Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Miniseries
TV-14
The story of Tess Durbeyfield, a low-born country girl whose family find they have noble connections.
Where to Watch Tess of the D'Urbervilles • Miniseries
4 Episodes
- Part One
E1Part OneOn a fine May afternoon, the beautiful and innocent Tess Durbeyfield spies a handsome young stranger at a village dance, but he ignores her. Forced by family hardship to seek support from her 'relatives' the D'Urbervilles, apparently an ancient lineage, she falls under the spell of her manipulative 'cousin' Alec - with shocking and lasting consequences. - Part Two
E2Part TwoTragedy strikes for Tess, after which she leaves home to work in a dairy, where she's so taken by parson's son and wistful harpist Angel Clare that she's soon taking surreptitious peeks at his bare backside. It's not long before they're strolling in the bluebells as Angel falls headfirst for Tess's charms. But will his dad approve of Angel's devotion when a more suitable match awaits him? As her life starts to unravel, Tess shows signs of having some gumption, but she's still, to modern eyes, an infuriating drip. Even so, it all looks delightful, a bit like a promotional video for the verdant joys of Thomas Hardy Country. - Part Three
E3Part ThreeThird in the four-part drama series based on the novel by Thomas Hardy. Tess agrees to marry Angel, to his great joy. When he confesses to a dishonourable event in his past, Tess feels that she can at last tell him about her relationship with Alec D'Urberville and its consequences. - Part Four
E4Part FourAfter Alec gives up preaching in order to court Tess and father Darbeyfield is killed by illness, she writes a vicious letter to Angel rejecting him as 'cruel', which he never receives, and starts wandering. By the time he's home and healed, it's hard to find her. When he does, she's 'Alec's creature'. She now commits an irreparable crime which ruins all their lives after a last passionate phase.
