The Lost Prince
The Lost Prince | |
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The Lost Prince DVD Cover | |
Distributed by |
BBC (2003) (USA, TV) PBS (2004, USA, TV) |
Created by | Stephen Poliakoff |
Written by | Stephen Poliakoff |
Starring |
Matthew James Thomas Miranda Richardson Tom Hollander Bill Nighy |
Editing by | Clare Douglas |
Production company |
BBC TalkBack Productions WGBH |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Original channel | BBC One |
Release date | 2003 |
The Lost Prince is a British television drama about the life of Prince John – youngest child of Britain's King George V and Queen Mary – who died at the age of 13 in 1919.
A Talkback Thames production written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff, it was originally broadcast in January 2003. It won an Emmy Award in September 2005.
Plot
John suffered from epileptic seizures and an autism-like developmental disorder, and the Royal Family tried to shelter him from public view; the script shied away from presenting the Royal Family as unsympathetic, instead showing how much this cost them emotionally (particularly John's mother, Queen Mary). Poliakoff explores the story of John, his relationship with his family and brother Prince George, the political events going on at the time (such as the fall of the House of Romanov in 1917) and the love and devotion of his nanny, Charlotte Bill.
Reception & awards
The drama won a high viewing figure and much praise, was released on VHS and DVD, and was repeated on BBC One in January 2004. A further repeat showing followed on BBC Two in January 2006. It is now occasionally shown in two parts on the BBC cable channel UK History. Both Miranda Richardson and Gina McKee received Best Actress nominations at the British Academy Television Awards. The miniseries was also nominated for BAFTA TV awards for editing (Clare Douglas), music (Adrian Johnston), and photography (Barry Ackroyd).
After presentation in the United States in October 2004, it won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries in 2005. Miranda Richardson was nominated for a Golden Globe.
It was also repeated on BBC Two on 14 & 21 November 2009.
Cast
- Daniel Williams - Prince John (younger)
- Matthew James Thomas - Prince John (older)
- Brock Everitt-Elwick - Prince George (younger)
- Rollo Weeks - Prince George (older)
- Gina McKee - Lalla
- Tom Hollander - King George V
- Miranda Richardson - Queen Mary
- Bill Nighy - Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham
- Bibi Andersson - Queen Alexandra
- Ron Cook - David Lloyd George
- Frank Finlay - H. H. Asquith
- John Sessions - Henry Hansell
- Michael Gambon - King Edward VII
- David Barrass - Kaiser Wilhelm II
- Ivan Marevich - Tsar Nicholas II
- Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė - Tsaritsa Alexandra Feodorovna
- Vanessa Ackerman - Grand Duchess Olga
- Holly Boyd - Grand Duchess Tatiana
- Nastya Razduhova - Grand Duchess Maria
- Algina Lipskis - Grand Duchess Anastasia
- Samuel Page - Tsarevich Alexei
- Roz McCutcheon - Princess Mary Adelaide
Further reading
- Cardwell, Sarah (2006). "Patterns, Layers and Values: Poliakoff's The Lost Prince". Journal of British Cinema and Television (Edinburgh University Press) 3 (1): 134–141. doi:10.3366/JBCTV.2006.3.1.134.
External links
- Official BBC site
- Interview with the writer/director, Stephen Poliakoff
- The Lost Prince at the BFI's Screenonline
- The Lost Prince at the Internet Movie Database
- PBS site for The Lost Prince
- PBS music notes for The Lost Prince
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