Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Drama
    Drama TV Shows - 1980s 2 Mins Read

    Lost Empires

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 8 6 (UK)
    7 x 60 minute episodes

    The hero of J B Priestley’s last work, which became Granada’s £5 million serial, Lost Empires, was twenty-year-old Richard Herncastle, forced to join a troupe of magicians touring the music halls as the First World War took its toll.

    Colin Firth played him as a huffy Yorkshire lad, shyly in love with Beatie Edney’s lovely dancer Nancy, then recklessly undone by Carmen du Sautoy’s worldly drink-sodden Julie.

    Seven episodes began with a stage-show opening out to the trenches as shells dropped, a stunning set-piece reminiscent of Oh! What A Lovely War.

    The story then moved with the troupe, much of the filming done in the palatial theatres of the North-West of England, including the Lyceum in Manchester, the Grand in Blackpool, the Palace in Manchester and the New Tyne Theatre in Newcastle.

    Extras had the unusual task of booing Laurence Olivier when he played the eccentric old comedian Harry Burrard. To everyone’s alarm he actually slipped and fell on the Buxton Opera House stage, but he staggered up and carried on.

    Brian Glover was frightening as the terribly violent Tommy Beamish and Pamela Stephenson’s cameo as showgirl Lily, teamed up with Alfred Marks as her pianist-manager Otto, was nicely controlled.

    lostempires

    John Castle, taught his stage tricks by magician David Hemingway, triumphed as the glowering cold hearted master illusionist Nick Ollanton, though he fell victim to one of Pamela’s jokes.

    After she had watched him being served plate after plate of roast beef in the retakes of one scene she arranged for the hotel to call him to the lobby that night for a special supper. There he found a whole live cow waiting.

    June Howson’s production was faultless, everything looked sumptuous – almost too good: lushly upholstered trains, lavish spreads at restaurants, lodgings with mahogany furniture aglow . . .

    But somehow, Lost Empires was less than the sum of all these splendid parts.

    Richard Herncastle
    Colin Firth
    Nick Ollanton 

    John Castle
    Cissie Mapes 
    Gillian Bevan 
    Ben Hayes 

    Neil Boorman
    Barney 

    Mike Edmonds
    Sam Hayes 

    Ted Morris
    Julie Blane 

    Carmen Du Sautoy
    Andre Colmar 

    John Ballanger
    Nonie Colmar 

    Francesca McGregor
    Gustav Colmar 

    Jean Marie Segal
    Jean Colmar 

    Larbi Slemane
    Nancy Ellis 

    Beatie Edney 
    Tommy Beamish 

    Brian Glover 
    Hubert Courtenay 

    Anthony Newlands
    Ricarlo 
    Emil Wolk
    Lily Farris 

    Pamela Stephenson
    Otto Mergen 

    Alfred Marks
    Doris Tingley 

    Patricia Quinn

    Related Posts

    • Richard Boone Show, The
      Richard Boone Show, The
      1 9 6 3 - 1 9 6 4 (USA) 25…
    • Great Expectations
      Great Expectations
      1 9 5 9 (UK) 13 x 30 minute episodes This…
    • War of Darkie Pilbeam, The
      War of Darkie Pilbeam, The
      1 9 6 8 (UK) 3 x 60 minute episodes A…
    • Chessgame
      Chessgame
      1 9 8 3 (UK) 6 x 60 minute episodes Former…
    • City '68
      City '68
      1 9 6 7 - 1 9 6 8 (UK) 13…
    • Sorrell and Son
      Sorrell and Son
      1 9 8 4 (UK) 6 x 50 minute episodes This…
    • Further Adventures of Lucky Jim, The
      Further Adventures of Lucky Jim, The
      1 9 6 7 (UK) 7 x 30 minute episodes 1…
    • First of the Summer Wine
      First of the Summer Wine
      1 9 8 8 - 1 9 8 9 (UK) 13…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticlePrisoner, The
    Next Article Time Tunnel, The

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Heaven for Betsy
      1 9 5 2 (USA) 26 x 15 minute episodes This show was inspired by […]
    • Fun With Dick & Jane (1976)
      When aerospace executive Dick Harper (George Segal) loses his […]
    • Allison Durbin
      Born in Auckland, New Zealand, on 24 May 1950, Allison Anne […]
    • Back To School (1986)
      Middle-aged Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) is the poster […]
    • Optimists (Of Nine Elms), The (1973)
      A wonderfully warm film presenting the flipside view to the […]
    • Chuck Willis
      An outstanding R&B singer from Atlanta, Chuck Willis became […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.