Decline And Fall. Paul Pennyfeather (Jack Whitehall). Copyright: Tiger Aspect Productions
Decline And Fall

Decline And Fall

  • TV comedy drama
  • BBC One
  • 2017
  • 3 episodes (1 series)

Adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's 1928 novel about a young teacher falling in love with the aristocratic mother of one of his pupils. Also features Jack Whitehall, Eva Longoria, David Suchet, Douglas Hodge, Stephen Graham and more.

  • JustWatch Streaming rank this week: 1,061

Episode menu

Series 1, Episode 2

Decline And Fall. Image shows from L to R: Clutterbuck (Hugo Beazley), Paul Pennyfeather (Jack Whitehall), Dr Fagan (David Suchet), Florence 'Flossie' Fagan (Katy Wix)
Paul Pennyfeather finds himself tutoring the son of Margot Beste-Chetwynde over the school summer holidays. As he tries to act natural among the higher echelons of 1920s society crowding Margot's elegant home, Paul wonders whether the feelings he fosters for the wealthy and alluring widow are returned.

Preview clips

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 7th April 2017
Time
9pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
60 minutes

Cast & crew

Cast
Jack Whitehall Paul Pennyfeather
Eva Longoria Margot Beste-Chetwynde
David Suchet Dr Fagan
Douglas Hodge Captain Grimes
Stephen Graham Philbrick
Vincent Franklin Predergast
Oscar Kennedy Peter Beste-Chetwynde
Gemma Whelan Diane 'Dingy' Fagan
Katy Wix Florence 'Flossie' Fagan
Matthew Beard Arthur Potts
Guest cast
Felix Griffin Pain Tangent
Hugo Beazley Clutterbuck
Tony Guilfoyle Vicar
Anatole Taubman Otto
Hadley Fraser Tom (Reporter)
Katherine Kingsley Pamela Popham
Martyn Ellis Maltravers
Rona Morison Pompilia De La Conradine
Eleri Morgan Jane Jenkins
Adrian Metcalfe Taxi Driver
Writing team
Evelyn Waugh Writer
James Wood Writer (Adapted By)
Rhian Petty Script Editor
Production team
Guillem Morales Director
Matthew Bird Producer
Ben Cavey Executive Producer
Will Gould Executive Producer
James Wood Executive Producer
Shane Allen Executive Producer
Chris Sussman Executive Producer
Frith Tiplady Executive Producer
Joe Randall-Cutler Editor
Kristian Milsted Production Designer
Kate Rhodes James Casting Director
Yves Barre Costume Designer
Tim Fleming Director of Photography
Sallie Adams Make-up Designer
Paul Englishby Composer
Dan Mumford 1st Assistant Director

Video

Why do we need staircases?

Pennyfeather and Otto discuss architecture.

Featuring: Jack Whitehall (Paul Pennyfeather) & Anatole Taubman (Otto).

Press

Evelyn Waugh's picaresque farce continues, as the hapless Paul Pennyfeather (a nicely cast Jack Whitehall) is hired to tutor the son of wealthy socialite widow Margot Beste-Chetwynde (the divine Eva Longoria). Before long, his heart has melted all over her embroidered frock - but there's a love rival in the shape of preposterous German architect Otto ("I love her body as much as concrete"). And is Margot's international cabaret business all it seems.

Ali Catterall, The Guardian, 7th April 2017

This is a gentle comedy, and last week I complained it was rather too gentle. The permanently pale, nervous, baffled expression worn by Jack Whitehall's character, Paul, never changed and, with the rest of the cast being men, men, men (plus some bratty schoolboys), it all seemed too colourless and uniform. It was stuffed with waistcoats, brandy, cigars, school ties and dim light.

Eva Longoria appeared towards the end, all radiant and flirtatious, her arrival offering promise that things might begin to step up a gear and throw off the comedy's dull insistence on the stuffy world of ... men.

And she does improve things. Longoria plays the over-the-top, glamorous and wealthy American widow Margot Beste-Chetwynde, and she has invited nervous Paul to join her noisy world as a tutor. He hopes to win her heart while struggling to fit in with the flighty, fashionable set she associates with. Things remain gentle, even sometimes dull, but at least we have some feminine flapper-style flirtation and pizzazz going on.

Julie McDowall, The National (Scotland), 7th April 2017

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