The Story of the Costume Drama

In The Story of the Costume Drama ITV3 takes a look at how the genre has changed across the decades - from The Forsyte Saga to Upstairs Downstairs, Brideshead Revisited to Lost in Austen - and will feature interviews with the stars of the series and the people behind-the-camera responsible for them, from the writers to the location managers.

Each episode, narrated by Keeley Hawes, will focus on a different aspect of the genre – from how costume dramas changed the world to the process of creating some of the most loved dramas seen on British television.

The story of the Costume Drama is wide-ranging, covering love and war, birth and death, the rich and the poor. British costume dramas have upset the Royal Family, been banned by American TV, and overcome strikes, riots and freak weather on their way to creating massive stars – meaning the incredible drama could be found off-screen as well as on it.

In the first episode of the series we look at The Greatest Stories Ever Told – an overview of the genre, from its beginnings with swashbuckling series The Adventures of Robin Hood to classic period dramas such as The Forsyte Saga, Upstairs Downstairs and Brideshead Revisited. This episode traces the changes the genre has undergone in its 50 year history and speaks to stars of the shows featured including Susan Hampshire, Timothy West, Derek Jacobi, John Hurt, Anthony Andrews, Alex Kingston and Art Malik. We also speak to those involved behind the cameras including directors, screenwriters and commissioners – as well as TV critics and journalists.

Last edited: Monday, 10 November 2008