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Aristocrats

  • TV Mini Series
  • 1999
  • TV-14
  • 50m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
1.9K
YOUR RATING
Aristocrats (1999)
Aristocrats: Episode 2
Play trailer1:56
10 Videos
22 Photos
Period DramaDramaHistory

18th-century England and Ireland viewed through the eyes of four beautiful high-born sisters - Caroline, Emily, Louisa, and Sarah Lennox, great-granddaughters of a king, daughters of a cabin... Read all18th-century England and Ireland viewed through the eyes of four beautiful high-born sisters - Caroline, Emily, Louisa, and Sarah Lennox, great-granddaughters of a king, daughters of a cabinet minister, and wives of politicians and peers.18th-century England and Ireland viewed through the eyes of four beautiful high-born sisters - Caroline, Emily, Louisa, and Sarah Lennox, great-granddaughters of a king, daughters of a cabinet minister, and wives of politicians and peers.

  • Stars
    • Siân Phillips
    • Alun Armstrong
    • Ben Daniels
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    1.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Stars
      • Siân Phillips
      • Alun Armstrong
      • Ben Daniels
    • 20User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 nominations total

    Episodes6

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated1 season1999

    Videos10

    Aristocrats: Vol. 2
    Clip 0:45
    Aristocrats: Vol. 2
    Aristocrats: Vol. 3
    Clip 0:48
    Aristocrats: Vol. 3
    Aristocrats: Vol. 3
    Clip 0:48
    Aristocrats: Vol. 3
    Aristocrats: Vol. 1
    Clip 0:49
    Aristocrats: Vol. 1
    Aristocrats: Episode 2
    Trailer 1:56
    Aristocrats: Episode 2
    Aristocrats: Episode 3
    Trailer 1:50
    Aristocrats: Episode 3
    Aristocrats: Episode 6
    Trailer 1:16
    Aristocrats: Episode 6

    Photos22

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    Top cast83

    Edit
    Siân Phillips
    Siân Phillips
    • Narrator…
    • 1999
    Alun Armstrong
    Alun Armstrong
    • Henry Fox
    • 1999
    Ben Daniels
    Ben Daniels
    • Lord Kildare
    • 1999
    Serena Gordon
    • Lady Caroline
    • 1999
    Anne-Marie Duff
    Anne-Marie Duff
    • Lady Louisa
    • 1999
    Toby Jones
    Toby Jones
    • Ste Fox
    • 1999
    Tom Mullion
    • Thomas Conolly
    • 1999
    Jodhi May
    Jodhi May
    • Lady Sarah
    • 1999
    Geraldine Somerville
    Geraldine Somerville
    • Lady Emily
    • 1999
    Hugh Sachs
    Hugh Sachs
    • Charles James Fox
    • 1999
    Tom Beard
    Tom Beard
    • Charles 3rd Duke of Richmond
    • 1999
    Andrew Fitzsimons
    • Young Edward Fitzgerald…
    • 1999
    Brendan Morrissey
    • Fox's Butler
    • 1999
    Clive Swift
    Clive Swift
    • King George II
    • 1999
    Katherine Wogan
    • Mary 3rd Duchess of Richmond
    • 1999
    George Anton
    • William Ogilvie
    • 1999
    Julian Fellowes
    Julian Fellowes
    • Duke of Richmond
    • 1999
    Jeremy Bulloch
    Jeremy Bulloch
    • Older George Napier
    • 1999
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews20

    7.21.9K
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    Featured reviews

    6mitchmcc

    Confusing

    As another reviewer noted, there are so many children that it is very difficult to keep up with who is who, and this problem increases as the series moves on... Also, although every series that purports to show time passing has to deal with making the actors age, in this one, the oldest daughter looks exactly the same after about 20 years!

    The costumes and settings are certainly BBC-worthy, although as a Yank I could not tell if they are accurate or not.

    The plots are also confusing, but that is party because the English history of that era was pretty complicated, with the factions, and uprisings, etc.
    kirsty_uk

    Mr Fox looks like a toad!

    Sarah describes her sisters.

    Caroline is clever, Emily is like a mother to me, Louisa is an angel and Cecilia is a child. I am a disappointment.

    This is based on a true story and is actually very good viewing. It has six parts, showing the sisters as children and finally as old ladies.

    Apart from Cecilia, all the sisters stories are based around their loves and family.

    Emily is the narrator of the story as it proceeds.

    The costumes and wigs are wonderful and the music is good too. All the sisters give great performances.
    8shiggins-85213

    Downton Abbey Spark?

    Super series for anyone interested in the history of the period of enlightenment. Read the book for a better insight.

    The Second Duke of Richmond is played by Julian Fellows. The format and the music seem so redolent of Downton Abbey. Anyone else see it as a forerunner of Fellow"s Downton?

    I'm surprised Fellows didn't tack a raft of mini series onto The Aristocrats. The Lennox offspring, legitimate and otherwise, weave through much of British and overseas history, which now, sadly, has abruptly ended with Brexit and the demise of an entire nation.
    7jeanmkulski-90125

    A little confusing

    American here who loves all things BBC and ITV, mostly period dramas. This was fair but there were so many brothers and sisters then husbands and wives and then MORE children, eventually I was so confused about who everyone belonged to. As they aged it was worse. I won't spoil anything but there is one original sister who is so darn miserable and I assume it was the intention that her character have ZERO personality. The character became hard to watch. It IS good but I urge you to pay close attention to the original siblings, there's about 10 and they average about 8 children each with all the drama that goes with them and you'll be lost.
    ingemann2000

    Absorbing tale of love & intrigue

    It's some time ago I saw this mini-series, adapted by Tillyard herself and based on her marvellous biography about the Lennox sisters. The biography is one of the best I've ever read, so my expectations were pretty high. Fortunately I was not disappointed. Like in most English literary adaptations all the details, settings and costumes were perfect, and the story about the Lennox sisters have everything you could wish for: love, court intrigue, tragedies etc. It's so absorbing that you almost forget that it isn't fiction, but real people with real and dramatic lives! All the actors were great, especially Jodhi May as the unfortunate Sarah Lennox. If you didn't get enough of the series, then read the biography!

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    Related interests

    Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen in Little Women (2019)
    Period Drama
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Liam Neeson in Schindler's List (1993)
    History

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The gold and jewel encrusted gown worn by Jodhi May (as Lady Sarah) to the court of the newly crowned George III was previously worn by Helen Mirren as Queen Charlotte in The Madness of King George (1994).
    • Goofs
      Clive Swift uses his ordinary English speaking voice to play King George II. This king was noted for his impenetrable German accent.
    • Quotes

      Lady Emily: Is not the act of love... strange? Jimmy says that its frequent use is necessary to a woman's health and happiness.

      Caroline: That's abominably indelicate.

      Lady Emily: He says what he thinks.

      Caroline: I'm sure one sees many mighty comfortable old virgins.

      Lady Emily: Perhaps that is so. But one is awfully glad not to be among them...

    • Connections
      Featured in The Making of 'Aristocrats' (1999)
    • Soundtracks
      The Croppy Boy
      Traditional

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    FAQ17

    • How many seasons does Aristocrats have?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 10, 1999 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • Ireland
      • United States
    • Official site
      • PBS (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • 富貴浮雲
    • Filming locations
      • Carton House, Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland(Carton House)
    • Production companies
      • Bord Scannán na hÉireann / The Irish Film Board
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
      • WGBH
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 50m
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo

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