Name: The Mayor of Casterbridge
Genre: Drama
Rating: 6.8
Cast: Alan Bates, Janet Maw, Jack Galloway

What is The Mayor of Casterbridge about?

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.

Latest episode

S1 · Episode 7 — Part Seven · 1978-03-05

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.

Genres: Drama
First aired: 1978-01-22
Rating: ★ 6.8 / 10

Top cast

Alan Bates Michael Henchard
Janet Maw Elizabeth-Jane II
Jack Galloway Donald Farfrae

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