Peter the Great (miniseries)
Peter the Great is an American historical drama television mini-series that aired on NBC from February 2–5, 1986 and starring Maximilian Schell as Russian emperor Peter the Great, and based on the biography by Robert K. Massie. It won three Primetime Emmy Awards, including the award for Outstanding Miniseries.
| Peter the Great | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Historical novel-based Drama |
| Written by | Edward Anhalt Robert K. Massie |
| Directed by | Marvin J. Chomsky Lawrence Schiller |
| Starring | Maximilian Schell Vanessa Redgrave Omar Sharif Trevor Howard Laurence Olivier Helmut Griem Jan Niklas Elke Sommer Renee Soutendijk Ursula Andress Mel Ferrer |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Marvin J. Chomsky Lawrence Schiller Konstantin Thoeren |
| Cinematography | Vittorio Storaro |
| Editor(s) | Bill Parker |
| Running time | 371 min |
| Production company(s) | ABC (US) |
| Distributor | NBC |
| Release | |
| Picture format | Color |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | February 2 – February 5, 1986 |
Plot summary
Russia at the dawn of the 18th century—a vast, chilling mysterious land, medieval in its character. A country led by a man whose curious, questing spirit is eager to learn all that is new. A monarch who brings his feudal country "kicking and screaming" into the modern world. A shrewd tsar and a visionary. Statesman, sailor, and shipbuilder. Military leader. A husband and a father. A man who dared to dream the impossible dream, and succeeded.[1]
Cast
- Maximilian Schell as Peter the Great
- Jan Niklas as Peter the Great in early adulthood
- Vanessa Redgrave as Tsarevna Sophia
- Omar Sharif as Prince Feodor Romodanovsky
- Laurence Olivier as William III and II, King of England, Scotland and Ireland
- Trevor Howard as Sir Isaac Newton
- Ursula Andress as Athalie
- Olegar Fedoro as Boyar Lopukhin
- Natalya Andrejchenko as Tsaritsa Eudoxia Lopukhina
- Helmut Griem as Captain Alexander Menshikov
- Renée Soutendijk as Anna Mons (Peter's Dutch mistress)
- Hanna Schygulla as Catherine Skavronskaya (Peter's 2nd mistress and later on wife)
- Christoph Eichhorn as Charles XII, King of Sweden
- Lilli Palmer as Tsarina Natalya, mother of Peter the Great
- Mel Ferrer as Frederick I, King in Prussia
- Elke Sommer as Charlotte, Queen in Prussia
- Jan Malmsjö as The Patriarch
- Boris Plotnikov as Tsarevich Alexis
- Jeremy Kemp as General Patrick Gordon
- Geoffrey Whitehead as Prince Vasily Golitsyn
- Graham McGrath as young adult Peter the Great
- Dennis DeMarne as the figure of Peter the Great at the narrating scenes of the later years
- Ann Zacharias as Daria Lund, the mistress of Captain Alexander Menshikov
The series was released as a three-tape VHS box (set in 1992, then, in 1994, as a single, lengthy VHS tape).
Awards and nominations
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries (won)
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) - Laurence Rosenthal (won)
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special - Ella Maklakova, Sibylle Ulsamer (won)
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Vanessa Redgrave (nomination)
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Special - Vittorio Storaro (nomination)
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries or a Special - (nomination)
Golden Globe Award
- Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film - (nomination)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film - Jan Niklas (nomination)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film - Lilli Palmer (nomination)
Writers Guild of America Award
- Best Adapted Long Form - Edward Anhalt (won)
References
- VHS release cover.
- The Complete Films of Laurence Olivier by Jerry Vermilye, Citadel Press, 1992.