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The First Churchills was a BBC serial from 1969 about the life of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and his wife, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. It starred John Neville as the duke and Susan Hampshire as the duchess, was written and produced by Donald Wilson, and was directed by David Giles. It is notable as being the first programme shown on PBS's long-running Masterpiece series in the United States. Wilson and Giles were fresh from their success in writing and directing The Forsyte Saga, which also starred Susan Hampshire and Margaret Tyzack.
Original Release
09/27/1969 on BBC
US Release
01/10/1971
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| John Neville | John Churchill / John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough |
| Susan Hampshire | Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough / Sarah Churchill / Sarah Jennings |
| John Standing | Sidney Godolphin |
| Robert Robinson | Louis XIV |
| Margaret Tyzack | Princess Anne / Queen Anne |
| Roger Mutton | George of Denmark |
| John Ringham | Laurence Hyde / Laurence Hyde, Lord Rochester / Lord Rochester |
| Alan Rowe | William, Prince of Orange / William III |
| John Westbrook | James, Duke of York / James II |
| James Kerry | James, Duke of Monmouth / James Scott, Duke of Monmouth |
| # | Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Chaste Nymph | Saturday, 27 September 1969 |
| 2 | Bridals | Saturday, 04 October 1969 |
| 3 | Plot, Counter-Plot | Saturday, 11 October 1969 |
| 4 | The Lion and the Unicorn | Saturday, 18 October 1969 |
| 5 | Rebellion | Saturday, 25 October 1969 |
| 6 | The Protestant Wind | Saturday, 01 November 1969 |
| 7 | Trial of Strength | Saturday, 08 November 1969 |
| 8 | The Queen Commands | Saturday, 15 November 1969 |
| 9 | Reconciliation | Saturday, 22 November 1969 |
| 10 | A Famous Victory | Saturday, 29 November 1969 |
| 11 | Breaking the Circle | Saturday, 06 December 1969 |
| 12 | Not Without Honour | Saturday, 13 December 1969 |
Directors
Writers
Donald B. Wilson, Winston Churchill
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| John Neville | John Churchill / John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough |
| Susan Hampshire | Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough / Sarah Churchill / Sarah Jennings |
| John Standing | Sidney Godolphin |
| Robert Robinson | Louis XIV |
| Margaret Tyzack | Princess Anne / Queen Anne |
| Roger Mutton | George of Denmark |
| John Ringham | Laurence Hyde / Laurence Hyde, Lord Rochester / Lord Rochester |
| Alan Rowe | William, Prince of Orange / William III |
| John Westbrook | James, Duke of York / James II |
| James Kerry | James, Duke of Monmouth / James Scott, Duke of Monmouth |
| Lisa Daniely | Princess Mary / Queen Mary |
| Michael Culver | Charles Churchill |
| Job Stewart | Lord Shrewsbury |
| James Villiers | Charles II |
| Jill Balcon | Abigail Hill / Abigail Masham |
| Polly Adams | Henrietta Godolphin / Henrietta Churchill |
| Sheila Gish | Mary, Duchess of York / Queen Mary |
| Arthur Pentelow | Earl of Danby / Carmarthen, Earl of Danby |
| John Humphry | Sunderland |
| John Tordoff | Becket |
Producers
| Name | Role |
|---|
| Donald B. Wilson | Producer |
Editors
Trailers
The First Churchills: Vol. 4
The First Churchills: Vol. 1
The First Churchills: Vol. 2
The First Churchills
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 1971 | Emmy | Outstanding Series - Drama | Nominated |
| 1971 | Emmy | Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series | Won |
