TV Show70%

First Among Equals

Drama

A ten-part serial based on Jeffrey Archer's 1984 novel of the same name, which follows the careers and personal lives of a quartet of fictional Parliament members from 1964 to 1991, with each vying to become Prime Minister.

Sep 30, 19861 seasons10 episodesEndedEN

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Tom Wilkinson

Raymond Gould

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James Faulkner

Simon Kerslake

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David Robb

Andrew Fraser

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Jeremy Child

Charles Seymour

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Joanna David

Elizabeth Kerslake

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Jane Booker

Fiona Seymour

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Clive Swift

Alec Pimkin

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Seasons

Miniseries

10 episodes

Premiered Sep 30, 1986

Episodes

1–6 of 10

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Ep 1

Episode 1

Sep 30, 1986

51m

Four newly elected MPs take their seats in the government: Andrew Fraser, Scottish Labour member, whose father was a Conservative MP; Raymond Gould, middle-class lawyer and Labour representative; Charles Seymour, wealthy Conservative with a chip on his shoulder; and Simon Kerslake, ambitious Tory and longstanding Seymour rival.

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Ep 2

Episode 2

Oct 7, 1986

51m

The Labour party retains power after the general election, and the MPs are promoted. However, private turmoil disrupts three of them. Seymour is arrested for drunk driving, Gould engages a prostitute with potentially ruinous results, and Fraser and his wife endure personal heartbreak.

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Ep 3

Episode 3

Oct 14, 1986

48m

Gould puts his career on the line when he insists the government will not devalue the pound. Kerslake confronts Gould about the economic rumors and gets offered a post that rankles Seymour, who, in turn, is invited to become a Whip but would need to give up his privileged bank job.

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Ep 4

Episode 4

Oct 21, 1986

50m

Kerslake is appointed to a high position in the new Conservative government, but changing boundary divisions imperil his seat. Seymour does everything within his power to ensure Kerslake loses his place, while further advancing his own interests.

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Ep 5

Episode 5

Oct 28, 1986

49m

The MPs face shifting personal and political climates. Seymour ruthlessly bargains for a spot on the board of his family's bank while also repairing his marriage. With the government changeover, Kerslake, nearing bankruptcy, must leave Westminster; Fraser battles Scottish nationalists for his seat; and Gould becomes a member of the Queen's Counsel but alienates his wife.

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Ep 6

Episode 6

Nov 4, 1986

51m

The Labour party wins the general, and Kerslake accepts an offer to be the opposition's minister for education. However, Seymour plots financial ruin on the Kerslakes. Gould and Fraser also receive ministerial appointments, but the latter soon suffers a devastating loss.

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