The BBC Television Shakespeare

1. Romeo and Juliet

Air Date: 1978-12-03

Romeo, heir of the lordly Montague family of the Italian city of Verona, goes wearing a mask to a dance held by the Capulets, their bitter rivals in the city. There, Romeo falls head over heels for Juliet Capulet, and they are secretly married by the obliging Friar Lawrence. Following a fight, Romeo is banished from the city, and Juliet's father promises her in marriage to another young fellow, Paris. Juliet unwisely agrees to a plan suggested by Friar Lawrence, takes a drug which will make her seem dead for two days and is put into the family vault, expecting Romeo to collect her when she wakes up. However, Romeo fails to get Friar Lawrence's message, believes Juliet is dead, kills Paris, then drinks poison and dies by Juliet's side. On waking up, she finds Romeo's body and stabs herself to death. As a result (if a rather unlikely one) the Montague and Capulet lords make up their ancient quarrel and a new friendship blossoms between the warring factions.

2. King Richard the Second

Air Date: 1978-12-10

Bolingbroke wrongly accuses Mowbray of killing Gloucester, the uncle of King Richard II. Richard (who in fact arranged the murder) orders a trial by combat between Bolingbroke and Mowbray, then turns this into exile for both of them. Bolingbroke's father, John of Gaunt, dies and Richard seizes his estates to pay for a campaign in Ireland. While Richard is off fighting the Irish, leaving the Duke of York as Regent, Bolingbroke invades England and the country rises in support of him. York vacillates, Richard lands in Wales, is arrested, and surrenders the crown to Bolingbroke, who becomes King Henry IV. A plot against Henry is discovered, Henry pardons his cousin Aumerle, but Richard is murdered while imprisoned at Pontefract.

3. As You Like It

Air Date: 1978-12-17

Duke Frederick has driven out the lawful Duke and usurped his duchy. Rosalind (daughter of the banished Duke) falls in love with Orlando de Boys, as he is beating Frederick's champion in a wrestling match. Frederick banishes her, too, and she leaves, disguised as a youth called Ganymede, taking Frederick's daughter Celia and his jester Touchstone with her. Rosalind's troupe heads for the Forest of Arden, where Rosalind's father is living quietly, with Orlando and his brother Jaques now members of the old Duke's rustic court. Rosalind decides to live for a time as Ganymede, and she/he finds Orlando hanging poems to Rosalind on trees (no doubt he knows what he's doing?)... Ganymede promises to cure Orlando of his love, while Touchstone woos a country girl, Audrey. Meanwhile, a shepherdess called Phebe falls in love with Ganymede, scorning the love of the bumpkin Silvius. Oliver de Boys, another brother of Orlando, arrives and falls heavily for Celia. At the end, Ganymede turns himself

4. Julius Caesar

Air Date: 1979-02-11

Marcus Brutus is Caesar's close friend and a Roman praetor. Brutus allows himself to be cajoled into joining a group of conspiring senators because of a growing suspicion — implanted by Caius Cassius — that Caesar intends to turn republican Rome into a monarchy under his own rule.

5. Measure For Measure

Air Date: 1979-02-18

This drama is classified as a comedy play by William Shakespeare. However it is also referred to as a 'problem play', because it cannot be easily described as either a tragedy or comedy. The story of the plot centres on Angelo who has been empowered by the Duke of Vienna to rule his land, whilst he wanders about disguised as a friar to investigate the moral decay of his dukedom. Resorting to an old law against fornication to enforce his strict standards of morality, Angelo proceeds to condemn fornicators to death. One of these fornicators is Claudio , a young man who has had pre-marital sex with his fiancee. Claudio's sister Isabella pleads for her brother's life. Angelo's lust is aroused and he uses his power to blackmail Isabella into his bed. Fortunately the Duke overhears. Angelo ends up in the bed of Mariana , a woman from his undisclosed past. Claudio is allowed to live happily ever after with his fiancee, and the virtuous Isabella ends up the Duke of Vienna's bride

6. King Henry the Eighth

Air Date: 1979-02-25

7. King Henry the Fourth, Part I

Air Date: 1979-12-09

8. King Henry the Fourth, Part II

Air Date: 1979-12-16

9. King Henry the Fifth

Air Date: 1979-12-23

10. Twelfth Night, or, What You Will

Air Date: 1980-01-06

11. The Tempest

Air Date: 1980-02-27

12. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Air Date: 1980-02-27

A son avenges his father's murder, but his madness and indecision take its toll on everyone.

13. The Taming of the Shrew

Air Date: 1980-10-23

14. The Merchant of Venice

Air Date: 1980-02-17

15. All's Well That Ends Well

Air Date: 1981-01-04

16. The Winter's Tale

Air Date: 1981-02-08

King Leontes of Bohemia suspects his wife, Queen Hermione, of deceiving him with his good friend Polixenes. Leontes drives Polixenes out of his kingdom, but this leads to unforeseen consequences: the arrival of a dangerous bear, an infant abandoned in the snow, love, death, and a statue which comes to life.

17. Timon of Athens

Air Date: 1981-04-16

Ancient Athenian Timon is well-known for his generosity - his many friends come to all his parties and like to get presents from him. But then Timon suffers losses and finds himself in debt, and his friends melt away. He loses faith in humanity and becomes a hermit.

18. Antony and Cleopatra

Air Date: 1981-05-08

Octavius Caesar (later known as Augustus), Mark Antony, and Lepidus form a triumvirate to rule the Roman Empire. Antony will rule in the east and goes to Egypt, where he becomes the lover of Queen Cleopatra. When Pompey raises an army to fight the triumvirate, Antony returns to Rome and marries Caesar's sister, Octavia. Cleopatra becomes jealous and plans to win Antony back. Caesar breaks a deal with Pompey and defeats him. Antony sends Octavia home to Rome and goes back to Cleopatra, and in Egypt he raises an army and a navy to fight Caesar. Antony's forces lose a critical sea battle when Cleopatra's ship flees. Antony hears Cleopatra has committed suicide and falls on his own sword. Cleopatra is taken prisoner and kills herself.

19. Othello

Air Date: 1981-10-04

20. Troilus and Cressida

Air Date: 1981-11-07

21. A Midsummer Night's Dream

Air Date: 1981-12-13

22. King Lear

Air Date: 1982-09-19

First screened in 1982, this timeless Shakespeare story of an ageing King who decides to divide his Kingdom between his three daughters stars Michael Hordern as Lear, with Brenda Blethyn as Cordelia, Gillian Barge as Goneril, Penelope Wilton as Regan, Michael Kitchen as Edmund and Anton Lesser as Edgar.

23. The Merry Wives of Windsor

Air Date: 1982-12-28

24. King Henry the Sixth, Part I

Air Date: 1983-01-02

25. King Henry the Sixth, Part II

Air Date: 1983-01-09

26. King Henry the Sixth, Part III

Air Date: 1983-01-16

27. The Tragedy of King Richard the Third

Air Date: 1983-01-23

28. Cymbeline

Air Date: 1983-07-10

29. Macbeth

Air Date: 1983-11-05

Classic tragedy by William Shakespeare about how ambition can corrupt. Three witches foresee a great future for Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis.

30. The Comedy of Errors

Air Date: 1983-12-24

31. The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Air Date: 1983-12-27

32. The Tragedy of Coriolanus

Air Date: 1984-04-21

33. The Life and Death of King John

Air Date: 1984-11-24

34. Pericles, Prince of Tyre

Air Date: 1984-12-08

Prince Pericles, visiting Antioch, solves King Antiochus's riddle to his daughter's suitors - the answer is that the King has had an incestuous relationship with his daughter. Pericles realizes he must escape to Tyre, and from there he goes to Tarsus to relieve a famine. Pursued by Antiochus's men, his ship is wrecked on the shores of Pentapolis and he marries Thaisa, the daughter of its King. Thaisa gives birth to a daughter, Marina, at sea, and in a great storm Thaisa is thrown overboard in a sea-chest. Coming to land at Ephesus, she believes Pericles is drowned and becomes a priestess of Diana.Pericles arranges for Marina to be brought up by Cleon of Tarsus and his wife Dionyza, and returns to Tyre. Fourteen years go by, and Dionyza, jealous of Marina, is about to have her murdered, when Marina is kidnapped by pirates, who send her to a brothel in Mytilene. Cleon tells Pericles that Marina is dead. Meanwhile, in Mytilene Marina's purity triumphs, startling the governor of the city,

35. Much Ado About Nothing

Air Date: 1984-12-22

Claudio and Benedick come home from the wars, having fought under Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon, to suppress a rebellion by his weird brother, Don John. Leonato, Governor of Messina, welcomes Claudio and Benedick into his house. Claudio woos Hero, Leonato's daughter, while Benedick quips and quarrels with Beatrice, Hero's cousin. Claudio and Hero get engaged to marry and try to trick Benedick and Beatrice into also falling in love. Don John sets out to make mischief and persuades Claudio and Don Pedro that Hero is a scarlet woman. Claudio denounces Hero in front of her family and refuses to marry her, Hero faints. Friar Francis helpfully suggests that Hero be said to have died until her name can be cleared.Left alone in the church, Benedick and Beatrice exchange vows of love and Beatrice gets Benedick to promise he will kill Claudio for the harm he has done Hero. A duel is planned, but before it can take place Don John's dastardly plot is uncovered and Hero is restored to favour, then to

36. Love's Labour's Lost

Air Date: 1985-01-05

The King of Navarre and three of his lords swear themselves to three years of study and chastity, but they begin to change their minds when the Princess of France and three of her ladies arrive at court to discuss the debts France owes to Navarre. A clown called Costard mixes up two letters, so that one from Armado to Jacquenetta (a village girl) is read to the Princess, while Jacquenetta receives a love sonnet from Berowne to Rosaline... this leads to some confusion. In the final Act, the lords meet the ladies in a mock-Russian entertainment, and news is received that the King of France has died. The Princess and her ladies prepare to leave Navarre and give their lovers a series of tasks for a year and a day.

37. Titus Andronicus

Air Date: 1985-04-27

Saturninus and Bassianus, sons of the late Emperor of Rome, are struggling over the succession to the throne, but Titus Andronicus, a triumphant general, is preferred. Titus has brought Tamora, Queen of the Goths, her sons and her Moorish lover, Aaron, to Rome as prisoners of war, and he orders the sacrifice of Tamara's son Alarbus. Titus then refuses the throne and supports the claim of Saturninus, offering him his daughter Lavinia in marriage, but she runs off with Bassianus. Saturninus then plans to marry Tamora, and her sons Chiron and Demetrius kill Bassianus, ravish Lavinia, and cut off her hands and tongue. Aaron plants the blame for Bassianus's murder on Titus's sons, who are sentenced to death, and Titus is tricked into cutting off his right hand as a ransom, but it fails to save them. Lucius goes off to the Goths to raise a revenging army, Lavinia accuses Chiron and Demetrius, and Titus goes mad. Tamora has a black child by Aaron, who takes it away for its safety, but they ar

1. Henry IV, Part One

Air Date: 1979-12-09

2. Henry IV, Part Two

Air Date: 1979-12-16

3. King Henry the Fifth

Air Date: 1979-12-23

4. Twelfth Night

Air Date: 1980-01-06

5. The Tempest

Air Date: 1980-02-27

6. Hamlet

Air Date: 1980-05-25

1. The Taming of the Shrew

Air Date: 1980-10-23

2. The Merchant of Venice

Air Date: 1980-12-17

3. All's Well That Ends Well

Air Date: 1981-01-04

4. The Winter's Tale

Air Date: 1981-02-08

5. Timon of Athens

Air Date: 1981-04-16

6. Antony and Cleopatra

Air Date: 1981-05-08

1. Othello

Air Date: 1981-10-04

Othello is a 1981 romantic drama TV movie directed by Jonathan Miller based on the play written by William Shakespeare.

2. Troilus and Cressida

Air Date: 1981-10-07

3. A Midsummer Night's Dream

Air Date: 1981-12-13

1. King Lear

Air Date: 1982-09-19

2. Cymbeline

Air Date: 1983-07-10

3. The Merry Wives of Windsor

Air Date: 1982-12-28

4. Henry VI, Part One

Air Date: 1983-01-02

5. Henry VI, Part Two

Air Date: 1983-01-09

6. Henry VI, Part Three

Air Date: 1983-01-16

7. The Tragedy of Richard III

Air Date: 1983-01-23

1. Macbeth

Air Date: 1983-10-17

2. The Comedy of Errors

Air Date: 1983-12-24

3. The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Air Date: 1983-12-27

4. Coriolanus

Air Date: 1984-04-21

5. Pericles, Prince of Tyre

Air Date: 1984-06-11

1. King John

Air Date: 1984-11-24

2. Much Ado About Nothing

Air Date: 1984-11-30

3. Love's Labour's Lost

Air Date: 1985-01-05

4. Titus Andronicus

Air Date: 1985-04-27