Friday, November 21, 2014

My PopMatters Review of To the Ends of the Earth

Nearly a decade ago, Benedict Cumberbatch starred in the four-and-a-half-hour BBC miniseries, To the Ends of the Earth. Although by then he already had earned great acclaim for his acting on stage and television (e.g., a BAFTA nomination for Hawking), he wasn't the international star he is today. Yet he clearly is a talented actor, and this miniseries showcases his range and, even better for fans, gives him an immense amount of screen time--he's in almost every scene.

The miniseries has recently been re-released in the U.S. and Canada, and, as a contributing editor for PopMatters, I reviewed the DVD. My review is now available on PopMatters at

PopMatters review of To the Ends of the Earth

Although I hope you find the review useful and possibly entertaining, I also want to direct you to the embedded links to the BBC press release and PBS Masterpiece article from 2005-06 that provide you even more background about the miniseries and Cumberbatch's research for playing and performance as Edmund Talbot.

I realize that many fans have long known about these articles and To the Ends of the Earth. If you haven't seen this performance and want to know more about it, I hope you'll not only read the review and watch the miniseries but also read two fine background pieces that can provide you with a greater context for this miniseries within Cumberbatch's career.

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