The Politician's Wife
The Politician's Wife is a British television political drama broadcast on Channel 4 in 1995, written by Paula Milne, and starring Trevor Eve and Juliet Stevenson. Milne returned to the same themes in her BBC 2 drama miniseries, The Politician's Husband (2013).
Plot
The story centres on a high-flying politician, Duncan Matlock (Trevor Eve), Families Minister for the UK government, who becomes embroiled in a tabloid scandal as it is discovered that he has been having an affair with a former escort turned parliamentary researcher (Minnie Driver). Duncan's wife, Flora (Juliet Stevenson), becomes the focus of media attention as her reactions to the revelations are played out. Initially she plays the part of the loyal wife, but as an aide of her husband's, Mark Hollister (Anton Lesser), feeds her details about the affair and various other political scandals that could be made to happen, she begins to sabotage her husband's integrity and reputation through a campaign of leaks and misinformation to the press and British Conservative Party stalwarts. After a series of increasingly sensational and damaging stories in the press, her husband is forced to resign in humiliation. The last episode closes with the results of the by-election being announced on TV. Flora Matlock wins with the support of her party, whilst her husband is exiled to a minor post in Belgium.
Cast
| Character | "Stand by Him" | "Echo Chamber" | "Body Politic" |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veronica Weston | | ||
| Mark Hollister | | ||
| Rosalind Clegg | | ||
| Paul Matlock | | ||
| Joanna Matlock | | ||
| Duncan Matlock | | ||
| Sir Donald Frazier | | ||
| Angie | Julie Dawn Cole | ||
| Jennifer Caird | | ||
| Peggy Price | Sally Knyvette | Sally Knyvette | |
| Flora Matlock | | ||
| Suzie | Jacqueline Tong | Jacqueline Tong | |
Reception
The show won Best Serial Drama at the 1995 BAFTA Awards and Best International Drama at the 1995 Emmy Awards.
Home media
The Politician's Wife was released on DVD by Acorn Media UK in August 2011.
Spin-off
A companion series by Milne, The Politician's Husband, is a three-episode British television miniseries, first shown on BBC Two between 25 April and 9 May 2013.