About this season
Biography of William Shakespeare.
Episodes (6)
1. Dead Shepherd
Aired 13 June 1978 • 60 min
In which Will progresses from ostler to cockerel to ghostwriter - to London's premier playwright as Kit Marlowe falls from grace.
2. Alms for Oblivion
Aired 20 June 1978 • 60 min
Will's new troupe of actors arrive in a plague-ridden London and perform Richard III to great acclaim, but a death in the family jeopardises all. A handsome rogue is not what he seems, luckily for Will.
3. Of Comfort and Despair
Aired 27 June 1978 • 60 min
Plague over, life returns to normal in London and the theatres reopen. The inconstancy of a dark mistress and the jealousy of an Earl conspire to enlarge Will's understanding of human nature.
4. The Loved Boy
Aired 4 July 1978 • 60 min
Will's taking his son to London to introduce him to life and get to know him proves to be a mixed blessing with a tragic ending.
5. Rebellion's Masterpiece
Aired 11 July 1978 • 60 min
In the wake of Essex's failure to tame the Irish rebels, the actors' brush with politics has catastrophic consequences.
6. The Living Record
Aired 18 July 1978 • 60 min
While Will pleads with the dying Queen for suicidal Hal's life, his poems are stolen, printed and distributed without his permission, setting in motion a chain of events that could prove disastrous.