Edward & Mrs. Simpson

I have long been intrigued by the tale of Edward VIII, the English king who gave up the throne to be with the woman he loved an American divorcée named Wallis Simpson. Imagine my surprise at discovering that not only was there a miniseries about it but that one of my favorite actors (Edward Fox) was playing the famed King himself. The result is a rather grand, if slightly overlong, historical drama.

As in the case of many a historical drama, the cast is fine one. Edward Fox gives one of the finest performances of his career as the famed King Edward VIII from the dashing playboy Prince Of Wales to the man who gives up the throne for the woman he loves. Cynthia Harris gives a nice performance as the woman he loved Wallis Simpson though she does have a tendency to overact. Thankfully both Fox and Harris share a nice chemistry between them that makes them quite convincing as the famed couple.

The supporting cast is fine as well. David Waller gives a fine performance as the Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin who tires to keep the government together in the midsts of the crisis caused by the title characters as does Peggy Ashcroft as the famed Queen Mary. From Nigel Hawthorne as Edward's friend Walter Monkton to Wensley Pithey as Winston Churchill to Charles Keating as Wallis husband Ernest Simpson to Marius Goring and Patrick Troughton as opposition leader Clement Attlee the cast is a fine one and makes this drama well worth seeing.

Things are strong behind the camera as well. The sets by Allan Cameron and the costumes by Jennie Tate perfectly capture the spirit of the 1930's in which this famed story took place. The score and opening song by Ron Grainer also captures the atmosphere of the 1930's as well. Even better, the script by Simon Raven (from the biography Edrward VIII by Frances Donaldson) is a true highlight. With its attention to details and events the script gives a detailed study of a royal romance that doesn't quite end happily. The dialouge in particular makes the production stand out and gives the whole production an epic quality thanks to the wonderful direction of Waris Hussein.

If the miniseries has any fault it is that it seems overlong. At seven fifty minute episodes (or right around six hours) it feels as though it could have been trimmed down at times. There aren't many slow moments in the miniseries but one wonders if those scenes trimmed could have made Edward & Mrs. Simpson slightly shorter.

Despite is length Edward & Mrs. Simpson is a fine drama. From its two leading actors to the supporting cast, production values, direction and writing this is a fine example of the art of the miniseries. For fans of fine historical dramas look no further then Edward & Mrs. Simpson.

The Story of King Edward VIII who abdicated the British Throne so that he could marry the American divorcée Wallis Simpson. The story begins in the period leading up to the death of Edward's father George V and concludes shortly after his abdication.

While it is interesting for its detailed take on both the relationship and the steps that led to the abdication it may not be enough to hold the attention of those without an interest in history or the British Royal family. Most of the story is told through conversations and meetings.

In addition to its portrayals of the title characters it also presents interesting portrayals of Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin and Queen Mary and though less time is devoted to them; George V, George VI and future Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Clement Atlee.

The series is buoyed by a superb performance by Edward Fox as Edward, but I found Cynthia Harris's performance as Wallis Simpson somewhat less inspiring. There are no obvious flaws to point out, and my apathy might also have come from how the character was written. There is also as to expected from a drama of this sort a good supporting cast highlighted by Peggy Ashcroft and Nigel Hawthorne.

Amongst family and friends Edward who was born Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David was known as David and this is how he is referred to throughout the series.

This was a seven part British television mini-series, so if you are interested its almost 6 hours in length and 2 DVD's.

The series won an Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series in addition to a number of BAFTA awards.

While we enjoy watching this interesting and historical movie, our enjoyment is somewhat tempered by our relationship to the film. My wife and I were extras in the Kenya segment of the film and had the opportunity and misfortune to see Edward Fox, a second-rate actor who should get down on his knees every morning to thank whatever powers that be that his brother gave him his breakout chance in film, behave as the spoiled and undeserving brat he is. He treated everyone around him as though he was the only true human in the area. At one point he reduced one young woman to tears when she was a (very) few seconds late running to hold a mirror for him to check that his face and makeup were up to his high standards. This young woman was making a tiny fraction of Mr. Fox's salary but she was worth twenty of him. In contrast, the fine actress Cherie Lunghi, who was not on camera at the time, asked the extras if they would like some tea. It was only when she stood up for her section of the shoot that we realized that she was ,in fact, a cast member, and hundreds of times more gracious than Mr. Fox.

Thames Television held the weekday independent TV franchise for the London region between 1968 and 1992. During this time, they created an incredible body of quality work, encompassing comedy, drama and factual programming.

Edward and Mrs Simpson is an example of Thames drama at its very best, and I would think as close as you could get to visiting the 1930s without a time machine. Exceptional casting, production design, costumes, script and performance all come together to create a fascinating historical document, about a turbulent time in 20th century Britain.

The Duke of Windsor died in 1972, but the Duchess of Windsor was still alive when the programme was broadcast. (She died in 1986). She was not best pleased, citing invasion of privacy, and reportedly lobbied to have the production stopped.

As with many period dramas of the time, great care was taken with casting, and accuracy in speech and language. All the protagonists are treated generally sympathetically, although perhaps less so in the case of Wallis Simpson. Checking other sources reveals that historically, it all seems to be very accurate, including verbatim statements and conversations.

History has not been as kind to the Duke as the programme was, but the narrative of Edward and Mrs Simpson ends at their marriage, thus avoiding having to deal with the unpalatable aftermath; clumsy attempts to interfere with Britain's pre-war foreign policy, pro-Nazi attitudes, highly questionable behaviour during the war, and alleged subsequent financial shenanigans.

Dated. Stilted acting. Not good.

Ordinarily I wouldn't bother with a review like this, but this viewpoint is totally missing as I write. So a warning to potential viewers: this may be a serious waste of your time and maybe your money.