"Nothing lasts forever. Even the longest, the most glittering reign must come to an end some day" - Francis Urquhart

Political dramas such as A Very British Coup and, later, G.B.H, had seen a radical shift in the tone and content of such programmes. Whereas politics was once depicted as a revered forum on British Television, the 1980s and 1990s saw a sea change in storytelling in which writers portrayed extreme depictions of Great Britain, governed by left-wing Labour parties determined to restore the health and education systems (savaged, ravaged and neglected under the Thatcher government) and Conservative parties determined to pander to the needs and desires of corporate enterprises at the expense of the under privileged (a survival of the fittest theme prevailing throughout).

However, whilst these productions were hard-hitting and incisive examinations of contemporary Britain (or an alternative to the current government), these programmes paled into insignificance with the arrival of an adaptation of former Thatcher aide Michael Dobb's novel House Of Cards on BBC Television in 1990.

It would not be overstating the case to proclaim this four-part series as a masterpiece which ranks amongst the august company of Cathy Come Home, Pennies From Heaven, Churchill And The Generals and Suez 1956. Andrew Davies (who had previously emerged as a writer of quality, sardonic, witty and immensely entertaining drama with BBC-2's highly-successful A Very Peculiar Practice) adapted Dobb's novel in four parts, scripting a Machiavellian tale of the struggle for and acquisition of power, the workings of the political machine and the innocent parties crushed underfoot in the dirty games played out in the forum of the House of Commons. Ian Richardson was cast as the devious Chief Whip, Francis Urquhart, who would transform throughout the series from a mere backroom figure to emerge as the Prime Minister of Great Britain. In a technique normally reserved for Shakespearean productions, Urquhart confided in the audience with Machiavellian asides in which he verbalized his thoughts, desires, ambitions and schemes. Matched beautifully by Richardson's purring tone, Urquhart became a sinister yet indomitable force which seduced audiences into empathizing with and urging on the Urquhart character to ascend to the summit of power.

His efforts to destabilize the weak Conservative leader, Henry Collingridge, whilst appearing as a close political colleague, his manipulation of the secrets known only the Chief Whip to muster support for himself in a covert rise to the top, his manouevring and seduction of naïve journalist Mattie Storin (Susannah Harker) and his elimination of leadership rivals made for gripping television, delicately laced with a nice line in black humour (and underpinned by a magnificent musical score by Jim Parker, who received a coveted BAFTA for his efforts are the second instalment in the Urquhart trilogy) were all prominent features of the production, as was the delightful use of a rat motif, as Urquhart tinkered and manipulated behind the scenes..

Diane Fletcher appeared as his wife, Elizabeth, a constant source of support and yet as equally manipulative as her husband, whilst Colin Jeavons starred as Tim Stamper, the weasel-like aide to Urquhart in his capacity as Chief Whip. Remarkably, the adaption of House Of Cards differs considerably to that which Michael Dobbs penned in his novel. The culmination of the programme, with Francis Urquhart admitting his part in the death of Roger O'Neill (Miles Anderson) and the destruction of Collingridge to Mattie Storin, followed by his throwing the journalist from the roof of the House of Commons to her death, differed radically from Dobb's book (in which Urquhart plummeted to his death) and yet succeeded in consolidating the representation of Urquhart as an unbeaten and unbowed political force of nature (perhaps aptly summed up in a classic Urquhart monologue during the third and final stage of the trilogy, The Final Cut). In a scheduler's dream, the series had been transmitted during the 1990 Tory leadership election, and perhaps formed an art-imitating-life situation, as events unfolded at Downing Street amidst cries of "You might very well think that, I couldn't possibly comment", an Urqhuart parlance which has since become House of Commons phraseology.

The series was an astounding success for BBC Television (despite the finished product being at variance with the sympathetic Tory tone of Dobb's original novel), and, sure enough, Urquhart would resurface three years later to lock horns with the King. House Of Cards received a Region 1 DVD released in 2003, with many additional scenes restored to the production after BBC Worldwide's edited version was released on VHS during the 1990s. This cult series has yet to be released in the country of its origin, despite the desire of its fan base to once again enjoy this superb series.

Characters	Portrayed By
Francis Urqhart	Ian Richardson
Mattie Storin	Susannah Harker
Elizabeth Urqhart	Diana Fletcher
Roger O'Neill	Miles Anderson
Guy Penny	Alphonsia Emmanuel
Tim Stamper	Colin Jeavons
Patrick Woolton	Malcolm Tierney
Benjamin Landless	Kenny Ireland
Charles Collingridge	James Villiers
Lord Billsborough	Nicholas Selby
Michael Samuels	Damien Thomas
John Krajewski	William Chubb
Sir Greville Preston	John Hartley
McKenzie	Christopher Owen
Harold Earle	Kenneth Gilbert
Anne Collingridge	Isabelle Amyes
Stoat	Raymond Mass
Stephen Kendrick	Tommy Boyle
Sir Jasper Grainger	John Arnatt
Newsreader	Angela Rippon
Presenter	Robert Ashby
Treasurer	Frank Williams
Biggman	Jeff Nuttall
Charles Goodman	David Blake Kelly
Junior Health Minister	Sally Faulkner
The Speaker	Colin Dudley
Secretary	Henrietta Voigts
Jhabwala	Tariq Yunus
Blackhead	Gertan Klauber
Bank Manager	Nadim Sawalha
Police Constable	Michael Tomlinson
Commissionaire	Alex Leppard
Political Secretary	Delaval Ashley
Political Secretary	Peter Gales
Interviewer	Geoffrey Bateman
Doctor Christian	Hugh Dickson
Kevin Spence	Richard Brain
Public Relations Girl	Julie Glenton
Prestatyn Powell	Bill Powell
Waiter	Subash Singh Pall
Man at Clinic	Iain Collier
Young Man At Number 10	John Duval
Stephanie Woolton	Vivienne Richie
Adrian Shepherd	Eric Allen
McKenzie's Assistant	Jan Winters
Sir Humphrey Newlands	Robin Wentworth
Chauffeur	Kenneth Hadley