Lost Empires
Lost Empires is a 1986 television adaptation of J. B. Priestleys novel of the same name, and starred Colin Firth, John Castle and Laurence Olivier. Produced by Granada Television, it was shown as a serial, and premiered on the UKs ITV network in October and November 1986.
During the course of the seven episodes eight hours, Firths character, young Richard Herncastle, sees the whole wide world from backstage at the music hall variety shows with which the magic act travels, just as his uncle Nick John Castle has promisedhilarity, beauty, love, lust, fear, despair. Richard comes of age just as the world enters the fateful year of 1914the outbreak of World War I, when the greatest of all disappearing acts becomes imminent the disappearance of millions.The series has the second to last appearance of Olivier as a fading comedian named Harry Burrard, who has long since lost his audience and his comic abilities. Harry should have retired years before, however he has nowhere else to go and his brain is collapsing into paranoia. The role is a sort of older version of Oliviers Archie Rice, from The Entertainer 1960. ........
Source: Wikipedia
