Bringemovies
← Browse TV Shows
To Play the King
TITLE DETAILS

To Play the King

1993-11-21 · 55 min / episode · ★ 7.9

Drama · Comedy · War & Politics

Francis Urquhart's survival at the top is threatened by the new king's populist agenda.

Open detail page

Trailers are previews, not full movies.

No authorized playback source configured. Use the legal watch options below.

Production details

Creators
Andrew Davies
Production companies
BBC, GBH
Countries
United Kingdom
Status
Ended

Top Cast

Ian RichardsonIan RichardsonFrancis Urquhart
Kitty AldridgeKitty AldridgeSarah Harding
Michael KitchenMichael KitchenThe King
Colin JeavonsColin JeavonsTim Stamper
Nicholas FarrellNicholas FarrellDavid Mycroft
Rowena KingRowena KingChloe Carmichael
Diane FletcherDiane FletcherElizabeth Urquhart
Erika HoffmanErika HoffmanThe Lady
David RyallDavid RyallSir Bruce Bullerby
Bernice StegersBernice StegersPrincess Charlotte
Nick BrimbleNick BrimbleCorder
Jack FortuneJack FortuneKen Charterhouse
Pip TorrensPip TorrensAndrew Harding
Frederick TrevesFrederick TrevesLord Quillington
Don WarringtonDon WarringtonGraham Gaunt
Merelina KendallMerelina KendallHilda Cordwainer
Richard DurdenRichard DurdenBBC Official
Barry LinehanBarry LinehanHenry Hotson
John BirdJohn BirdBryan Brynford-Jones
Tom BeasleyYoung Prince / Young King

Title information and images are supplied by TMDb. Explore our discovery guide for advice on comparing metadata and legal viewing options.

Where to watch

Availability provided by JustWatch via TMDb. Offers can change. Provider links are listed on TMDb; full playback requires a separately authorized source.

Streaming

Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus

Purchase

Amazon Video

View authorized watch options on TMDb

Seasons & episodes

Recommendations

House of Cards
★ 8.1
House of Cards1990Drama · Comedy · War & Politics

Frustrated at a new moderate Conservative government and deprived of a promotion to a senior position, chief whip Francis Urquhart prepares a meticulous plot to bring down the Prime Minister then to take his place.

The Final Cut
★ 7.7
The Final Cut1995Drama · Comedy · War & Politics

Seasoned politician Francis Urquhart tries to establish his legacy before retirement by negotiating an end to the Cyprus, but the island hides secrets from his past that could destroy him.

Yes, Prime Minister
★ 8.3
Yes, Prime Minister1986Comedy · War & Politics

James Hacker MP the Government's bumbling minister for Administrative Affairs is propelled along the corridors of power to the very pinnacle of politics - No. 10. Could this have possibly have been managed by his trusted Permanent Private Secretary, the formidably political Sir Humphrey Appleby who must move to the “Top Job” in Downing Street to support him, together with his much put upon PPS Bernard Wolley. What could possibly go wrong?

The State Within
★ 7.4
The State Within2006Drama · War & Politics

The State Within is a six-part British television political thriller serial written and created by Lizzie Mickery and Daniel Percival, broadcast on BBC One from 2 November to 7 December 2006. After a plane explodes over Washington DC, panic begins to envelop the British embassy, and its ambassador to Washington, Mark Brydon, finds himself caught in a potentially damaging diplomatic incident.

This England
★ 6.0
This England2022Drama · War & Politics

Inside the halls of power, Boris Johnson grapples with Covid-19, Brexit, and a controversial personal and political life during his tumultuous first months as Prime Minister.

Shōgun
★ 7.6
Shōgun1980Drama · War & Politics

An English navigator becomes both a player and pawn in complex political games in feudal Japan.

Pearson
★ 7.3
Pearson2019Drama · War & Politics

Powerhouse lawyer Jessica Pearson adjusts to the dirty world of Chicago politics.

Restless
★ 7.1
Restless2012Drama · War & Politics

A young woman finds out that her mother worked as a spy for the British Secret Service during World War II and has been on the run ever since.

The Crimson Field
★ 7.5
The Crimson Field2014Drama · War & Politics

In a tented field hospital on the coast of France, a team of doctors, nurses and women volunteers work together to heal the bodies and souls of men wounded in the trenches.

Foyle's War
★ 7.9
Foyle's War2002Drama · War & Politics

As WW2 rages around the world, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front as he investigates crimes on the south coast of England. Foyle's War opens in southern England in the year 1940. Later series sees the retired detective working as an MI5 agent operating in the aftermath of the war.

The Winds of War
★ 7.3
The Winds of War1983Drama · War & Politics

Against the backdrop of world events that led to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Victor 'Pug' Henry is a career naval officer who, along with his family, learns to navigate the waters of his dangerous times in the late 1930s.

I, Claudius
★ 7.8
I, Claudius1976Drama · War & Politics

Acclaimed blackly comic historical drama series. Set amidst a web of power, corruption and lies, it chronicles the reigns of the Roman emperors - Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula and finally Claudius.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
★ 7.6
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy1979Drama · War & Politics

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a seven-part BBC2 spy drama written by Arthur Hopcraft, adapted from John le Carré's eponymous 1974 novel. The serial, which stars Alec Guinness, Alexander Knox, Ian Richardson, Michael Jayston, Bernard Hepton, Anthony Bate, Ian Bannen, George Sewell and Michael Aldridge, was broadcast from 10 September to 22 October 1979. George Smiley, the ageing master spy of the Cold War and once heir-apparent to Control, is brought back out of retirement to flush out a top level mole within the Circus. Smiley must travel back through his life and murky workings of the Circus to unravel the net spun by his nemesis Karla 'The Sandman' of the KGB and reveal the identity of the mole before he disappears.

Stonehouse
★ 6.3
Stonehouse2023Drama · Comedy

Drama following the life and times of disgraced Labour politician John Stonehouse, a high-flying minister under Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s government vanished from the beach of a large luxury hotel in Florida in November 1974, leaving a neatly folded pile of clothes as he swam into the sea, intent on faking his own death.

The Politician's Husband
★ 6.8
The Politician's Husband2013Drama · War & Politics

A drama about the shifting power in a marriage when the personal and political collide.

Kevin (Probably) Saves the World
★ 6.9
Kevin (Probably) Saves the World2017Drama · Comedy

One day while returning home to stay with his widowed twin sister and her daughter, Kevin Finn, a self-centered man whose life brings him more trouble than he bargained for, is recruited by a celestial being named Yvette, who enlists Kevin with a new purpose in his life, which is to save the world.

Hornblower
★ 7.8
Hornblower1998Drama · War & Politics

Set during the 18th century Napoleonic Wars, Horatio Hornblower, a young and shy midshipman, rises through the ranks to become an admiral.

12 O'Clock High
★ 7.2
12 O'Clock High1964Drama · War & Politics

This series chronicles the adventures--in the air and on the ground--of the men of the 918th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Eighth Air Force. First commanded by irascible General Frank Savage--and later by Colonel Joe Gallagher, the son of a Pentagon General--the Group is stationed in England, and flies long-range bombing missions into German-held Europe.

Shaka Zulu
★ 7.2
Shaka Zulu1986Drama · War & Politics

South Africa, 1823. The Zulu Empire, headed by King Shaka, a brilliant but ruthless military strategist, begin to encroach on the British colony of Cape Town. A volunteer cadre of explorers, mercenaries and professional soldiers are sent to Zululand to try to make contact with Shaka and assess the real threat of his army.

The Trial of Christine Keeler
★ 6.7
The Trial of Christine Keeler2019Drama · War & Politics

The minister, his mistress, and her lover the spy. The story of the woman at the centre of one of the 20th century's biggest scandals – which changed Britain forever.

Similar titles

The Shining
★ 6.3
The Shining1997Drama

A new caretaker moves with his family into the mysterious Overlook Hotel for the winter.

Dandelion Wine
★ 6.3
Dandelion Wine1998Drama

Summer. Heat. A garden full of dandelions. They are picked and used to make excellent wine... A brilliant inventor creates a happiness machine... An experienced colonel transports boys into a world unknown to them with his stories, or he himself travels in the time machine of his memory.

The Love School
Not rated
The Love School1975Drama

The Love School is a BBC television drama miniseries originally broadcast from 22 January to 26 February 1975 about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. The series was written by John Hale, Ray Lawler, Robin Chapman, and John Prebble, and directed by Piers Haggard, John Glenister and Robert Knights. The drama was a significant influence on the subsequent 2009 series Desperate Romantics. It was also the basis of the historical novel of the same name by Hale.

The End of Love
★ 7.0
The End of Love2022Drama · Comedy

After a reunion with her past, Tamara - a Jewish ex-orthodox turned feminist rocker - separates from her boyfriend, rebelling against romantic love and monogamy to embark on a path of exploration in search of her own desire.

The Girls of Slender Means
★ 3.7
The Girls of Slender Means1975Drama

The Girls of Slender Means is a 1975 BBC television mini-series based on Muriel Spark's novel. The drama, aired in three parts, follows a group of young women living in a London boarding house in 1945, and is framed by a death that occurs in 1960.

Glue
★ 6.1
Glue2014Drama

Overton is a small, countryside village where farming is its bread and butter and race horses are its beating heart. When the body of a local resident is found under a tractor, destructive forces are unleashed and the entire community is forced to watch their secrets exposed... chilling secrets that will change their particular way of life forever.

The Driver
★ 7.0
The Driver2014Drama

The Driver is a three-part British crime drama serial aired on BBC One between 23 September and 7 October 2014. Written by Danny Brocklehurst and directed by Jamie Payne, it stars David Morrissey as despondent cab driver Vince McKee, whose life is turned upside down when he agrees to be the driver for a criminal gang.

The Dream Maker
★ 6.2
The Dream Maker2026Drama

It tells the story of Li Qiuping, Zheng Decheng and other grassroots cadres from Donggang Town leading the local farmers and people to work together to build a prosperous and harmonious modern city on the beach.

Man vs Baby
★ 6.8
Man vs Baby2025Comedy

As Christmas approaches, a blundering-all-the-way dad juggles housesitting a posh London penthouse with an unexpected pickle: caring for a lost baby.

Eye Contact
★ 5.0
Eye Contact2025Drama

A medical heartthrob and a nerdy arts student, both faculty representatives, must overcome university challenges to find their shared voice and love.

Fathers and Sons
Not rated
Fathers and Sons2008Drama

In 19th-century Russia, two young men start to question their worldview after it gets challenged by people from the older generation.

Dare Me
★ 7.7
Dare Me2019Drama

Dive into the cutthroat world of competitive high school cheerleading, following the fraught relationship between two best friends after a new coach arrives to bring their team to prominence.

Until We Meet Again
★ 8.2
Until We Meet Again2019Drama

Korn and Intouch’s tragiclove ends in gunfire, but years later, Pharm and Dean are drawn together by fate, unaware of their past connection.

Defying Destiny
★ 8.0
Defying Destiny2026Drama

This is the story of María, a leader whose face will become the icon of the social class struggle to grant legal status to domestic workers who, for years, worked without labor rights in her country.

Shantaram
★ 7.4
Shantaram2022Drama

Escaped convict Lin Ford flees to the teeming streets of 1980s Bombay, looking to disappear. Working as a medic for the city's poor and neglected, Lin finds unexpected love, connection, and courage on the long road to redemption.

Blood Feud
★ 8.0
Blood Feud1983Drama

Blood Feud is a 1983 television miniseries surrounding around the conflict between Jimmy Hoffa and Robert F. Kennedy in a 11-year span from 1957 until Kennedy's assassination in 1968. The 210-minute film was directed by Mike Newell and written by Robert Boris. It stars Robert Blake as Hoffa and Cotter Smith as Kennedy with Danny Aiello and Brian Dennehy in supporting roles as union associates of Hoffa's. The television film was distributed by Operation Prime Time, a syndicated block of television programming offered to mostly American independent stations. Blake was nominated for an Emmy and Golden Globe for Best Actor for his performance as Hoffa.

Hemingway
★ 7.0
Hemingway1988Drama

Ernest Hemingway attained celebrity at the age of twenty-five. Some of his novels are among the greatest bestsellers of American literature. His life is a legend woven with countless passions, encounters and experiences. This colossus of a man was a novelist, journalist polemicist, playwright, hunter, fisherman, adventurer... A globetrotter with a hermit's soul, he went through three wars, had a life-long romance with danger, and made death his closest companion and his main source of inspiration. The son of a Puritan family, he was also a pleasure seeker. A self-confessed male chauvinist, he thought of Woman as a muse, a worshipper, a second mother. His four wives- Hadley Richardson, Pauline Pfeiffer, Martha Gellhorn and Mary Welsh - represented both his mirror and his straight man, seeking to appease his torments and contradictions and to accompany him to the end of his dreams.

Moby Dick
★ 5.9
Moby Dick1998Drama

The sole survivor of a lost whaling ship relates the tale of his captain's self-destructive obsession to hunt the white whale, Moby Dick.

Lincoln
★ 8.0
Lincoln1974Drama · War & Politics

Lincoln (aka Sandburg's Lincoln) is an American six-part miniseries broadcast on NBC from September 6, 1974 to April 14, 1976.

The Last Don
★ 7.1
The Last Don1997Drama

Spanning decades, a powerful Italian crime family battles internal strife when a ruthless grandson seeks control after a violent wedding sparks unintended chaos, testing loyalties as lines blur between family and criminal enterprise. Best selling author of Mario 'The Godfather' Puzo's blockbuster new novel comes to life in this epic saga of America's most powerful crime family.

Your favorites

Recently viewed

Watch

Choose an authorized server.

Full video from an operator-configured authorized source. Official trailers use a separate player. If a server fails, retry or select another authorized server.

Legal watch options

Official trailer

Trailer preview only. Press Play to start.

Privacy choices

Favorites stay in your browser. Movie images load from TMDb. YouTube trailers contact YouTube only after you allow external media and choose a trailer. Advertising consent, if ads are enabled, is managed separately by the operator’s certified CMP.

Privacy policy

After allowing external media, choose the trailer button to load its player.