# Casanova (2005)

> A penniless, aging Casanova recounts his romantic adventures to a young kitchen maid in 1798 Bohemia.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/10386

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 3
- Episode runtime: 58 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, romance, drama
- Created by: Russell T Davies
- Network: BBC Three
- Cast: Rose Byrne, Peter O'Toole, David Tennant, Matt Lucas, Laura Fraser, Rupert Penry-Jones, Shaun Parkes, Nina Sosanya
- TMDB rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427042/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: bawdy, breezy, wistful, witty, melancholic

## What critics say

Audiences rated this three-part BBC Three miniseries positively, praising its playful, romantic take on the Casanova legend.

## Synopsis

Casanova (2005) is a British period romantic comedy miniseries created by Russell T Davies for BBC Three. Set in 1798 at Castle Dux in Bohemia, it follows the elderly, penniless librarian Giacomo Casanova, played by Peter O'Toole in old age and by David Tennant in his younger years, as he recounts his famous life of seduction to Edith, a young kitchen maid played by Rose Byrne. The engine of the three-episode story is Casanova's restless appetite for women and adventure, set against his lifelong, unrequited love for Henriette, portrayed by Laura Fraser. Matt Lucas adds sharp comic friction as Villars. Its shape is a compact, self-contained limited series in which the past and present keep trading places, giving each episode the feel of a witty confession. The tone is bawdy, breezy and wistful, with lush costume design, sly narration and a warm undercurrent of melancholy about desire and time. Viewers who enjoy Barry Lyndon, Tom Jones and Bridgerton will find resonance in its cheeky period sensibility and romantic longing.

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