| Casanova | |
| Format | Drama |
|---|---|
| Created by | Russell T Davies |
| Directed by | Sheree Folkson |
| Starring | David Tennant Peter O'Toole |
| Composer(s) | Murray Gold |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Red Production Company Granada Television BBC Wales |
| Running time | 174 mins (3 parts) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC Three |
| Original run | March 13, 2005 – March 27, 2005 |
Casanova is a 2005 British television drama serial, written by the acclaimed television scriptwriter Russell T Davies and directed by Sheree Folkson. Produced by Red Production Company for BBC Wales in association with Granada Television, the 3-episode series was first screened on digital television station BBC Three from March 13, with a repeat on mainstream analogue network BBC One commencing April 4.
Contents |
Synopsis
Telling the story of the life of 18th Century Italian adventurer Giacomo Casanova, based on his own twelve-volume memoirs, the one-hour episodes star Peter O'Toole as the older Casanova looking back on his life, and David Tennant as the younger version. Rose Byrne, Rupert Penry-Jones, Matt Lucas, Shaun Parkes, Nina Sosanya and Laura Fraser are also featured.
Episodes
| # | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Episode 1" | 13 March 2005 |
| Castle Dux, Bohemia, 1798. Casanova, now a penniless librarian in his seventies, begins to tell his life story to Edith, a young kitchen maid in the castle he works in. We return to Casanova's childhood and humble beginnings as the son of an actor in Venice. As a young man he studies for the priesthood, but is expelled from his seminary, then meets and falls in love with Henriette... but the Duke of Grimani wants Henriette for himself. While living on his wits and as a mystic, does a good deed for Bragadin and comes into a fortune. Bragadin offers to adopt him and Henriette agrees to marry him. Grimani, enraged, has Casanova arrested and charged with witchcraft, but he escapes from prison. | ||
| 02 | "Episode 2" | 20 March 2005 |
| Casanova flees Venice - taking with him Jack, his young illegitimate son by a previous liaison, and Rocco, his servant. Casanova heads for Paris, as he knows that Venetian ambassadors abroad are able to grant pardons. | ||
| 03 | "Episode 3" | 27 March 2005 |
| We follow the young Casanova's adventures in London - where he glimpses Henriette and tricks his way into court circles - and in Naples, where he meets an old friend. Still living on his wits, Casanova makes and loses fortunes and also enjoys other conquests. Back in the present, Edith realizes that Casanova may be wrong in believing Henriette is dead. But Casanova himself is now very sick and getting near his end. | ||
Cast
- Young Giacomo Casanova — David Tennant
- Older Giacomo Casanova — Peter O'Toole
- Henriette — Laura Fraser
- Grimani — Rupert Penry-Jones
- Bellino — Nina Sosanya
- Rocco — Shaun Parkes
- 6 year-old Jack Casanova — James Holly
- 11 year-old Jack Casanova — Brock Everitt Elwick
- 20 year-old Jack Casanova — Tom Burke
- Edith — Rose Byrne
- Bragadin — Freddie Jones
- 5 year-old Giacomo Casanova — John Sandilands
- 11 year-old Giacomo Casanova — Zachary Fox
There are also cameo appearances from comedians Matt Lucas, Mark Heap, Simon Day and Matthew Holness.
Production
The series was originally commissioned from Davies by Executive Producer Julie Gardner when she was working at Granada-owned London Weekend Television. However, after Gardner moved on to become Head of Drama at BBC Wales in 2003, she commissioned Davies to write the drama for the BBC instead, as part of the deal that also saw him installed as the chief writer and Executive Producer of Doctor Who (in which Tennant later played the Doctor's tenth incarnation), also being overseen by Gardner and made at BBC Wales. It was Tennant's role as the younger Giacomo that lead to Davies casting him in Doctor Who as the Tenth Doctor.
It was aired in the United States in two parts, October 8 and 15, 2006, with the full unedited British version released on DVD the following week, October 17, 2006. The programme also aired in Australia on the ABC, again edited into two parts.
DVD release
The serial was released on DVD in the UK in June 2005, and in the United States in October 2006.
External links
- Casanova at the Red Production Company website.
- Casanova at the Masterpiece Theatre website.
- Casanova at Allmovie
- Casanova at the Internet Movie Database
- Casanova at TV.com
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
