Monarch of the Glen
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Monarch of the Glen |
 | |
| Country of production | UK |
| original language | English (Scottish accent) |
| Year (s) | 1999 to 2005 inclusive |
| length | 50 minutes (seasons 1 - 3) approx. 60 minutes (seasons 4 - 7) minutes |
| Episodes | 64 (including Hogmanay) in 7 seasons |
| genre | TV movie / comedy |
| idea | Michael Chaplin |
| production | Nick Pitt Paddy Higson Jeremy Gwilt Stephen Garwood Rob Bullock |
| music | Simon Brint |
| First broadcast |
February 27, 2000 (UK) on BBC One (UK) BBC Prime (D) |
| occupation | |
|
Alastair Mackenzie | |
Monarch of the Glen is a British television series from 1999 that was produced by Ecosse Films for BBC Scotland until 2005. The series was never dubbed for the German audience and until 2009 could only be received in Germany on the English-language television channel BBC Prime .
background
The series was penned by Michael Chaplin and produced by Nick Pitt, Paddy Higson, Jeremy Gwilt, Stephen Garwood and Rob Bullock. The first season of the series was shown on BBC One in February 2000 and the final season aired from September 2005 to October 2005. There are 64 episodes in total.
Monarch of the Glen is based on the novels by Compton Mackenzie , which are summarized under the title Highland Novels . Although the novels refer to life in Scotland in the 1930s and 1940s, the narratives have been adapted to the early 21st century to make the series more current. The first book of the novels is called The Monarch of the Glen , referring to a famous painting by Edwin Landseer of a deer.
Again and again criticism of the handling of the literary model of the series was loud, especially since Compton Mackenzie was one of the co-founders of the Scottish National Party and made fun of the English-influenced Scottish nobility in his novels.
History of the series
Monarch of the Glen first aired on BBC One in the UK . The series became particularly well known in Australia , Belgium , Dubai , France , Hong Kong , Canada , the Netherlands , New Zealand , Norway , Sweden , the United States and Vietnam . In Germany so far only the original version has been shown by BBC Prime - there is currently no German dubbing of Monarch of the Glen . On October 23, 2005 the series was discontinued after a drop in ratings during the fifth season with the end of the seventh season. The information in the following table relates to the first broadcast.
| Season | Number of episodes | Length of episodes | Beginning of the season | End of the season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8th | 50 minutes | February 27, 2000 | April 16, 2000 |
| 2 | 8th | 50 minutes | January 7, 2001 | February 25, 2001 |
| 3 | 11 | 50 minutes | October 28, 2001 | January 20, 2002 |
| 4th | 10 | 60 minutes | September 1, 2002 | November 3, 2002 |
| 5 | 10 | 60 minutes | September 28, 2003 | November 30, 2003 |
| Hogmanay * | 1 | 60 minutes | December 28, 2003 | December 28, 2003 |
| 6th | 10 | 60 minutes | September 19, 2004 | November 21, 2004 |
| 7th | 6th | 60 minutes | September 18, 2005 | October 23, 2005 |
* No separate season, but a special episode that was broadcast for the Scottish Hogmanayfest and cannot be assigned to any of the seasons.
Filming of each season in the Scottish Highlands took anywhere from six to eight months. The original locations are now known as Monarch Country and are in the Badenoch and Strathspey regions.
| Name in the series | Right name |
|---|---|
| Glenbogle House | Ardverikie Estate |
| Kilwillie Castle | Balavil House |
| Glenbogle Station | Broomhill Station |
content
First season
Archie MacDonald, owner of a London restaurant , returns to his home town of Glenbogle after an accident involving his father, Hector MacDonald. There he learns that his parents' property is completely in debt and that he himself is the new laird of Glenbogle. Despite his concerns and some quarrels with his girlfriend Justine, Archie remains at Glenbogle to reorganize the finances of the estate. The task of saving Glenbogle from ruin is made particularly difficult by Archie's childhood friend Katrina, who wants to defend the rights of Glenbogle employees and residents with all her might. Even the direct employees of Glenbogle House - Lexie, Golly and Duncan - are initially not enthusiastic about the new Laird. At the moment when Archie and Katrina develop feelings for each other, Archie's friend Justine shows up in Glenbogle.
Second season
After Archie breaks up with Justine, Archie realizes where he wants to spend his future - in Glenbogle. His task is still to save the place and the property from ruin and to create a secure future for everyone. Hector MacDonald, on the other hand, cannot really accept that Archie is now Laird of Glenbogle and repeatedly interferes in Archie's affairs. The bank's threat to stop supporting Glenbogle and to collect all debts puts Archie to the test again. A new head ranger for the property must also be found and Archie's mother Molly relieved of her gambling addiction.
Third season
Glenbogle is on the verge of bankruptcy and can no longer be released from debt on its own. The house bank of the MacDonalds therefore sends the financial advisor Stella Moon to Glenbogle, but she turns out to be extremely stubborn. Archie separates from Katrina and now tries his luck with Lexie. Molly feels more and more neglected by Hector, since Hector only goes out with his neighbor and friend Kilwillie. Golly, the ghillie from Glenbogle, and his daughter make up. But the idyll of the Scottish highlands is suddenly destroyed when Hector is killed in a fatal accident involving explosives.
Fourth season
First broadcast in Germany in the original English version in spring 2005, on Fridays at 9:00 p.m. CEST (BBC Prime)
Molly returns to Glenbogle after Hector's death. Archie and Lexie have grown closer in the meantime and are getting married. Molly finds a good friend in Andrew, a new neighbor. Duncan also finds a new love - the new housekeeper Irene. However, after it is discovered that she is pregnant from her ex-boyfriend, Irene leaves Glenbogle, leaving Duncan disappointed. The MacDonald family is not spared from further problems. It turns out that Hector had an illegitimate son named Paul.
Fifth season
First broadcast in Germany in the original English version from February 23, 2007 - April 27, 2007, on Fridays at 9:00 p.m. CEST (BBC Prime)
Archie did it - Glenbogle is debt free. But the next catastrophe is not long in coming: a bomb from the Second World War explodes in the basement of Glenbogle House. Paul also returns and makes Archie an offer to start a climbing school. However, Paul does not count on the rejection of the villagers, with whom he has to deal. Molly is unsure of her feelings for Andrew, Golly's daughter Jess comes to Glenbogle to live with her father for good, and Duncan finds a new friend in Kilwillie's niece Hermione. Archie eventually leaves Glenbogle to go mountain climbing with his sister Lizzie.
Hogmanay
Omitted in the original English version when it was first broadcast in Germany; Broadcast according to information from BBC Prime is currently not planned
Paul dreams of his great grandfather and wants to find out more about his roots. At this time, Lexie also learns that Archie would like to hand over his duties as Laird from Glenbogle to Paul. Duncan, who has now got together with Golly's daughter Jess, plays pranks on a ghost hunter. Jess, however, is jealous because she suspects Duncan of having an affair with the ghost hunter's daughter. Devastated by Archie's decision to move to New Zealand, Molly takes out her anger on Paul.
Sixth season
First broadcast in Germany in the original English version from May 4, 2007 - July 6, 2007, on Fridays at 9:00 p.m. CEST (BBC Prime)
Paul becomes Laird of Glenbogle after Archie and Lexie leave for New Zealand. Lexie returns to Glenbogle after a short time and Paul falls in love with her. Golly also falls in love, namely with the dance teacher Meg, but doubts whether he is too old for a relationship. Duncan leaves Glenbogle and Jess now has to find his way without Duncan. Paul doesn't really know who he really loves either.
Seventh season
Broadcasting in Germany is currently not planned, according to BBC Prime
The MacDonald family is shaken more and more and more problems arise. In the end, Paul has to admit that he failed as a laird because Glenbogle is again in debt and has to be put up for sale. Molly doesn't really know whether to marry Golly or Kilwillie and asks Hector, who suddenly appears to her as a ghost.
actor
main actor
This list shows the main characters of the series, who were named as such in the opening credits.
| actor | role | Season | Return to the series | Number of episodes (from 64) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Briers | Hector Naismith MacDonald | First to third season | Seventh season | 28 |
| Susan Hampshire | Molly MacDonald | First through seventh seasons | 60 | |
| Alastair Mackenzie | Archibald "Archie" Horatio Hector MacDonald | First through fifth season | 43 | |
| Lorraine Pilkington | Katrina Finlay | First to third season | Fourth season | 18th |
| Alexander Morton | "Golly" MacKenzie | First through seventh seasons | 64 | |
| Dawn Steele | Alexandra "Lexie" MacDonald (before marriage: McTavish) | First through sixth seasons | 51 | |
| Hamish Clark | Duncan McKay | First through sixth seasons | Seventh season | 51 |
| Julian Fellowes | Lord Angus Errol Sharon Kilwillie | First through fifth season | Seventh season | 24 |
| Lloyd Owen | Paul Bowman-MacDonald | Fourth through seventh seasons | 29 | |
| Simone Lahbib | Isobel Anderson | Sixth season | 10 | |
| Martin Compston | Ewan Brodie | Fifth through seventh seasons | 20th | |
| Rae Hendrie | Jessica "Jess" MacKenzie | Third season | Fifth through seventh seasons | 26th |
| Tom Baker | Donald Ulysses MacDonald | Sixth through seventh seasons | 12 | |
| Kirsty Mitchell | Iona McLean | Seventh season | 7th | |
| Kellyanne Farquhar | Amy McDougal | Seventh season | 5 |
supporting cast
The following is a list of supporting actors who played three or more episodes about the same role in Monarch of the Glen , but were not named in the opening credits.
| actor | role | Season | Number of episodes (from 64) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Wilson-Jones | Justine | First and second season | 6th |
| Carole Cassidy | Maureen MacLean | First and second season | 4th |
| Simon Slater | Lancelot Fleming | First and second season | 3 |
| Paul Goodwin | Alan Smythe | First season | 4th |
| Jason O'Mara | Fergal MacClure | Second season | 6th |
| Alexandra Gilbreath | Stella Moon | Third season | 9 |
| Jenny Lee | Aunty Elizabeth "Liz" Logan | Third to fifth season | 4th |
| Gavin Mitchell | PC Callum McIntyre | Third, fifth and sixth seasons | 8th |
| Rebecca Lacey | Irene Stuart | Fourth season | 8th |
| Angus Lennie | Hamish "Badger" | Fourth and fifth seasons | 4th |
| Paul Freeman | Andrew Booth | Fourth and fifth seasons | 11 |
| Richenda Carey | Lady Dorothy Trumpington-Bonnet | Fifth season | 5 |
| Hermione Gulliford | Hermione Trumpington Bonnet | Fifth season | 4th |
| John Yule | Dougal Raeburn | Fifth and sixth seasons | 3 |
| Sara Stewart | Amanda MacLeish | Fifth season | 3 |
| Kari Corbett | Zoë | Sixth and seventh seasons | 6th |
| Donald Douglas | Dr. Gordon McKendrick | Sixth and seventh seasons | 3 |
| Karen Westwood | Meg Paterson | Sixth season | 5 |
| Lucy Akhurst | Lucy Ford | Sixth season | 4th |
| Anthony Head | Chester Grant | Sixth season | 4th |
| Rhianna and Katelyn Duff | Cameron MacKenzie | Seventh season | 5 |
| Antony Strachan | Frank | Seventh season | 4th |
Guest actor
Next up are some of the more famous guest actors who appear in an episode or two of Monarch of the Glen . The name of the role is given in brackets.
Abigail Cruttenden (Lizzie MacDonald - first actress in this role) , Julia Haworth (Janice) , Phillip Whitchurch (Mr. Brown) , Serena Gordon (Mary) , Phil McCall (Tosh McKellen) , Sam Graham (Reverend Mitchell) , Benjamin Whitrow (Terry "Toad" McLean) , Olga Sosnovska (Marie-Helene) , James Murray (Jeff Ramsden) , Phyllida Law (Professor Isobel Hogg) , Leslie Phillips (Louis Grimshaw) , Charles Edwards (David Fraser) , Hugh Ross (Greg MacDonald) , Saskia Wickham (Lizzie MacDonald - third actress in this role) , Robin Hooper (Ian Body) , Steven Elder (Alex Faversham) , Robert Fyfe (Jackie McIntyre) , James Fleet (Phillip Liel "Liam" Forester) , Michael Cochrane (Colonel Ford) , Matthew Marsh (Viktor Zinchenko) , Ruth Millar (Catriona Zinchenko) , Clive Russell (Peter Finlay) .
The series on DVD
Monarch of the Glen was only released on DVD for the United Kingdom (region code 2) and for the USA (region code 1). The first, second and seventh seasons each consist of one box, while the third, fourth, fifth and sixth seasons are divided into two boxes. Each of these boxes contains two DVDs and was produced by Acorn Media. In 2006, however, the BBC itself brought out a box with all the seasons of the series, with all episodes distributed on 22 DVDs.
The DVDs, produced by Acorn Media, include an interview with Susan Hampshire , photo galleries, production dates and filmography. The box published by the BBC only contains a so-called “making of” the series, which was broadcast by BBC Scotland on October 23, 2005 under the title The Last Monarch .
Season |
Published on
|
||
|
Region code 2
|
Region code 1
|
||
| First season | December 27, 2002 | September 16, 2003 | |
| Second season | May 5, 2003 | May 4, 2004 | |
| Third season | November 6, 2003 | May 17, 2005 | |
| Fourth season | December 29, 2003 | May 16, 2006 | |
| Fifth season | December 27, 2004 | October 24, 2006 | |
| Sixth season | October 10, 2005 | May 15, 2007 | |
| Seventh season | April 3, 2006 | October 23, 2007 | |
| First through seventh seasons | October 24, 2006 | October 23, 2007 | |
Note: The region code 2 also applies to Germany. Therefore, DVDs of the series imported from Great Britain can also be played on German DVD players.
Web links
- Monarch of the Glen on bbc.co.uk (English)
- Monarch of the Glen in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Monarch Country (English)