The Diary of Samuel Pepys is a British historical television series which was originally broadcast on the BBC in 1958.Baskin p.30 Based on the diaries of the naval administrator Samuel Pepys, it portrays life at the court of Charles II from the year 1660 to 1669.

Cast Peter Sallis as Samuel Pepys, English diarist Susan Maryott as Elizabeth Pepys, the wife of Samuel Pepys Alan Rowe as William Hewer Douglas Wilmer as King Charles II David Peel as the Duke of York Diana Fairfax as Lady Castlemaine Manning Wilson as Lord Sandwich Paul Eddington as Sir William Coventry John Arnatt as the Duke of Albemarle Anthony Newlands as Sir William Penn John Sharplin as John Evelyn Howard Lamb as William Bowyer Raymond Rollett as Sir John Minnes Frederick Peisley as John Pepys, the father of Samuel Pepys Jill Carey as the Duchess of York Robert James as the Duke of Buckingham and Father of Child Wensley Pithey as Viscount Brouncker Patricia Heneghan as Pall Pepys, the sister of Samuel Pepys John Dunbar as the Bishop of London and Master Wren

Plot The series debuted on Friday 7 March 1958 and the series was based on the diaries of Samuel Pepys from the age of 27 to 36. The series portrays life at the court of Charles II from 1660 to 1669. With 162 speaking parts, The Diary of Samuel Pepys was one of the largest BBC productions to date.

Review This series was Peter Sallis's first appearance as a principal character on television as well as his first extended television role. A reason for this was that he bore a resemblance when compared to contemporary picture portraits of Samuel Pepys. The series was dramatised by A R Rawlinson for Chloe Gibson. Chloe Gibson was one of the first female producers for BBC television.Best of British Magazine; February 2021 Issue; Pages 52-53

Using the diaries as a template, Sallis captured the wit, verve and cheeky humour of Pepys and was lauded for his performance.Best of British Magazine; February 2021 Issue; Pages 52-53)

Peter Sallis later recalled saying that the BBC's live adaptation of The Diary of Samuel Pepys was one of the most demanding and extraordinary experiences of his early career. He recalled being surprised when producer Chloe Gibson chose him for the title role, admitting he didn’t initially grasp the scale of the undertaking. The production involved thirteen live half‑hour episodes performed in Studio D at Lime Grove, with multiple sets arranged around the studio and only a few large, cumbersome cameras. From Sallis’s perspective, the experience was a mixture of exhilaration and chaos. Because the series was framed as Pepys’s own diary, he appeared in almost every scene and spent much of each broadcast sprinting between sets, relying on tricks like a cheerful “ha, ha, ha” entrance to cover his breathlessness. He remembered the camaraderie of the cast — including Paul Eddington, Alan Rowe and Douglas Wilmer — and the constant pressure of live television, illustrated by moments such as bursting into a funeral scene with an inappropriately jolly greeting after a frantic dash across the studio.

Episodes The series was a 14 episode part series that ran from 7 March 1958 - 13 June 1958 on BBC Television with each episode being 30 minutes long. Out of all 14 episodes produced for the series, episodes 1, 7, 8 and 13 are available to watch on TV Brain. As for the other 10 episodes from the series it's believed they are now missing.

Reception Critical response The Daily Echo, praised the series for its storytelling and its cast. He also called it one of the best of BBC serials.

Robert Graham of the Western Mail, described the series as "opulently produced", with scripts that avoided being falsely historical. He also praised the series for the performances of Peter Sallis, David Peel and Manning Wilson.

See also "Pepys' Diary", a 1958 song by Benny Hill

References

Bibliography Baskin, Ellen . Serials on British Television, 1950-1994. Scolar Press, 1996.

External links The Diary of Samuel Pepys at IMDB