Produced by Blakeway Productions, 116 Films and THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET in association with PBS and Shakespeare's Globe, each episode reveals the extraordinary world and works of Shakespeare, along with the potent impact his plays still have at the present. Shakespeare Uncovered combines interviews with actors, directors and scholars, along with visits to key locations, clips from some of the most celebrated film and television adaptations and illustrative excerpts from the plays staged specifically for the series at Shakespeare's Globe in London.

 

Each host has a personal connection to the play that corresponds to their episode: F. Murrary Abraham starred as Shylock in a touring production of The Merchant of Venice; Helen Hunt received rave reviews for her portrayal of Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing at Los Angele's Kirk Douglas Theatre; Brian Cox's Brutus in the 1977 London National Theatre production of Julius Caesar remains a gold standard; Simon Russell Beale drew acclaim for his role of King Leontes in The Winter's Tale at the Brooklyn Academy of Music; and London's Young Vic production of Measure for Measure saw Romola Garai portray a 21st-century version of Isabella.

 

Shakespeare Uncovered reveals more than just the elements in the play, extending its coverage to include the history of the play itself. What sparked the creation of each of these works? Where did Shakespeare find his plots and what new forms of theater did he forge? What cultural, political and religious factors influenced his writing? How have the plays been staged and interpreted from Shakespeare's time to now? Why at different times has each play been popular—or ignored? Why has this body of work endured so thoroughly? What, in the end, makes Shakespeare great? This six-episode series analyzes the texts and its surrounding history in order to be able to explore and engage with some of these questions.