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The Diary of Samuel Pepys

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The Diary of Samuel Pepys
GenreHistorical
Written byA.R. Rawlinson
StarringPeter Sallis
Douglas Wilmer
ComposerChristopher Whelen
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes14
Production
ProducerChloe Gibson
Production companyBBC
Original release
NetworkBBC 1
Release7 March (1958-03-07) –
13 June 1958 (1958-06-13)

The Diary of Samuel Pepys is a British historical television series which was originally broadcast on the BBC in 1958.[1] 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.

Main cast

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Plot

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The series debuted on Friday 7th 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.[2]

Review

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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.[3]

Using the diaries as a template, Sallis captured the wit, verve and cheeky humour of Pepys and was lauded for his performance.[4]

Episode Status

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The series was a 14 episode part series that ran from 7 March 1958 - 13 June 1958 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 there now missing.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Baskin p.30
  2. ^ "The Diary of Samuel Pepys (1958)". nostalgiacentral.com.
  3. ^ Best of British Magazine; February 2021 Issue; Pages 52-53
  4. ^ Best of British Magazine; February 2021 Issue; Pages 52-53)
  5. ^ "The Diary of Samuel Pepys (1958)". tvbrain.info.

Bibliography

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