Sir Francis Drake (TV series)


Sir Francis Drake is a 1961–1962 British adventure television series starring Terence Morgan as Sir Francis Drake, commander of the sailing ship the Golden Hind. As well as battles at sea and sword fights, the series also deals with intrigue at Queen Elizabeth's court.

Production

The series was a joint ABC/ATV production, made at Elstree Studios and on historical sites in England.
A replica of the Golden Hind was constructed at a cost of £25,000 and was used for filming in and around the bays of Torbay and Dartmouth. In 1963 the ship was permanently moored in Brixham harbour in Devon where it became a tourist attraction. The ship was destroyed in a storm in 1987, after which it was towed to Dartmouth and replaced with the current replica.

Additional production staff

Historical research was provided by E. Hayter Preston. Beatrice Dawson designed the many period costumes worn in the show. Ian Stuart Black was story editor. The fight scenes were arranged by Peter Diamond, who also appeared in four episodes.

Broadcast history

The series was originally shown on UK network ATV from 12 November 1961, until 20 May 1962. It later aired in the US on NBC from 24 June 1962, to 9 September 1962 as a summer replacement for Car 54, Where Are You?. In 2020, it began being broadcast on Talking Pictures TV.

Cast and characters

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DVD release

The complete series is out on DVD and includes a still showing Terence Morgan as Sir Francis Drake playing bowls, alluding to the famous incident when the Spanish Armada was sighted.