To the Ends of the Earth

The first part of To the Ends of the Earth was broadcast on 6 July 2005. Williams Golding’s trilogy of sea novels - Rites of Passage, Close Quarters and Fire Down Below - was adapted into three feature length episodes by Leigh Jackson and Tony Basgallop, directed by David Attwood.

The drama is set in 1812, on board an ageing warship travelling to Australia. The action is seen through the eyes of Edmund Talbot, who starts the journey as a naïve and arrogant young aristocrat. Talbot was played by the rising star Benedict Cumberbatch, who put in a striking performance that kept viewers riveted. The strong supporting cast included Jared Harris, Sam Neil, Joanna Page, Victoria Hamilton and Charles Dance.

To the Ends of The Earth was filmed in South Africa on sets of the ships that were floated on water, in part to achieve the sensation of movement at sea. The production had to overcome extreme weather during filming, but achieved a result that captured the claustrophobia of being on board ship for a nine month voyage that was praised for its depiction of life at sea.

Attwood went on to direct Cumberbatch again, in the drama Stuart: a Life Backwards. Cumberbatch went on to greater success with the BBC, playing Holmes in the acclaimed drama Sherlock.