The Many Faces of...

Episode Synopsis

Documentary tracing the career of Dame Judi Dench using excerpts from performances and interviews with friends and colleagues. The programme shows very early recordings of Dame Judi performing Shakespeare and her first television appearance in Z Cars. We see performances in classic 60s dramas, 'Talking to a Stranger' and 'Four in the Morning' then show how she became a television sitcom star in 'A Fine Romance' and 'As Time Goes By'. Her sense of humour is illustrated by rarely seen outtakes from the shows. Dame Judi's career enjoyed a late flourish when three films propelled her into the international spotlight 'Goldeneye', 'Mrs Brown' and 'Shakespeare in Love' reinvented her as a film star and earned her an Oscar. Among many colleagues, the programme features Sir Michael Parkinson, Geoffrey Palmer and Simon Callow.