Seasoned politician Francis Urquhart tries to establish his legacy before retirement by negotiating an end to the Cyprus, but the island hides secrets from his past that could destroy him.
Cast: Ian Richardson, Diane Fletcher, Paul Freeman
15HDCC
Miniseries
4 episodes
1. Part 1Approaching his 65th birthday, PM Francis Urquhart begins to see the end of his career. Not that he has the intention of resigning anytime soon. He does however hope to establish a legacy, one for the history books and one to provide his pension. For the latter, his wife Elizabeth introduces him to Mr Nures, a Turkish-Cypriot businessman who will contribute handsomely to the Urquhart Trust if the upcoming boundary commission report provides a ruling favorable to Turkish-occupied Cyprus.15CC52minNov 5, 1995
2. Part 2Having sacked his Parliamentary Private Secretary, Urquhart casts about for a replacement. At the suggestion of Geoffrey Booza Pitt he gives serious consideration to backbench MP Claire Carlsen, despite the fact that she is carrying on an affair with Foreign Secretary Tom Makepeace. Claire is clearly playing both sides of the fence to ensure her own place in the hierarchy, regardless of what the future may hold.15CC53minNov 12, 1995
3. Part 3Having resigned as Foreign Secretary, Makepeace launches a blistering attack in the House of Commons directed not only at the government in general but at the Prime Minister in particular. He then moves across the aisle to sit on the opposition benches. For his part, Urquhart takes it all in stride quite sure of his position and his ability to retain the leadership of the party.15CC54minNov 19, 1995
4. Part 4Not having secured enough votes on the first ballot to retain the party leadership, Urquhart plots to not only keep him in place as PM but to win the next general election. He is desperate to surpass Margaret Thatcher's length of service and decides that to emulate her is likely the best approach: starting a war in Cyprus, his own little Falklands, as he describes it to his wife.15CC54minNov 26, 1995
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Seasoned politician Francis Urquhart tries to establish his legacy before retirement by negotiating an end to the Cyprus, but the island hides secrets from his past that could destroy him.
Creators and cast
- Directors
- Mike Vardy
- Created by
- Andrew Davies
- Studio
- BBC, GBH
Maturity rating
15Check the rating before watching with younger viewers.
