'The First Churchills' was based on a book by Winston Churchill concerning his ancestor John Churchill, The Duke of Marlborough. It covers a large period of time and intertwines the domestic, the military and the political. It is excellently written by Donald Wilson and very well directed by David Giles. All the elements are brewed together skilfully but one does need to concentrate while watching to get the subtleties as well as the big themes. It is from an era when television did not look down on its viewers but gave them some thing meaty and intelligent. Part of the pleasure of watching it is the acting. Some of the characters age over the series and this is done extremely well. John Neville as The Duke of Marlborough, John Standing as Sidney Godolphin, Margaret Tyzack as Queen Anne, John Westbrook as James II, Alan Rowe and Lisa Daniely as William and Mary and Roger Mutton as George of Denmark are first rate. Even better are James Villiers as the sanguine Charles II and Susan Hampshire (for which she won an Emmy) as the fiery and fascinating Sarah Churchill. As much screen time is given to Sarah Churchill as her husband The Duke of Marlborough and their marriage is probably one of the warmest and most positive ever portrayed on television. They are as much in love at the end of episode 12 as they were in episode 1.They have many ups and downs but are always loyal to each other.It may not be completely historically accurate but as a drama it is outstanding.

I would love to see it with closed captions--I am deaf as a post and my knowledge of this particular part of Brit history is not what it ought to be--I shall have to study up! I was horrified by the execution scene , and even more so when I found out that it was "politically correct"! Jack Ketch was infamous for his lack of ability. After finally killing the man , he pulled a knife from his belt to remove the head from the body! Of course we didn't see that part in the film, Just the Axe going up and down! If I could have followed the story better--I would have rated it much higher than I did! I plan to see it again after I study up

The name most people think of as best associated with the term PRIME MINISTER OF ENGLAND is Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill. After all, he was the Prime Minister who was (with FDR and Stalin) the Big Three who won World War II, and he was also a man who was in the public eye as a political figure of the first rank from 1905 to 1955. Churchill was a great lover of tradition, and he would write several books of biography and history which eventually won him the Nobel Prize for Literature. His reputation as a historian is for his Memoirs of the First and Second World Wars and his biography of his ancestors John and Sarah Churchill, First Duke and Duchess of Marleborough. It is this biography, MARLEBOROUGH: HIS LIFE AND TIMES, that is the basis for this series.The positive virtues are that it is well acted and produced, and well written. John Neville gave a sterling performance as the military genius who stopped Louis XIV's armies, and Susan Hampshire and Margaret Tyzack (reunited from THE FORTSYTE SAGA) were first rate as Sarah, the wife of Marleborough, who became the closest friend and adviser to Princess (later Queen) Anne of England, and as that monarch. The story describes how the three reach the apogee of power together, until Marleborough's enemies bring him down, even replacing Sarah with her cousin Abigail Masham (Jill Balcom) as the Queen's closest confidant. Assisting them in their rise was Marleborough's closest friend Sidney Godolphin (John Standing), who would be the Chancellor of Exchequer.The story would also detail the history of British politics from 1678 to 1714, through the reigns of Charles II (James Villiers), James II (James Westbrook), William III and Mary II (Alan Rowe and Lisa Danieli), and Anne (Tyzack). This would include events that the Churchills, Godolphin, Anne, and others had to evade, like the Popish Plot, the revolt of the Duke of Monmouth (James Kerry), the 1696 Assassination scheme of Sir John Fenwick (which implicated Marleborough), and the wars of Europe caused by Louis XIV that led to the War of the Spanish Succession (1702 - 1714) which left England (barely) the most powerful state in Europe. Marleborough's strategic and diplomatic brilliance gave England the margin to beat France - but Louis was able to take advantage of serious political schisms in Britain between Marleborough and his followers, Robert Harley (Richard Pearson), Harley's ally and later rival Henry St. John (Michael Attwell), and the Duke of Shrewsberry to pull some of France's chestnuts out of the fire.This was a weighty piece of history, and the performances were quite delightful (James Villiers gave Charles II just the right lightness of touch to make one realize how formidable a political opponent he really was). But the problem is that John and Sarah are shown to be always right and always looking out for Britain's best interests. In fact, the Tories were quite critical of John Churchill as an opportunist who knew when to switch sides in time (like his predecessor, General George Monk in 1660, or the future French statesman, Charles Talleyrand). He was also exceptionally gifted at feathering his nest (Sarah got him a lot of money through her contacts with Anne, and he was willing to take "gifts" from various European allies). Sir Winston evades this - feeling it is so much "propaganda" by Marleborough's enemies. If so, the propaganda has not been totally dismissed by historians since the 1930s (when the biography was written). Nor was it dismissed by Whig historians prior to Churchill writing his biography. Thomas Macauley's A HISTORY OF ENGLAND is quite open about John Churchill's greed - but he died before he really discussed Churcill's military victories at Ramilies, Blenheim. Maplaquet, Oudenarde, etc. By all means, if you see the series enjoy it. But do some personal reading on your own to see the other side of the coin regarding John and Sarah.

I saw most of this fine historical mini-series when I was 12 years old( though I missed The Battle of Blenhiem episode)-and I found it very easy to follow.( But then again, I have been a voracious reader of history since I was about six.) The film is faithful to Winston Churchill's somewhat hagiographic treatment of his pretty roguish ancestors, and to the Whig interpretation of history , with brave England saving us all from having to speak French. Still, despite thhese faults, it is a very good costumer. John Neville, John Standing, James Villiers, and the incomparable Susan Hampshire put in excellent performances. I was moved by the death of Godolphins wife, and amused by the great scene when an anti- Catholic mob surrounds Nell Gwynn's carriage, shouting " Its the Catholic whore!". She answers " Be silent, good people, I am THE PROTESTANT WHORE", and they burst into cheers.