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.
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Seasons | |||
| Specials | October 2023 | 38 | |
| Season 1 | December 1978 | February 1979 | 6 |
| Season 2 | December 1979 | February 1980 | 6 |
| Season 3 | October 1980 | May 1981 | 6 |
| Season 4 | October 1981 | December 1981 | 3 |
| Season 5 | September 1982 | January 1983 | 6 |
| Season 6 | July 1983 | April 1984 | 5 |
| Season 7 | November 1984 | April 1985 | 5 |
| Unassigned Episodes | 0 |
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unassigned Episodes | 75 |
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 0 | ||
| Unassigned Episodes | 75 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Shakespeare | 37 | 12/03/1978 - 04/27/1985 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jane Howell | 6 | 02/08/1981 - 04/27/1985 | |
| Jonathan Miller | 6 | 10/23/1980 - 09/19/1982 | |
| Elijah Moshinsky | 5 | 01/04/1981 - 01/05/1985 | |
| David Giles | 5 | 12/10/1978 - 11/24/1984 | |
| David Hugh Jones | 2 | 12/28/1982 - 12/08/1984 | |
| Jack Gold | 2 | 12/17/1980 - 11/05/1983 | |
| John Gorrie | 2 | 01/06/1980 - 02/27/1980 | |
| James Cellan Jones | 1 | 12/24/1983 | |
| Alvin Rakoff | 1 | 12/03/1978 | |
| Herbert Wise | 1 | 02/11/1979 | |
| Kevin Billington | 1 | 02/25/1979 | |
| Rodney Bennett | 1 | 02/27/1980 | |
| Stuart Burge | 1 | 12/22/1984 | |
| Desmond Davis | 1 | 02/18/1979 | |
| Don Taylor | 1 | 12/27/1983 | |
| Basil Coleman | 1 | 12/17/1978 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedric Messina | 2 | 12/03/1978 - 12/10/1978 |
No artwork of this type.
No artwork of this type.
No artwork of this type.
No artwork of this type.
No lists.
No lists.
No lists.
Please log in to view notes.
