February 1, 2013 – 9:00 pm ET (check local listings)
Richard II with Derek Jacobi
Henry IV & Henry V with Jeremy Irons
The six-part series continues as Derek Jacobi looks at Richard II, and returns to a role he played 30 years ago…the story of a king who loses a crown. The episode will include scenes from a new, upcoming PBS film of the play featuring Ben Whishaw and Patrick Stewart. Jeremy Irons then uncovers the enduring appeal of Shakespeare’s history plays, Henry IV and Henry V, from the facts of English history to the father-son drama that Shakespeare created. He discloses what Shakespeare’s sources were, and how he distorted them. He invites the viewer behind the scenes at the filming of some of the most important sequences in the new Great Performances adaptations of the plays, starring Irons, with Tom Hiddleston as Prince Hal. www.pbs.org
Shakespeare in LA 