King Leontes of Bohemia suspects his wife, Queen Hermione, of deceiving him with his good friend Polix...More

King Leontes of Bohemia suspects his wife, Queen Hermione, of deceiving him with his good friend Polixenes. Leontes drives Polixenes out of his kingdom, but this leads to unforeseen consequences: the arrival of a dangerous bear, an infant abandoned in the snow, love, death, and a statue which comes to life.Less

150mins 1981-02-08

17. Timon of Athens

Ancient Athenian Timon is well-known for his generosity - his many friends come to all his parties and...More

Ancient Athenian Timon is well-known for his generosity - his many friends come to all his parties and like to get presents from him. But then Timon suffers losses and finds himself in debt, and his friends melt away. He loses faith in humanity and becomes a hermit.Less

150mins 1981-04-16

18. Antony and Cleopatra

Octavius Caesar (later known as Augustus), Mark Antony, and Lepidus form a triumvirate to rule the Rom...More

Octavius Caesar (later known as Augustus), Mark Antony, and Lepidus form a triumvirate to rule the Roman Empire. Antony will rule in the east and goes to Egypt, where he becomes the lover of Queen Cleopatra. When Pompey raises an army to fight the triumvirate, Antony returns to Rome and marries Caesar's sister, Octavia. Cleopatra becomes jealous and plans to win Antony back. Caesar breaks a deal with Pompey and defeats him. Antony sends Octavia home to Rome and goes back to Cleopatra, and in Egypt he raises an army and a navy to fight Caesar. Antony's forces lose a critical sea battle when Cleopatra's ship flees. Antony hears Cleopatra has committed suicide and falls on his own sword. Cleopatra is taken prisoner and kills herself.Less

150mins 1981-05-08

19. Othello

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150mins 1981-10-04

20. Troilus and Cressida

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150mins 1981-11-07

21. A Midsummer Night's Dream

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150mins 1981-12-13

22. King Lear

First screened in 1982, this timeless Shakespeare story of an ageing King who decides to divide his Ki...More

First screened in 1982, this timeless Shakespeare story of an ageing King who decides to divide his Kingdom between his three daughters stars Michael Hordern as Lear, with Brenda Blethyn as Cordelia, Gillian Barge as Goneril, Penelope Wilton as Regan, Michael Kitchen as Edmund and Anton Lesser as Edgar.Less

150mins 1982-09-19

23. The Merry Wives of Windsor

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150mins 1982-12-28

24. King Henry the Sixth, Part I

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150mins 1983-01-02

25. King Henry the Sixth, Part II

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150mins 1983-01-09

26. King Henry the Sixth, Part III

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150mins 1983-01-16

27. The Tragedy of King Richard the Third

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150mins 1983-01-23

28. Cymbeline

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150mins 1983-07-10

29. Macbeth

Classic tragedy by William Shakespeare about how ambition can corrupt. Three witches foresee a great f...More

Classic tragedy by William Shakespeare about how ambition can corrupt. Three witches foresee a great future for Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis.Less

150mins 1983-11-05

30. The Comedy of Errors

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150mins 1983-12-24

31. The Two Gentlemen of Verona

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150mins 1983-12-27

32. The Tragedy of Coriolanus

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150mins 1984-04-21

33. The Life and Death of King John

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150mins 1984-11-24

34. Pericles, Prince of Tyre

Prince Pericles, visiting Antioch, solves King Antiochus's riddle to his daughter's suitors - the answ...More

Prince Pericles, visiting Antioch, solves King Antiochus's riddle to his daughter's suitors - the answer is that the King has had an incestuous relationship with his daughter. Pericles realizes he must escape to Tyre, and from there he goes to Tarsus to relieve a famine. Pursued by Antiochus's men, his ship is wrecked on the shores of Pentapolis and he marries Thaisa, the daughter of its King. Thaisa gives birth to a daughter, Marina, at sea, and in a great storm Thaisa is thrown overboard in a sea-chest. Coming to land at Ephesus, she believes Pericles is drowned and becomes a priestess of Diana.Pericles arranges for Marina to be brought up by Cleon of Tarsus and his wife Dionyza, and returns to Tyre. Fourteen years go by, and Dionyza, jealous of Marina, is about to have her murdered, when Marina is kidnapped by pirates, who send her to a brothel in Mytilene. Cleon tells Pericles that Marina is dead. Meanwhile, in Mytilene Marina's purity triumphs, startling the governor of the city,Less

150mins 1984-12-08

35. Much Ado About Nothing

Claudio and Benedick come home from the wars, having fought under Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon, to supp...More

Claudio and Benedick come home from the wars, having fought under Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon, to suppress a rebellion by his weird brother, Don John. Leonato, Governor of Messina, welcomes Claudio and Benedick into his house. Claudio woos Hero, Leonato's daughter, while Benedick quips and quarrels with Beatrice, Hero's cousin. Claudio and Hero get engaged to marry and try to trick Benedick and Beatrice into also falling in love. Don John sets out to make mischief and persuades Claudio and Don Pedro that Hero is a scarlet woman. Claudio denounces Hero in front of her family and refuses to marry her, Hero faints. Friar Francis helpfully suggests that Hero be said to have died until her name can be cleared.Left alone in the church, Benedick and Beatrice exchange vows of love and Beatrice gets Benedick to promise he will kill Claudio for the harm he has done Hero. A duel is planned, but before it can take place Don John's dastardly plot is uncovered and Hero is restored to favour, then toLess

150mins 1984-12-22

36. Love's Labour's Lost

The King of Navarre and three of his lords swear themselves to three years of study and chastity, but ...More

The King of Navarre and three of his lords swear themselves to three years of study and chastity, but they begin to change their minds when the Princess of France and three of her ladies arrive at court to discuss the debts France owes to Navarre. A clown called Costard mixes up two letters, so that one from Armado to Jacquenetta (a village girl) is read to the Princess, while Jacquenetta receives a love sonnet from Berowne to Rosaline... this leads to some confusion. In the final Act, the lords meet the ladies in a mock-Russian entertainment, and news is received that the King of France has died. The Princess and her ladies prepare to leave Navarre and give their lovers a series of tasks for a year and a day.Less

150mins 1985-01-05

37. Titus Andronicus

Saturninus and Bassianus, sons of the late Emperor of Rome, are struggling over the succession to the ...More

Saturninus and Bassianus, sons of the late Emperor of Rome, are struggling over the succession to the throne, but Titus Andronicus, a triumphant general, is preferred. Titus has brought Tamora, Queen of the Goths, her sons and her Moorish lover, Aaron, to Rome as prisoners of war, and he orders the sacrifice of Tamara's son Alarbus. Titus then refuses the throne and supports the claim of Saturninus, offering him his daughter Lavinia in marriage, but she runs off with Bassianus. Saturninus then plans to marry Tamora, and her sons Chiron and Demetrius kill Bassianus, ravish Lavinia, and cut off her hands and tongue. Aaron plants the blame for Bassianus's murder on Titus's sons, who are sentenced to death, and Titus is tricked into cutting off his right hand as a ransom, but it fails to save them. Lucius goes off to the Goths to raise a revenging army, Lavinia accuses Chiron and Demetrius, and Titus goes mad. Tamora has a black child by Aaron, who takes it away for its safety, but they arLess