''The Line of Beauty'' is a British drama television serial that was first broadcast on
BBC Two on 17 May 2006. The three-part series, written by
Andrew Davies and directed by
Saul Dibb
Saul Dibb (born 18 August 1968) is an English director and screenwriter. His father is the documentary maker Mike Dibb.
Born in London, England, Saul Dibb is a graduate of the University of East Anglia. He is best known for co-writing and direc ...
, is an adaptation of the 2004
novel of the same name by
Alan Hollinghurst
Alan James Hollinghurst (born 26 May 1954) is an English novelist, poet, short story writer and translator. He won the 1989 Somerset Maugham Award, the 1994 James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the 2004 Booker Prize.
Early life and education
H ...
.
Cast
3 episodes
*
Dan Stevens as Nick Guest
*
Tim McInnerny
Tim McInnerny ( ; born 18 September 1956) is an English actor. He is known for his many roles on stage and television, including as Lord Percy Percy and Captain Darling in the 1980s British sitcom ''Blackadder''.
Early life
McInnerny was bor ...
as Gerald Fedden
*
Hayley Atwell
Hayley Elizabeth Atwell (born 5 April 1982) is a British and American actress. Born and raised in London, Atwell studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and made her stage debut in a 2005 production of James Kerr's translation ...
as Catherine Fedden
*
Alice Krige
Alice Maud Krige (; born 28 June 1954) is a South African actress and producer. Her first feature film role was in '' Chariots of Fire'' (1981) as the Gilbert and Sullivan singer Sybil Gordon. She played the dual role of Eva Galli/Alma Mobley i ...
as Rachel Fedden
*
Carmen du Sautoy
Carmen Du Sautoy (born 26 February 1950) is a British stage, television and film actor.
Early life
Du Sautoy was born in London. She has played a wide variety of leading roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre, in Lon ...
as Elena
*
Alex Wyndham
Alex Wyndham (born 1 January 1981) is an English actor, known for his role as Gaius Maecenas in the HBO television series ''Rome'' (2007).
Biography
He was educated at Winchester College and has a degree in history from the University of Oxfo ...
as Antoine 'Wani' Ouradi
*
James Bradshaw as Polly Tompkins
*
Oliver Coleman
Oliver Coleman (born 17 March 1983), is a British actor. He attended Bedales School in Petersfield, Hampshire. He has two brothers and a sister, Daisy Coleman.
Biography
Coleman portrayed Toby in '' The Line of Beauty'' (2006) and Henry P ...
as Toby Fedden
*
Lydia Leonard
Lydia Leonard (born 5 December 1981) is a British stage, film and television actress, best known for her roles in the television series '' Bring Up the Bodies'', '' Ten Percent'' and ''The Crown''.
Early life and education
Leonard was born in ...
as Penny Kent
*
Don Gilet
Don Gilét (born 17 January 1967) is an English actor, best known for his roles in BBC productions ''Babyfather'', ''EastEnders'' and ''55 Degrees North''.
Personal life
He was brought up in Caldmore, Walsall, with two older sisters. He att ...
as Leo Charles
*
Christopher Fairbank
Christopher Fairbank (born 4 October 1953) is an English film, stage and television actor. Career
In 2010, he appeared as a detective in ''Five Daughters
''Five Daughters'' is a British television drama miniseries starring Ian Hart, Sar ...
as Barry Groom
2 episodes
*
Oscar James
Oscar James (born 25 July 1942) is a Trinidadian actor, who is based in the United Kingdom. He has had a long and varied career, but is best known for appearing on British television, in particular the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', where he pla ...
as Brentford
*
John Warnaby
John Warnaby is a British actor who has appeared extensively in film and television.
Career
In 1996, Warnaby appeared at the National Theatre in Helen Edmundson's adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's ''War and Peace''. In 2006, he appeared in ''The L ...
as Badger
*
John Standing
Sir John Ronald Leon, 4th Baronet (born 16 August 1934) is an English actor and baronet who is known as John Standing. He is the stepson of John Clements.
Early life
Standing was born in London, the son of Kay Hammond (née Dorothy Katherin ...
as Lord Kessler
*
Siri Svegler
Siri Svegler (born 15 April 1980) is a Swedish-born actress, singer and songwriter. She played the Greek character Polydora in the film ''Troy''.
In 2009 her debut album "Silent Viewer" was released. One of her well-known songs is "Their Wine".
...
as Martine
*
Nikki Amuka-Bird
Nikki Amuka-Bird (born 27 February 1976) is a Nigerian-born British actress of the stage, television, and film.
Early life
Amuka-Bird was born in Delta State, Nigeria, where her father still lives. She left there as a young child with her mo ...
as Rosemary Charles
*Justin Salinger as Russel
*
Caroline Blakiston as Lady Partridge
*
Julia St. John
Julia St John is an England, English actress. Her television credits include ''A Touch of Frost'', ''The Brittas Empire'', ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'', ''Lovejoy'', ''Minder (TV series), Minder'', ''Harry Enfield's Television Programme, Harry E ...
as Greta Timms
*
David Yelland as John Timms
*
John Quayle as Geoffrey Titchfield
*Bruno Lastra as Tristao
*Tom Knight as Norman Kent
Episode list
Reception
''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' called the series an "intelligent, properly grown-up drama." Matt Wells of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' said it was a "creative flop" and "it exposed how poorly the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
serves gay viewers." Sam Wollaston, also writing for ''The Guardian'', praised the series and called it "wonderful". Rupert Smith, also with ''The Guardian,'' said it was a "masterclass in storytelling - but surely there was more to the 1980s than a few posh people with glossy hair?"
The DVD edition was released on 31 July 2006.