Vanity Fair is a BBC television drama serial adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's 1848 novel of the same name broadcast in 1967. It was the first drama serial in colour produced by the BBC. Vanity Fair starred Susan Hampshire as Becky Sharp. The serial was also broadcast in 1972 in the US on PBS television as part of Masterpiece Theatre, and Hampshire received an Emmy Award for her portrayal in 1973.
This was the second of four television adaptations of Vanity Fair produced by the BBC; other serials had been transmitted in 1956/57, in 1987, and in 1998.
Plot summary For a full-length summary of the book, see: Vanity Fair plot summary.
Episodes Episode Title Run Time BBC Air Date US Air DatePart OneThe Famous Little Becky Puppet41:112 Dec 19671 Oct 1972Part TwoThe Dragoon44:059 Dec 19678 Oct 1972Part ThreeThe Celebrated Battle Scene44:1516 Dec 196715 Oct 1972Part FourThe Wicked Nobleman44:3123 Dec 196722 Oct 1972Part FiveVanitas Vanitatum44:1930 Dec 196729 Oct 1972
Cast Susan Hampshire as Becky Sharp Dyson Lovell as Rawdon Crawley Bryan Marshall as Captain Dobbin Marilyn Taylerson as Amelia Osborne Roy Marsden as George Osborne John Moffatt as Jos Sedley Barbara Couper as Miss Matilda Crawley Barbara Leake as Mrs. Sedley Michael Rothwell as Pitt Crawley Deddie Davies as Lady Crawley Howard Taylor as Horrocks John Welsh as Sir Pitt Crawley Mark Allington as Ensign Stubble Thelma Barlow as Miss Briggs Richard Caldicot as Mr. Osborne Robert Flemyng as Lord Steyne
Awards 1973: Emmy Award - Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Drama/Comedy - Limited Episodes) - Susan Hampshire.
DVD This adaptation is now available on DVD, distributed by Acorn Media UK.
References
External links Review