Casanova (1971 television)

Casanova
Created by	Dennis Potter
Directed by	John Glenister (episodes 1,2 and 4) and Mark Cullingham (episodes 3, 5 and 6)
Starring	Frank Finlay Norman Rossington Zienia Merton
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of episodes	6
Production
Producer(s)	Mark Shivas
Running time	326 minutes
Release
Original network	BBC2
Original release	16 November - 21 December 1971

Casanova is a British television drama serial, written by television playwright Dennis Potter. Directed by Mark Cullingham and John Glenister, the serial was made by the BBC and screened on the BBC2 network in November and December 1971. It is loosely based on Italian adventurer Giacomo Casanova's Histoire de ma vie (Story of My Life; 1780–92). It was Dennis Potter's first television serial, having previously written single plays for the BBC's The Wednesday Play and Play for Today series. Frank Finlay starred in the title role and was nominated for the best actor award at the 1972 BAFTA ceremony.

After being arrested and charged with "foul atheism" and fornication, Casanova is sentenced to five years imprisonment at "The Leads": the most notorious of Venetian gaols. Brutalised by Lorenzo the gaoler and devoid of hope under the harsh prison regime, Casanova's mind wanders back to his past loves and adventures. He finds himself haunted by the memory of Christina, a simple country girl he gave to another rather than marry her himself.

Casanova receives a new cellmate in the form of Schalon, a corrupt insurance broker, and reflects on his seduction of three daughters at a house in Grenoble.

Casanova is irritated by his constantly complaining cell mate Schalon and remembers how he once pretended to be a magician casting a spell to seduce the virgin daughter of an old naive man.

The episode flashes back and forward between Casanova trying to seduce Anne Roman-Coupier, even though his friend strongly discourages this, and him trying to receive some books while being in prison. He is also haunted by memories of watching a man being executed and him smashing a window with a stone in Venice.

While in his prison cell, Casanova is tormented by fever dreams and flashbacks to his past loves and especially his stay in London.

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