1983 in television: By The Sword Divided

The BBC has a long tradition of producing quality historical dramas, and another made its debut in 1983 when By The Sword Divided reached our screens. Set in the period leading up to, then during, the English Civil War, it served to show the impact of the war on the Lacey family, which became split with family members siding with either the Royalist, or Parlimentarian side.

The series boasted a strong cast including Julian Glover, Sharon Maughan (or Mughan as she was credited in the series), Gareth Thomas (of 'Blakes 7' fame) and Rosalie Crutchley. The first series, shown in 1983, covered the period to the end of the First English Civil War in 1646, whereupon the Royalist side was defeated. The series ran for two seasons and concluded with the Restoration of the Monarchy, illustrating throughout the shifting loyalties among the cast of characters.

By The Sword Divided has not been shown a lot on UK television since its original transmission between 1983 and 1985, but it has been issued on DVD in recent years.

Below is the first episode of 'By The Sword Divided':