The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a 1996 British television serial adaptation of Anne Brontë's 1848 novel of the same name, produced by BBC and directed by Mike Barker. The serial stars Tara Fitzgerald as Helen Graham, Rupert Graves as her abusive husband Arthur Huntington and Toby Stephens as Gilbert Markham. The first two parts aired in the United Kingdom on 17 November 1996, and the third on 24 November.
Plot summary
A mysterious young woman arrives at Wildfell Hall, an old house of the Elizabethan era, with a young son. She determines to lead an independent existence, but her new neighbours do not want to leave her alone. Only one of them, a young farmer, Gilbert Markham, succeeds in finding her secrets.
Cast
Toby Stephens - Gilbert Markham
Tara Fitzgerald - Helen Graham
Rupert Graves - Arthur Huntington
Sarah Badel - Rachel
Jackson Leach - Master Arthur Huntington
Sean Gallagher - Walter Hargrave
Jonathan Cake - Ralph Hattersley
Joe Absolom - Fergus Markham
Kenneth Cranham - Reverend Millward
Pam Ferris - Mrs. Markham
Cathy Murphy - Miss Myers
Paloma Baeza - Rose Markham
Aran Bell - Richard Wilson
Miranda Pleasence - Eliza Millward
James Purefoy - Frederick Lawrence
Kim Durham - Benson
Dominic Rowan - Lord Lowborough
Beatie Edney - Annabella Wilmot, Lady Lowborough
Janet Dale - Mrs. Wilson
Susannah Wise - Millicent Hargrave
Karen Westwood - Jane Wilson
Episodes
Reception
It was hoped by the BBC that the serial would be as popular as the recent production of Pride and Prejudice, which had aired a year earlier. Indeed, some effort was put forward to promote a re-evaluation of Anne Brontë, with the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth creating an exhibition of costumes from the series. Ultimately, the series did not match the success of this prior series, although it received award nominations for costume and production design. It was also aired in over twenty countries, and earned the BBC a total of £317,441.