Tom Brown's Schooldays (TV serial)

Tom Brown's Schooldays is a 1971 television serial adaptation of the 1857 Thomas Hughes novel Tom Brown's Schooldays.

Tom Brown's Schooldays
Written by	Thomas Hughes (novel) Anthony Stevens (writer)
Directed by	Gareth Davies
Starring	Anthony Murphy Iain Cuthbertson Simon Fisher Turner Richard Morant
Country of origin	UK
Original language	English
No. of episodes	5
Production
Producer	John McRae
Running time	225 min
Release
Original network	BBC1
Original release	14 November 1971 (UK)

It was originally screened on the BBC1 Sunday afternoon slot, which often showed serialisations of classics aimed at a family audience. It made some free adaptations to Hughes's novel, creating the role of Flashman's father, and added new sub-plots about Flashman and Arnold.[1] It also included scenes of bullying and corporal punishment which may have been too graphic for family viewing. "Clean-up TV" campaigner Mary Whitehouse claimed that the programme broke the BBC's guidelines on the depiction of sadistic violence.[2]

The series was later shown on Masterpiece Theatre in the USA. Both the programme and Anthony Murphy's lead performance won Emmy Awards.

Cast

• Anthony Murphy as Tom Brown
• Iain Cuthbertson as Dr. Thomas Arnold
• Louise Jameson as Mary Arnold
• Simon Fisher Turner as Harry "Scud" East
• Richard Morant as Flashman
• Gerald Flood as Sir Richard Flashman
• Richard Gibson as Sunning
• Christopher Guard as Darcy
• Daniel Hill as Harry
• John Hug as Druce
• Robin Langford as Martin
• John Paul as Mr. Brown

References

1. See Kathryn Hughes' article on Hughes' novel in The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/20/booksforchildrenandteenagers.
2. Charles Gillies "Mrs Whitehouse, Casanova, and Tom Brown's Schooldays", Glasgow Herald, 8 December 1971, p. 8

External links

• Tom Brown's Schooldays at IMDb