Peter Davison - Denis Thatcher

Peter Davison was back on our screens in the UK this week, playing Denis Thatcher in 'The Queen', a docu-drama on Channel 4. (Tuesday 01 December, 9:00pm - 10:00pm)

3/5

The conflict between the two most powerful women in Britain in the 1980s is the subject of the third film in this week's docudrama series. The Queen and Margaret Thatcher were long rumoured to have had a strained relationship (although who's to say whether Prince Philip really did refer to the PM as "that bloody grocer's daughter"?). But it became public currency when The Sunday Times ran a front-page story that claimed the Queen thought Thatcher's regime "uncaring and divisive". Not only that, but as head of the Commonwealth the Queen wanted Britain to fall into line over imposing economic sanctions against apartheid South Africa, something Thatcher refused to do. Susan Jameson as the Queen and Lesley Manville as the PM have a whale of a time politely sniping at each other. And if the lines between reality and fiction do get blurred (was there really an evening when a heartless Thatcher giggled over Yes Prime Minister while the Queen wept before news footage of riots in South Africa?), it's an enjoyable watch. Part four is tomorrow at 9pm.*

* Radio Times reviewer - Jane Rackham

Cast
The Queen - Susan Jameson
Mrs Thatcher - Lesley Manville
Prince Philip - Clive Francis
Denis Thatcher - Peter Davison
Michael Heseltine - Roger Alborough
Bernard Ingham - Paul Clayton
Michael Shea - Michael Maloney
Nigel Wicks - Simon Shackleton

Directed by: Patrick Reams

Missed it? Here is the link:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-queen/4od