The Barchester Chronicles Season 1 (1982)
Against the sumptuous background of Peterborough Cathedral and its environs, one is carried into Trollope's world of the intriguing machinations of the clerical establishment of Barchester. Backed by the authenticity of the period detail, the portrayal of all the characters accurately conveys the whole range of human emotions within the stories.
The Barchester Chronicles Season 1 Episodes
Part One
Reverend Septimus Harding is much-loved in Barchester, perhaps the most beloved citizen in the county. In addition to the work at his church, which includes a superb choir, he is also Warden of a local hospital where a group of elderly gentlemen reside and receive a small stipend from the will of a benefactor who died some 400 years ago. Dr John Bold has been tasked to look into this will to determine if its wishes are being correctly applied. He is particularly concerned Harding is in receipt of an annual stipend of £800 per year — a considerable increase in the original amount owing to a vast increase in the value of the property — while its residents receive only 1s6d per day.
Part Two
Eleanor pleads with Bold to stop his attacks on her father. He doesn't see his attack as personal but in fact against the perceived corruption of the Church of England, whose members live in luxury while the poor starve. In the end, he agrees to stop the court action and so informs Archdeacon Grantly, Harding's son-in-law. Eleanor and John agree to be married. It's not all that simple for Harding, however, as he's greatly disturbed by the accusations against him and travels to London to speak to the Church's solicitor, Sir Abraham Haphazard. Although the suit is dropped, he asks counsel if it's also a moral victory. When Haphazard says he's unable to speak to morality, Harding decides to resign as Warden.
