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The Mayor of Casterbridge
“The Dennis Potter adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic tale”
The Mayor of Casterbridge is a 1978 BBC seven-part serial based on the eponymous 1886 book by the British novelist Thomas Hardy. The six-hour drama was written by dramatist Dennis Potter and directed by David Giles, with Alan Bates as the title character. Michael Henchard, an out-of-work hay-trusser, gets drunk at a fair and, for five guineas, sells his wife and child to a sailor. When the horror of his act finally sets in, Henchard swears he will not touch alcohol for twenty-one years. Through hard work and acumen, he becomes rich, respected, and eventually the mayor of Casterbridge. But eighteen years after his fateful oath, his wife and daughter return to Casterbridge, and his fortunes steadily decline.
Last Episode Aired
1978-03-05
S1E7 — Part Seven
Lucetta has died, the victim of an evil trick. Henchard's conciliation with Elizabeth is short-lived: when her father comes to claim her Henchard pretends she is dead.
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Availability data provided by JustWatch via TMDB
Billed Cast
Alan Bates
Michael Henchard
Janet Maw
Elizabeth-Jane II
Jack Galloway
Donald Farfrae
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