• Rating:
• Genre: Drama
• Movie Type: Family Drama
• Themes: Success is the Best Revenge
• Director: Tony Wharmby
• Main Cast: Lindsay Wagner, David Robb, Thomas Ewbank, Christopher Cazenove, Anthony Hopkins
• Release Year: 1992
• Country: CA/US
• Run Time: 96 minutes

Plot

Lindsay Wagner stars as Paula O'Neill in this made-for-TV miniseries based on the best-selling novel by Barbara Taylor Bradford. Paula's grandmother, Emma Harte, took a failing department store and turned it into the powerful Harte Industries retail empire, and now that Paula has inherited the family business, she is determined to expand their international success by launching a new store in Hong Kong. However, Paula's cousins Jonathan (Christopher Cazenove) and Sarah (Claire Oberman) are determined to wrest control of the company away from Paula, and begin running interference in her plans for global expansion. Paula soon learns that Harte Industries is on financially shaky ground, and her personal life begins to crumble under the strain of keeping Hart Enterprises afloat. As Jonathan uses the firm's financial woes to his advantage, Paula finds that Jack Figg (Anthony Hopkins), the company's head of security, may be her last line of defense against her devious relatives. Originally broadcast in August 1992, To Be the Best was a follow-up to 1983's A Woman of Substance, another miniseries based on a Barbara Taylor Bradford novel, which covered Paula's life before she took over the family business; Diane Baker played Paula in the earlier series. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Lindsay Wagner - Paula O'Neill
• David Robb - Shane
• Thomas Ewbank - Patrick
• Christopher Cazenove - Jonathan Ainsley
• Anthony Hopkins - Jack Figg

Stephanie Beacham - Arabella; Robert Austin - George; Jay Benedict - TV Director; Christopher Blake - Sandy; Gary Cady - Philip; Sandra Caron - Farmer's Wife; Ellis Dale - Willie; Joanna Dickens - Woman in Hats; Julian Fellowes - Dennis; Rob Freeman - Harvey G. Rawson; Fiona Fullerton - Madelena; John Golightly - Verger; Sarah Lam - Ming; Belinda Mayne - Jill; Claire Oberman - Sarah Pascal; Bill Reimbold - Peale; Catherine Roman - Waitress; Louis Roth - Elwyn Sorrell; James Saito - Tony Chiu; Moray Watson - Hunter; Stuart Wilson - Jack Miller; Eddie Yeoh - Casino Manager; Ozzie Yue - Bank President; Bill Hutchinson - Doone; Sam Douglas - Detective; John Atkinson - Yorkshire Farmer; Ian Bleasdale - Family Doctor; Chris Jenkinson - Dave; John Sterland - Farmer; Suzanne Vale - Mrs. Redmayne; Peter Dennis - Doctor

Credit

Brian Ackland-Snow - Production Designer; Elliott Baker - Screenwriter; Barbara Lane - Costume Designer; John Shirley - Editor; Tony Wharmby - Director; Aida Young - Producer