Hornblower: The Even Chance


4:15 pm - 6:25 pm, Saturday, March 14 on ITV4 (26)

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About this Broadcast

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The Even Chance
Season 1, Episode 1

First episode of the drama based on CS Forester's tales of an 18th-century seafaring adventurer. The 17-year-old Horatio Hornblower experiences seasickness while still in Spithead as he begins his Navy career and runs into trouble with a tormentor - until war with France gives him a chance to prove himself in the heat of battle. Ioan Gruffudd and Robert Lindsay star


HD subtitles 16x9 audio-description
General Movie/Drama

Cast & Crew

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Ioan Gruffudd (Actor) .. Midshipman Horatio Hornblower
Robert Lindsay (Actor) .. Capt Sir Edward Pellew
Dorian Healy (Actor) .. Midshipman Jack Simpson
Michael Byrne (Actor) .. Capt Keene
Robert Bathurst (Actor) .. Lt Eccleston
Duncan Bell (Actor) .. Midshipman Clayton
Richard Lumsden (Actor) .. Midshipman Hether
Paul Copley (Actor) .. Matthews
Sean Gilder (Actor) .. Styles
Andrew Grieve (Director)
Russell Lewis (Dramatised by)

More Information

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Did You Know..

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Ioan Gruffudd (Actor) .. Midshipman Horatio Hornblower
Born: October 06, 1973 in Cardiff
Best Known For: Playing dashing seafarer Horatio Hornblower.
Early-life: Born October 6, 1973 in Cardiff, to teachers Peter and Gillian, and raised in nearby Aberdare. The eldest of three, Ioan loved rugby and dreamed of representing his country. He also played oboe in the local orchestra and was a gifted singer, but found his true calling was acting. He won his first role at 11 when the BBC visited his school looking for a Welsh speaker for a new drama. Two years later he joined the cast of Welsh soap opera Pobol Y Cwm - People of the Valley - before studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Career: Early projects included A Relative Stranger, Poldark and Wilde, but it was his small part as Fifth Officer Lowe in James Cameron's blockbuster Titanic that got him noticed. The title role in miniseries Hornblower followed, making Gruffudd a star on both sides of the Atlantic. He impressed in the BBC's adaptation of Great Expectations, drama Solomon and Gaenor (for which he learned Yiddish) and children's hit 102 Dalmatians, before reprising Hornblower. He's also appeared in The Forsyte Saga, Man and Boy, Warriors and Ringer, and his healthy film career has included the movies Fantastic Four (and its sequel), Black Hawk Down, and historical drama Amazing Grace. In 2014, he began playing Dr Henry Morgan in American crime drama Forever.
Quote: 'I'm determined not to lose my name. It's who I am. It has neither aided my progress nor hampered it.'
Trivia: His name is pronounced 'Yo-wahn Griffith'.
Robert Lindsay (Actor) .. Capt Sir Edward Pellew
Born: December 13, 1949 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire
Best Known For: Citizen Smith and My Family.
Early-life: Born Robert Lindsay Stevenson on December 13, 1949, in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. One of three children, his Second World War veteran father worked as a joiner and his mother was a cleaner. He failed his 11-plus exam and went to the Secondary Modern Gladstone Boys School. Despite having a miserable time there, his art teacher spotted his acting talent in a school production and encouraged him to take it up seriously. He originally intended to become a drama teacher, but worked in regional theatre companies after attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada).
Career: Lindsay's movie debut came in 1973's That'll Be the Day. His big break came in 1977 when he played would-be revolutionary Wolfie in John Sullivan's BBC sitcom Citizen Smith. After that he concentrated on serious roles. Theatre parts include Hamlet and Cyrano De Bergerac, but his biggest stage hit to date is musical Me and My Girl, for which he won numerous awards on both sides of the Atlantic. He made his Hollywood debut in the ill-received Bert Rigby You're a Fool in 1989, but Alan Bleasdale's TV series GBH put his career back on track. Since then, successes include Jake's Progress, The Wimbledon Poisoner, Brazen Hussies, Hornblower and My Family. More recently, he's starred in detective drama Jericho, played Tony Blair in A Very Social Secretary and The Trial of Tony Blair, traced his family on Who Do You Think You Are? and starred in Sky1 sitcom Spy.
Quote: 'There's a huge entertainer in me, and I couldn't ignore it any longer. I wanted to be very serious, but I've paid my dues and should start enjoying my career.'
Trivia: He supports Derby County.
Dorian Healy (Actor) .. Midshipman Jack Simpson
Michael Byrne (Actor) .. Capt Keene
Robert Bathurst (Actor) .. Lt Eccleston
Born: March 22, 1957 in Africa's Gold Coast (now Ghana)
Best Known For: Playing David in Cold Feet.
Early-life: Robert Guy Bathurst was born on February 22, 1957, on Africa's Gold Coast (now Ghana), where his father worked as a management consultant. The family later moved to Ireland, where Robert was enrolled in boarding school, which he has since said he disliked. Despite this, he went on to study law at Cambridge, and joined the university's prestigious Footlights theatre society, appearing in sketches alongside the likes of Emma Thompson and Hugh Laurie. However, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to make it as an actor and initially decided to stick with law, until his love of performing finally won out.
Career: Robert made his professional debut in a Radio 4 series called Injury Time, going on to take a small role in the first episode of Red Dwarf, and also appearing on stage in Noises Off. He made more of a splash with sitcom Joking Apart, which he has described as his favourite role, but it was winning the part of David in comedy drama Cold Feet in 1996 that really made him a star. Since then, he's continued to be in demand on stage and TV, appearing in My Dad's the Prime Minister, Downton Abbey and The Pillars of the Earth, and playing John Le Mesurier in Hattie. He was also reunited with his Cold Feet co-star Hermione Norris for a production of Blithe Spirit. Recently, he has been playing Lord Thomas Davenport in TV horror drama Dracula.
Quote: 'It's astonishing how every day someone will mention to me how they enjoyed Cold Feet.'
Trivia: He auditioned for the part of Rimmer in Red Dwarf.
Duncan Bell (Actor) .. Midshipman Clayton
Richard Lumsden (Actor) .. Midshipman Hether
Paul Copley (Actor) .. Matthews
Sean Gilder (Actor) .. Styles
Andrew Grieve (Director)
Russell Lewis (Dramatised by)