Casanova (2005 TV serial)

Infobox British television
show_name = Casanova


caption = David Tennant as a young Giacomo Casanova
format = Drama
runtime = 174 mins (3 parts)
creator = Russell T Davies
starring = David Tennant
Peter O'Toole
director = Sheree Folkson
channel = BBC Three
first_aired = March 13 2005
last_aired = March 27 2005
num_episodes = 3 (List of Episodes)
country = UK
producer = Red Production Company
Granada Television
BBC Wales
related =

"Casanova" is a 2005 British television drama serial, written by the acclaimed television scriptwriter Russell T Davies and directed by Sheree Folkson. Produced by Red Production Company for BBC Wales in association with Granada Television, the 3-episode series was first screened on digital television station BBC Three from March 13, with a repeat on mainstream analogue network BBC One commencing April 4.

ynopsis

Telling the story of the life of 18th Century Italian adventurer Giacomo Casanova, based on his own twelve-volume memoirs, the one-hour episodes star Peter O'Toole as the older Casanova looking back on his life, and David Tennant as the younger version. Rose Byrne, Rupert Penry-Jones, Matt Lucas, Shaun Parkes, Nina Sosanya and Laura Fraserare also featured.

Cast

*Young Giacomo Casanova — David Tennant
*Older Giacomo Casanova — Peter O'Toole
*Henriette — Laura Fraser
*Grimani — Rupert Penry-Jones
*Bellino — Nina Sosanya
*Rocco — Shaun Parkes
*Edith — Rose Byrne
*Bragadin — Freddie Jones
* 5 year-old Giacomo Casanova — John Sandilands
* 11 year-old Giacomo Casanova — Zachary Fox

There are also cameo appearances from comedians Matt Lucas, Mark Heap, Simon Day and Matthew Holness.

Production

The series was originally commissioned from Davies by Executive Producer Julie Gardner when she was working at Granada-owned London Weekend Television. However, after Gardner moved on to become Head of Drama at BBC Wales in 2003, she commissioned Davies to write the drama for the BBC instead, as part of the deal that also saw him installed as the chief writer and Executive Producer of "Doctor Who" (in which Tennant plays the Doctor's tenth incarnation), also being overseen by Gardner and made at BBC Wales. It was Tennant's role as the younger Giacomo that made Davies cast him in Doctor Who and as the Tenth Doctor Tennant uses a similar accent to that of his Casanova.

It was aired in the United States in two parts, October 8 and 15, 2006, with the full unedited British version released on DVD the following week, October 17, 2006. The programme also aired in Australia on the ABC, again edited into two parts.

DVD Release

The serial was released on DVD in the UK in June 2005.

External links

*imdb title|id=0427042|title=Casanova
* [http://www.redproductioncompany.com/pastproductions.asp?menuid=54 "Casanova"] at the Red Production Company website.
* [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/casanova/index.html "Casanova"] at the "Masterpiece Theatre" website.