The Long Walk to Finchley

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The Long Walk to Finchley is a 2008 BBC FOUR television drama based on the young Margaret Thatcher's first successful campaign to win a parliamentary seat, that of Finchley, and her first meeting with future husband Denis. It is directed by Niall MacCormick and written by Tony Saint - it was made by Great Meadows Productions. Thatcher is played by Andrea Riseborough, Denis by Rory Kinnear, and Sir Edward Heath by Samuel West.

It was announced in August 2007, and filming began in London in the summer of 2007. It was to have been aired in February 2008^[1][2], but was postponed to avoid offence to its subject (a scream of "fucking establishment!" by the Thatcher character had already been cut from the drama at her supporters' request^[3]) and to enable it to be shown with documentaries setting it in context. It was broadcast at 9pm on Thursday 12 June 2008. The portrayal of Thatcher as young and flirtatious has been criticised both by her supporters^[4] and opponents (one of the latter called the casting of Riseborough as "ludicrously flattering" to Thatcher^[5]).

The BBC is also working on "Margaret", a similar drama on Thatcher's fall from power ^[6], with Thatcher played by Lindsay Duncan.^[7][8]

[edit] Other cast

• Philip Jackson - Alfred Roberts
• Julia Joyce - Young Carol Thatcher
• Georgie Glen - Miss Harris
• Robert Whitelock - Bert
• Jonathan Aris - Stanley Soward
• Geoffrey Palmer - Sir John Crowder
• Oliver Ford-Davis - Sir Donald Kaberry

[edit] References

1. ^ Brooks, Richard. "Margaret Thatcher drama postponed", The Times, 17 February 2008. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
2. ^ Marcus, Sarah. "Lindsay Duncan to play Margaret Thatcher", The Telegraph, 28 April 2008. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
3. ^ Holmwood, Leigh. "BBC cuts F-word from Thatcher drama", The Guardian, 20 August 2007. Retrieved on 2008-06-06. 
4. ^ Bloxham, Andy. "BBC orders F-word cut from Thatcher drama", The Telegraph, 17 May 2008. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
5. ^ Williams, Zoe. "Margaret Thatcher a style icon? Do me a favour", The Guardian, 5 June 2008. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
6. ^ Aaronovitch, David. "Portillo on Thatcher as Tory pin-up", The Times, 23 February 2008. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
7. ^ Holmwood, Leigh. "A Free Country: BBC lines up new series by Tony Saint", The Guardian, 29 May 2008. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
8. ^ Marcus, Sarah. "Lindsay Duncan to play Margaret Thatcher", The Telegraph, 28 April 2008. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 

[edit] External links

• The Long Walk to Finchley at the Internet Movie Database
• BBC Press Office
• The Times
• White, Lesley. "Andrea Riseborough plays the young Margaret Thatcher", The Sunday Times, 1 June 2008. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
• Preston, John. "Rory Kinnear: becoming an actor was a way of getting to know my father better", The Telegraph, 27 January 2008. Retrieved on 2008-06-05.