# House of Cards (1990)

> A meticulous chief whip schemes to bring down his Prime Minister and take the top job for himself.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/20013

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 4
- Episode runtime: 55 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, thriller
- Created by: Andrew Davies
- Network: BBC One
- Cast: Ian Richardson, Susannah Harker, Miles Anderson, Alphonsia Emmanuel, Malcolm Tierney, Diane Fletcher, William Chubb, David Lyon
- TMDB rating: 8.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098825/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: none
- Tone: cold, menacing, wry, tense, calculating

## What critics say

Acclaimed as a sharp, Machiavellian British political drama, driven by Ian Richardson's chilling lead performance and Andrew Davies's script.

## Synopsis

House of Cards (1990) is a British political drama miniseries created by Andrew Davies for BBC One, adapted from the novel by Michael Dobbs. Ian Richardson plays Francis Urquhart, a chief whip in a newly installed moderate Conservative government who, after being passed over for promotion, begins a patient and meticulous campaign to topple the Prime Minister and seize Number 10 Downing Street himself. His engine is resentment turned into strategy: he manipulates a naive young journalist, Mattie Storin (Susannah Harker), and works through his ambitious wife Elizabeth (Diane Fletcher) and a circle of party allies, each move calculated to tighten his grip. The four-episode run is built from backroom meetings, leaked stories, and quiet confrontations in Westminster offices and private homes, rather than spectacle. Set in late twentieth century London, it is a cold, wry, and increasingly menacing portrait of political ambition. The tone is dry and unsettling, with Urquhart often addressing the audience directly and sharing his machinations. Fans of Yes Minister, The Thick of It, and Succession will find resonance in its sharp dialogue, scheming protagonist, and corridor-level power politics.

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