''Persuasion'' is a 1971 British television serial adaptation of the 1817

Jane Austen Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...

novel of the same name. It was produced by

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was it ...

for

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

and was directed by Howard Baker. The series stars Ann Firbank as Anne Elliott and

Bryan Marshall Bryan Marshall (19 May 1938 – 25 June 2019) was a British actor, with a number of major credits in film and television to his name, in both his native country and Australia. Early life Marshall was born in Battersea, south London. He was educ ...

as Captain Wentworth. It was originally aired in April and May 1971 in five episodes.

Synopsis

Anne Elliot is the second daughter of the widowed

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

Sir Walter Elliot, who unlike her vain father and sisters, is humble, sensible and modest. The family discuss their fall into financial difficulty, largely because of Sir Walter's wayward spending. Several ideas are suggested, but either Sir Walter or his eldest daughter Elizabeth (who is very like her father), refuse them, as they cast some taint on the family name. Finally Sir Walter's friend and soliticitor Mr. Shepherd, at the urging of Anne and Lady Russell, persuade Sir Walter to let out his ancestral home, Kellynch Hall, and move to Bath, where he can say he is taking in the waters for his health. Mr. Shepherd strongly urges this because, with the return of the fleet due to what appears to be the end of the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, there will be a demand for fine housing by newly rich naval officers. Shortly thereafter, Mr Shepherd finds a suitable tenant in Admiral Croft and his wife Mrs. Croft, the sister of Captain Wentworth—whom, it seems, is already known to Anne and her family. Captain Wentworth was engaged previously to Anne Elliott, eight and half years earlier, and we learn that Lady Russell, Anne's guardian, persuaded Anne not to go through with the marriage because of his then-lack of a fortune or good family. Since then, however, Wentworth went to sea and made his fortune, and now is returning to Somerset to find a bride. Sir Walter and Elizabeth leave Kellynch Hall for Bath, but Anne goes to visit her other sister, Mary Musgrove, who is married to Mr Charles Musgrove. Charles was also a suitor of Anne's seven or so years ago, but Anne refused him, and so he turned his affections to the younger and self-centered Mary. Since then, Musgrove and Mary have had two little boys that Mary has alternatively ignored and spoilt immoderately. While staying with the Musgroves, Wentworth comes to visit. Anne and Wentworth barely speak to one another, and Wentworth takes up what appears to be an affection for Charles Musgrove's two young sisters, Louisa and Henrietta. The attraction to Henrietta fades as she renews her vows to the young vicar in the area, so things start to look more and more like Louisa Musgrove has won Wentworth's attention. Soon everyone is talking about the pair; but nothing has been settled. Wentworth mentions that he has to go to Lyme, a seaport town, to visit his friends, Mr and Mrs Harville, and Louisa hits upon the idea of the whole party of six going as well to visit Lyme as a daytrip. It is during the trip to Lyme, that Louisa, showing off, jumps off a wall, hoping to be caught by Wentworth, but instead strikes her head against the pavement and falls unconscious. Anne takes charge of the situation while everyone else is too distressed to think properly. The doctor is very foreboding about Louisa's prospects. As they are in a stranger's house, Louisa's brother says that he will stay and take care of things that are needed; but after further discussion it is decided that Anne will stay to be Louisa's nurse. But then her sister Mary, very jealous of being thought second-best in ability to care for Louisa, insists that she shall be the nurse, and so, no longer needed, Anne leaves Lyme, first to return to the Musgroves, and then to join her father and Elizabeth in Bath. At Bath news comes that Louisa has recovered and is no longer interested in Wentworth but found another suitor. This makes Anne hopeful of reconciliation with Wentworth, and she makes every effort to approach him. But now her own cousin, Mr. Elliot, begins to show interest in her, which is highly approved by not only Lady Russell, Anne's champion, but also by sister Elizabeth and Sir Walter. Things seem a jumble when Anne meets Wentworth's friend, Captain Harville, this time at the hotel in Bath where the Musgroves have come to get ready for Henrietta's and Louisa's nuptials. Anne and Harville engage in a deeply felt exchange about whether men, or women, are more fickle or more constant in their affections. Captain Wentworth overhears their conversation and is struck by it. He proposes to Anne in a letter which he leaves for her in the hotel. The series ends at a party to congratulate the couple, at which it is discovered that the deceitful cousin Mr. Elliot, and Elizabeth's apparently steady, but in reality also deceitful, friend, Mrs. Clay, secretly have gone off together.

Cast

* Ann Firbank as Anne Elliot *

as Captain Wentworth *

Basil Dignam Basil Dignam (24 October 1905 – 31 January 1979) was an English character actor. Basil Dignam was born in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire. Before the acting, he tried many jobs, from a company clerk to a journalist. He acted on film and ...

as Sir Walter Elliot *

Valerie Gearon Valerie Winifred Gearon (27 September 1937 – 9 July 2003) was a British actress, born in Newport, Monmouthshire. She was known for ''Anne of the Thousand Days'' (1969), '' Nine Hours to Rama'' (1963) and ''Invasion'' (1966). From 1962 to ...

as Elizabeth Elliot * Marian Spencer as Lady Russell * Georgine Anderson as Mrs. Croft *

Richard Vernon Richard Evelyn Vernon (7 March 1925 – 4 December 1997) was a British actor. He appeared in many feature films and television programmes, often in aristocratic or supercilious roles. Prematurely balding and greying, Vernon settled into playi ...

as Admiral Croft *

Morag Hood Morag Hood (12 December 1942 – 5 October 2002) was a British actress who featured in numerous television programmes, stage productions, and audio presentations in the UK from the 1960s up to the late 1990s. Early life Hood was born in Gla ...

as Mary Musgrove * Rowland Davies as Charles Musgrove *

Mel Martin Mel Martin (born March 1947) is an English actress. Early life Her father was the artist Frank Vernon Martin, who died in 2005. Career Her breakthrough role was as the star of LWT's ''Love For Lydia'' (1977), adapted from the novel by H E B ...

as Henrietta Musgrove * Zhivila Roche as Louisa Musgrove *

Noel Dyson Elsie Noël Dyson (23 December 1916 – 29 June 1995) was an English character actress Dyson played a number of roles in theatre, television and films (including in telemovies) but is best remembered as a versatile character actress in TV seri ...

as Mrs. Musgrove * William Kendall as Mr. Musgrove *

Charlotte Mitchell Charlotte Mitchell (born Edna Winifred Mitchell; 23 July 1926 – 2 May 2012) was an English actress and poet. Biography In the 1950s she provided lyrics, sketches, and occasionally acted in revues on London's West End. She was especiall ...

as Mrs. Clay * David Savile as Mr. Elliot *

Gabrielle Daye Gabrielle Daye (2 October 1911 – 5 January 2005) was an English stage, film and television actress, notable for her TV role as Mrs. Pring on '' Bless Me, Father''. Other television appearances include ''Coronation Street'' (as Beattie Pears ...

as Mrs. Rooke

External links

* * {{Authority control 1971 British television series endings 1971 British television series debuts 1970s British television miniseries Television series set in the 19th century Television shows set in England Costume drama television series ITV television dramas 1970s British drama television series English-language television shows 1970s British romance television series Television series based on Persuasion (novel)