Belgravia (TV series)

Belgravia is a historical drama miniseries, set in the 19th century, based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Julian Fellowes—both named after Belgravia, an affluent district of London. The limited series, a co-production between Carnival Films and American cable network Epix, is adapted by Fellowes from his novel, and reunites the award-winning team behind Downton Abbey with Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant executive producing alongside Liz Trubridge and Fellowes. Belgravia is directed by John Alexander, and produced by Colin Wratten.[1]

Belgravia
GenreHistorical period drama
Based onBelgravia
by Julian Fellowes
Written byJulian Fellowes
Directed byJohn Alexander
ComposerJohn Lunn
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
  • Gareth Neame
  • Nigel Marchant
  • Liz Trubridge
  • Vrushank Velhankar
ProducerColin Wratten
Running timeApprox 45mins
Production companyCarnival Films
Release
Original network
Original release15 March (2020-03-15) –
19 April 2020 (2020-04-19)

The series premiered in the UK on ITV on 15 March 2020 and in the U.S. on 12 April 2020 on Epix.[2][3][4]

Premise

Belgravia begins at the Duchess of Richmond's ball (night of 15/16 June 1815), which was held in Brussels for the Duke of Wellington on the eve of the Battle of Quatre Bras, two days before the Battle of Waterloo.

Among the guests are James and Anne Trenchard, who are living on the profits of newfound trading success. Their young daughter Sophia has caught the eye of Edmund Bellasis, the son and heir of one of the richest and most prominent families in England. Twenty-five years later, when the two families are settled into the newly developed area of Belgravia, the events of the ball, and the secrets, still resonate.[5]

Cast

[6]

The Trenchard family

The Trenchard servants

The Bellasis family

  • Tom Wilkinson as Peregrine Bellasis, Earl of Brockenhurst
  • Harriet Walter as Caroline Bellasis, Countess of Brockenhurst
  • Jeremy Neumark Jones as Edmund, Viscount Bellasis, only son of Earl and Countess of Brockenhurst and heir apparent to his father
  • James Fleet as Reverend Stephen Bellasis, younger brother of Earl of Brockenhurst and heir presumptive to his elder brother
  • Diana Hardcastle as Grace Bellasis, wife of Stephen Bellasis
  • Adam James as John Bellasis, son of Stephen Bellasis and heir to his father

The Grey family

The Pope family

Characters at the Duchess of Richmond's ball

Miscellaneous

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [7]U.K viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"John AlexanderJulian Fellowes15 March 2020 (2020-03-15)6.57
James Trenchard, a successful businessman known as The Magician for his ability to supply food and materials to the army on the eve of the Battle of Quatre Bras, uses his daughter Sophia's friendship with Lord Bellasis to gain favour and he agrees to their marriage. Sophia discovers the marriage ceremony is a sham and Bellasis is killed on the battlefield. Sophia is left unmarried and pregnant. She dies during childbirth leaving a son. Twenty five years later the Trenchards move to the newly built Belgravia where they become neighbours to the Brockenhursts, who have no knowledge of their grandson.
2"Episode 2"John AlexanderJulian Fellowes22 March 2020 (2020-03-22)6.40
Anne Trenchard decides, against her husband's wishes, to confide the secret of a grandson, Charles Pope, to Lady Brockenhurst who refuses to believe her son would contrive such a deceit. Lady Brockenhurst, whose husband bemoans the fact they have no heir, arranges an after dinner party to which she invites Charles Pope who has no idea of his birth parents. The Trenchards, including their son Oliver and his wife Susan are also invited. Also at the party are Lady Brockenhurst's nephew John Bellasis, the heir presumptive, and Lady Maria Grey who is expected to marry him. When Charles Pope arrives Lady Brockenhurst introduces him and discovers James Trenchard had invested in Pope's business as a cotton trader, much to Anne Trenchard's astonishment. John Bellasis takes a fancy to Susan while Pope discovers that Lady Maria is knowledgeable about the cotton trade.
3"Episode 3"John AlexanderJulian Fellowes29 March 2020 (2020-03-29)6.13
Lady Brockenhurst's introduction of Charles Pope to society raises the interest of Lady Brockenhurst's brother-in-law Reverend Stephen Bellasis who has gambling debts of £1000 which his brother, the Earl, refuses to pay. Lady Maria Grey also takes an interest, as does her betrothed John Bellasis, Stephen's son, who begins an affair with Susan Trenchard, and she relies on her maid Speer to keep it secret. Susan's husband Oliver is also curious to know why his father, James Trenchard, has invested in Charles's company. John Bellasis decides to enlist the aid of the Trenchards' servants Ellis and Turton to uncover the family secrets.
4"Episode 4"John AlexanderJulian Fellowes5 April 2020 (2020-04-05)5.71
Lady Maria Grey joins Lady Brockenhurst on her visit to the offices of Charles Pope. Anne Trenchard asks to accompany them. John Bellasis finds out about the visit from the Trenchards' servants and turns up unannounced. Still unable to find a connection, Bellasis asks his lover Susan to accompany her husband Oliver and his parents to their country house to glean more information. Lady Maria sees Charles Pope secretly and they realise they have mutual feelings. Reverend Bellasis is given money by his brother towards his gambling debts, while John Bellasis, needing money to pay his spies, steals the last of the family silver his mother had hidden. Lady Templemore pressurises her daughter, Lady Maria, to marry John and is shocked to find she does not wish to. Susan Trenchard is shocked to find out she is pregnant.
5"Episode 5"John AlexanderJulian Fellowes12 April 2020 (2020-04-12)5.77
John Bellasis discovers from Turton that James Trenchard had been in contact with Charles Pope's foster parents for years. Lady Maria Grey informs Lady Brockenhurst and Anne Trenchard she will not be marrying John Bellasis despite her mother's announcement in The Times newspaper. Oliver Trenchard travels to Pope's cotton mill in Manchester and is told Pope obtained the mill by underhand means and has been cheating Customs and Excise. Charles does not deny the allegation when confronted by James Trenchard, who decides to travel north to investigate for himself. Following these accusations, Lady Brockenhurst resolves to reveal Charles's true parentage. Charles Pope refuses to elope with Lady Maria with the allegations hanging over him. Sophia's letters and marriage certificate are given to Anne Trenchard by a former maid and friend of Sophia. When hearing about these documents, John Bellasis realises the implications to his inheritance, further compounded when he discovers Sophia's marriage to Lord Bellasis was legally valid.
6"Episode 6"John AlexanderJulian Fellowes19 April 2020 (2020-04-19)5.72
James Trenchard travels to Manchester and discovers the allegations against Charles Pope are false. Susan Trenchard tells John Bellasis she is pregnant but he refuses to marry her as she would be a divorced woman and the daughter-in-law of a tradesman. Ellis's deceit is uncovered and she implicates Turton and John Bellasis. Susan persuades Oliver to accept the baby as his son and heir as James and Anne are to give them their country estate. Pope is lured to a night time rendezvous at the river by John Bellasis who intends to regain his inheritance by killing him. James and Oliver Trenchard come to his rescue and Oliver becomes an unlikely hero saving his father and Pope from drowning. John Bellasis flees to Europe and Charles Pope is acknowledged as Viscount Bellasis. Lady Templemore's objections to her daughter, Lady Maria, marrying Charles Pope are overcome.

Production

On 14 January 2019, it was announced that ITV had given a series order consisting of six episodes to a television adaptation of Julian Fellowes' 2016 novel Belgravia. The series was expected to be written by Fellowes and directed by John Alexander. Executive producers were set to include Gareth Neame, Nigel Marchant, and Liz Trubridge with Colin Wratten serving as a producer. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Carnival Films.[5][8] On 8 February 2019, it was reported that American premium cable network Epix had joined the production as a co-producer.[9][10]

Principal photography took place in the summer of 2019. Many of the exteriors were shot in Edinburgh, with parts of the New Town standing in for Belgravia. Other locations included Edinburgh City Chambers and Hopetoun House.[11]

Production visited The Historic Chatham Dockyard and filmed on Anchor Wharf quayside, the Tarred Yarn Store as Pimm’s Chop House and the streets around the Ropery to stand in for both a London market and the streets around Girton’s Mill. [12]

References
  1. Desk, TV News. "EPIX to Premiere Carnival Films' BELGRAVIA on April 12". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  2. "When is Julian Fellowes' new period drama Belgravia on TV?". RadioTimes. 4 February 2020. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  3. "Video: Official Trailer for EPIX Series "Belgravia"". The Futon Critic. 23 October 2019. Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  4. "EPIX to Premiere Carnival Films' "Belgravia" on Sunday, April 12". The Futon Critic. 18 January 2020. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  5. White, Peter (14 January 2019). "'Downton Abbey' Creator Julian Fellowes Brings His Latest Period Drama 'Belgravia' To ITV Via NBCU's Carnival Films". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  6. "RadioTimes: On T.V: Meet the Cast of Belgravia". Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  7. "Belgravia – Listings". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  8. Clarke, Stewart (14 January 2019). "ITV Orders Period Drama 'Belgravia' From 'Downton Abbey's' Julian Fellowes". Variety. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  9. White, Peter (8 February 2019). "Epix Boards British Period Drama 'Belgravia' From 'Downton Abbey' Creator Julian Fellowes & Carnival Films". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  10. Porter, Rick (8 February 2019). "'Downton Abbey' Creator Julian Fellowes Lands Limited Series at Epix". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  11. Rhona Shennan (16 March 2020). "Belgravia filming locations in Edinburgh". Edinburgh Evening News. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  12. Kent Film Office. "Kent Film Office Belgravia (2020) article". Archived from the original on 15 November 2020.
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