Marie Curie

This, as I recall, was a pretty daring new look at the life and times of Marya (Marie) Sklodovska Curie, particularly at the sad and scandalous early years of her long widowhood. It appears the lonely, needy Marie had an affair, or almost had one, with a fellow scientist and admirer who ended up staying in his rocky marriage. In any case, their letters were leaked to the press by his wife and/or their scientific rivals, and Marie was nearly driven from the respected position she had achieved.

This was all glossed over by her admiring daughter Eve in the otherwise excellent biogaphy she wrote about her mother... In part due to natural loyalty, and the fact that Eve was still a young child by the time these events had played out. By the time Eve was in her teens, Marie was once again restored to a condition of esteem (and, apparently, celibacy) which she retained until the end.

I'd like to see this again, one DVD if it's out there, as I recall the good and convincing performance by Jean Lapotaire, who appeared in numerous English historical minseries back then, which were later shown on US educational TV. (Where we "high-brows" sought edgy entertainment before everyone had HBO and Showtime.)