Bodyline

1984 - 1984

Empire

Episode 1

Douglas Jardine is introduced at his 9th birthday in Bombay, Lord Harris explains the significance of the soon to be famous Harlequin cap, and his parents bid him an emotional farewell as he departs to be educated in England, first at Horris Hill School later at Winchester College. Andrew Lane teaches the young Jardine that cricket is a thinking mans game 'you don't bowl a batsmen out, you think him out'. Jardine emerges from WW1 tall and athletic, reserved and determined, this determination attracts interest from Percy Fender (Surrey Captain) who is impressed with Jardine's captaincy. Meanwhile a young Harold Larwood is introduced bowling for money at the coal mine where he works and in Australia a certain Don Bradman is selected first for New South Wales and then in 1928 for Australia during Jardine's first tour down under.

On Debut

Episode 2

Australia lose the second test in Sydney after dropping Don Bradman from the team. Onto Melbourne for the third test match and Bradman is recalled to the Australian team scoring freely all around the wicket to make his maiden test century becoming the youngest player to score a test century aged 20. England go on to win the series 4-1. The Australian test side arrived in England in the middle of the great depression of 1930, Bradman dominates the English bowling throughout the series breaking record after record as Douglas Jardine predicted, the Ashes are regained by Australia. Lord Harris plots and schemes behind the scenes to manipulate Percy Fender into resigning the Surrey captaincy much to the disgust of the young Jardine who replaces him.

Episode 3

Episode 3

Dramatization of the 1932/33 Test cricket series between England and Australia. Played in Australia, the series gained notoriety in Australian and worldwide cricketing history for the fact that the English team (headed by captain Douglas Jardine) applied a bowling technique called "leg theory", or more commonly, Bodyline. This technique involved bowlers bowling the ball directly at the batsman's body, and resulted in many of the Australian team receiving numerous bruises and injuries, with batsman Bert Oldfield sustaining a cracked skull. The series generated much anger and resentment towards the English team within Australia and seriously damaged Anglo-Australian cricketing relations at the time.

Episode 4

Episode 4

Dramatization of the 1932/33 Test cricket series between England and Australia. Played in Australia, the series gained notoriety in Australian and worldwide cricketing history for the fact that the English team (headed by captain Douglas Jardine) applied a bowling technique called "leg theory", or more commonly, Bodyline. This technique involved bowlers bowling the ball directly at the batsman's body, and resulted in many of the Australian team receiving numerous bruises and injuries, with batsman Bert Oldfield sustaining a cracked skull. The series generated much anger and resentment towards the English team within Australia and seriously damaged Anglo-Australian cricketing relations at the time.

Episode 5

Episode 5

Dramatization of the 1932/33 Test cricket series between England and Australia. Played in Australia, the series gained notoriety in Australian and worldwide cricketing history for the fact that the English team (headed by captain Douglas Jardine) applied a bowling technique called "leg theory", or more commonly, Bodyline. This technique involved bowlers bowling the ball directly at the batsman's body, and resulted in many of the Australian team receiving numerous bruises and injuries, with batsman Bert Oldfield sustaining a cracked skull. The series generated much anger and resentment towards the English team within Australia and seriously damaged Anglo-Australian cricketing relations at the time.

Episode 6

Episode 6

Dramatization of the 1932/33 Test cricket series between England and Australia. Played in Australia, the series gained notoriety in Australian and worldwide cricketing history for the fact that the English team (headed by captain Douglas Jardine) applied a bowling technique called "leg theory", or more commonly, Bodyline. This technique involved bowlers bowling the ball directly at the batsman's body, and resulted in many of the Australian team receiving numerous bruises and injuries, with batsman Bert Oldfield sustaining a cracked skull. The series generated much anger and resentment towards the English team within Australia and seriously damaged Anglo-Australian cricketing relations at the time.

Episode 7

Episode 7

No overview available.

Top Cast

Hugo Weaving•Gary Sweet•Jim Holt

Director

Lex Marinos

Writer

Robert Caswell

Dramatization of the 1932/33 Test cricket series between England and Australia. Played in Australia, the series gained notoriety in Australian and worldwide cricketing history for the fact that the English team (headed by captain Douglas Jardine) applied a bowling technique called "leg theory", or more commonly, Bodyline. This technique involved bowlers bowling the ball directly at the batsman's body, and resulted in many of the Australian team receiving numerous bruises and injuries, with batsman Bert Oldfield sustaining a cracked skull. The series generated much anger and resentment towards the English team within Australia and seriously damaged Anglo-Australian cricketing relations at the time.

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Full Cast

Hugo Weaving Image

Hugo Weaving

Douglas Jardine

Gary Sweet Image

Gary Sweet

Donald Bradman

Jim Holt Image

Jim Holt

Harold Larwood

Rhys McConnochie Image

Rhys McConnochie

Pelham Warner

John Gregg Image

John Gregg

Percy George Fender

Heather Mitchell Image

Heather Mitchell

Edith

Frank Thring Image

Frank Thring

Lord Harris

Max Cullen Image

Max Cullen

Clive 'Chooka' Cooper (Reporter)

John Walton Image

John Walton

Bill Woodfull

Ashok Banthia Image

Ashok Banthia

Nawab of Pataudi

Alan David Lee Image

Alan David Lee

Eddie Paynter

Bill Young Image

Bill Young

Bill Bowes

Terry Bader

Bob Wyatt

Richard Carter Image

Richard Carter

Bill Voce

Arthur Dignam Image

Arthur Dignam

Mr. Jardine

Jane Harders Image

Jane Harders

Mrs. Jardine

John Clayton Image

John Clayton

Mr. Bradman

Colleen Fitzpatrick

Mrs. Bradman

Julie Nihill Image

Julie Nihill

Jessie Bradman

Vincent Ball Image

Vincent Ball

Joseph Lyons (Prime Minister)

Peter Dahlsen

Les Ames

Nicholas Gledhill

Douglas Jardine (young)

Peter Gwynne Image

Peter Gwynne

Aubrey Oxlade

Peter Whitford

Dr. Allen Robertson

Bruce Myles Image

Bruce Myles

William Jeanes

George Whaley Image

George Whaley

Lord Hawke

Paul Chubb Image

Paul Chubb

Ernest Jones (Barracker)

John Sheerin Image

John Sheerin

Bill Ponsford

Michael Winchester Image

Michael Winchester

Stan McCabe

Ned Manning

Jack Fingleton

Michael O'Neill

Viv Richardson

Robert Giltinan

Leo O'Brien

Laurie Moran

Bert Ironmonger

Leslie Dayman Image

Leslie Dayman

Bert Oldfield

Reg Gillam

Sir Clive Wigram

Norman May

Commentator

Brian McDermott Image

Brian McDermott

Frank Packer

Bruce Stewart

Sir Ernest Crutchley

Tim McKenzie Image

Tim McKenzie

Waiter - Perth Reception

John Doyle

George 'Gubby' Allen