Ashenden (TV series) explained

Director:Christopher Morahan
Theme Music Composer:Stephen Oliver
Composer:Carl Davis
Language:English
Country:United Kingdom
Based On: by W. Somerset Maugham
Executive Producer:Michael Wearing
Cinematography:Chris Seager
Editor:Dave King
Company:Kelso Films for BBC
Runtime:53 minutes
Num Series:1
Num Episodes:4
Network:BBC1

Ashenden is a BBC1 four part TV series based on the 1927 spy novel, , by W. Somerset Maugham, that aired from 17 November to 8 December 1991, directed by Christopher Morahan, with Alex Jennings in the title role, Joss Ackland as Cumming, Ian Bannen as 'R' and Jason Isaacs as Andrew Lehman. Guest actors included Harriet Walter as Giulia Lazzari in the first episode, Alan Bennett as Grantly Caypor in the second, René Auberjonois as John Quincy Harrington in the third, with Elizabeth McGovern as Aileen Sommerville and Alfred Molina as Carmona, the titular character, in the final story. A framing device at the start of each episode shows progressively more of an aged Ashenden living in France in the mid-1960s, reacting adversely to a piece of music on the radio. The final episode – which gives the context to this section – closes with a return to this "future" setting.

Cast

Episodes

  1. The Dark Woman (17 November 1991)
  2. The Traitor (24 November 1991)
  3. Mr Harrington's Washing (1 December 1991)
  4. The Hairless Mexican (8 December 1991)