Mr Selfridge writer Andrew Davies has adapted Leo Tolstoy’s 1869 literary masterpiece War and Peace for BBC One.
Directed by Tom Harper (Peaky Blinders), the six-part series stars Lily James (Downton Abbey) as Natasha Rostova, James Norton (Grantchester) as Prince Andrei Bolkonsky and Paul Dano (12 Years A Slave) as Pierre Bezukhov.
The cast also includes Stephen Rea (An Honourable Woman) as Prince Vassily Kuragin, Ade Edmondson (Blood) and Greta Scacchi (Brideshead Revisited) as Count and Countess Rostov, Jack Lowden (The Passing Bells) as Nikolai Rostov, Tom Burke (The Musketeers) as Dolokhov, Jim Broadbent (Harry Potter) as Prince Bolkonsky, Gillian Anderson (The Fall) as Anna Pavlovna, Rebecca Front (The Thick Of It) as Anna Mikhailovna, Kenneth Cranham (In The Flesh) as Uncle Mikhail and Aisling Loftus (Mr Selfridge) as Sonya.
> Buy War and Peace on DVD on Amazon.
> Buy War and Peace on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Episode 1
Sunday 10 January 2016, 9pm
1805. As Russia declares war on Napoleon Bonaparte’s French army, the lives of three young people are about to change forever.
Pierre Bezukhov is a lost soul, out of place in St Petersburg society as the illegitimate son of a wealthy count who is now close to death. His dearest friend, Andrei Bolkonsky, is a brilliant man, but equally unhappy and eager for the challenge of war.
Meanwhile, in Moscow, spirited teenager Natasha Rostova is desperate to experience life and love.
Episode 2
Sunday 10 January 2016, 9pm
Andrei and Nikolai have survived their first encounter with the French, but a new and more terrible battle looms on the horizon.
At home in Russia, Pierre struggles to settle into married life with Helene, while Natasha and Sonya are excited to hear news from the front line. At Prince Bolkonsky’s remote country estate, a visit from Prince Vassily and Anatole results in an interesting proposal for Marya.
Episode 3
Sunday 17 January 2016, 9pm
Pierre fights a duel that sends his life in a surprising new direction.
At the Rostov house, Natasha and Sonya receive unexpected proposals – and Nikolai makes a mistake with disastrous consequences for his family. Helene goes back into society and takes a new lover. Meanwhile, Andrei is depressed and shuts himself away, until a chance encounter offers him a second shot at happiness.
Episode 4
Sunday 24 January 2016, 9pm
Natasha agrees to a long engagement, but struggles with Andrei’s absence when temptation crosses her path.
Countess Rostova and Anna Mikhailovna try to steer their sons towards wealthy young heiresses, although Nikolai and Boris have plans of their own.Marya is upset when her father’s behaviour takes a cruel turn.
Meanwhile, Pierre is unhappy in his marriage to Helene and frustrated by his inability to find purpose in his life.
Episode 5
Sunday 31 January 2016, 9pm
Napoleon invades Russia and preparations begin for another great battle against him.
As the French army marches east, Marya is terrified to discover that her family is in danger and her father is refusing to listen.
Natasha falls ill and Pierre helps care for her before making a decision that opens his eyes to the horrors of war. Andrei finds he cannot forgive Natasha, and vows to take revenge on his rival. Meanwhile, Helene struggles to manage a compromising situation.
Episode 6
Sunday 7 February 2016, 9pm
As the French army marches into Moscow, chaos descends on the city.
The Rostovs are forced to flee. Natasha is shocked by an unexpected fellow traveller while Sonya is asked to make a huge sacrifice for her family.
Traumatised by his experience of battle, Pierre resolves to stay behind and stop Napoleon himself. In the process, he meets a stranger who changes his outlook on life forever.
> Buy War and Peace on DVD on Amazon.
> Buy War and Peace on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Watch the trailer…
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