Aristocrats (TV series)
A 1999 BBC miniseries about the Lennox sisters.
The 1999 miniseries *Aristocrats* follows the lives of the four Lennox sisters, members of the 18th-century English aristocracy, and is adapted from Stella Tillyard’s biography. It ran for six episodes, each 50 minutes long, and premiered on BBC in the United Kingdom on 20 June 1999. The production was a joint effort between the UK, the United States, and Ireland. A key filming location was Carton House in County Kildare, Ireland, where two of the sisters were raised by another sister following their father’s death. The episodes aired weekly: episode one on 20 June, episode two on 27 June, episode three on 4 July, episode four on 11 July, episode five on 18 July, and episode six on 25 July 1999. The series earned two nominations at the 1999 Irish Film and Television Awards, for Best Craft Contribution and Best Television Drama, as well as two nominations from the Royal Television Society, for Best Costume Design and Best Make Up. A DVD box set containing all six episodes on three discs was released on 8 August 2006.
- Type
- Television series
- Genre
- Historical drama
- Episodes
- 6
- Episode length
- 50 minutes
- First broadcast
- 20 June 1999
- Network
- BBC
- Based on
- Biography by Stella Tillyard
Lore & Background
The series focuses on the four Lennox sisters, aristocratic women in 18th century England. Carton House in County Kildare in Ireland was a major location, where two of the sisters had been brought up by another sister after the death of their father. The series was a co-production between the United Kingdom, the United States, and Ireland.
Reader's Guide
Aristocrats provides a dramatized account of the lives of the Lennox sisters, based on Stella Tillyard's biography. The series was nominated in 1999 for two awards by the Irish Film and Television Awards, for 'Best Craft Contribution' and 'Best Television Drama.' It also received two nominations from the Royal Television Society, for 'Best Costume Design' and 'Best Make Up.' The miniseries was released on DVD in a boxset on 8 August 2006, containing three discs with all six episodes. Its significance lies in bringing the story of these historical figures to a television audience, supported by a co-production effort across three countries.
Did You Know?
- The series was first broadcast on BBC starting 20 June 1999.
- Carton House in County Kildare, Ireland, was a major filming location.
- Two of the sisters were brought up at Carton House by another sister after their father's death.
- The DVD boxset was released on 8 August 2006.
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