The Fragile Heart is a BAFTA award-winning British medical drama television series created by Paula Milne and first aired on Channel 4 from 6 to 20 November 1996. The series was nominated for the Royal Television Society award for Best Drama Serial.RTS Awards Archive (February 2017), p. 19 (accessed 2017-02-27).
Story Edgar Pascoe (Nigel Hawthorne) is a highly successful and charismatic cardiac surgeon. Pre-eminent in his field, he is the embodiment of the upper echelons of medicine: urbane, assured, supremely confident in his own abilities. But he is not infallible - either in the operating theatre or in his private life with his divided family.
Edgar's wife Lileth (Dearbhla Molloy), a dedicated and compassionate country GP, is increasingly drawn to the holistic arts of healing still practiced in the East, but scorned by purveyors of Western technology. As their professional ideals and methods clash, so inevitably does their relationship. Nicola (Helen McCrory) is Edgar's favoured child, ruthless and unscrupulous in her ambition to emulate her illustrious father.
But it is in China, heading a medical delegation, that Edgar is confronted by an ethical dilemma over the abuse of human rights and is forced into a painful moral awakening which will prove to affect every area of his life.
Cast
Actor Role Nigel Hawthorne Dr. Edgar Pascoe Dearbhla Molloy Dr. Lileth Pascoe Helen McCrory Nicola Pascoe Dominic Mafham Daniel Pascoe Robert Langford Lloyd Dr. Maurice Denton Sylvia Chang Dr. Zhao Quing Stewart Ong Dr. Chen Pao Han Lin Wan Pu John Hartley Mrs. Youngman Brenda Cavendish Mrs. Youngman Gareth Armstrong Profusionist Marian McLoughlin Margaret Sedgely Sebastian Abineri Peter Sedgley Ian Aspinall Dilip Adrian Pang Lin Ling Tian Simon Slater Calder Eamon Boland Deviln Terence Kemp Mr. Bower-Kemp Gordon Griffin Flanders Hi Ching Hang Leader Hawkins Dr. Manville Gabrielle Lloyd Nancy Manville Diana Payan Mrs. Lawson Vincent Marzello Hugh Lyle
Episode list
Award BAFTA Awards 1997 Won Best Actor: Nigel Hawthorne Nominated Best Drama Serial: Brian Eastman, Patrick Lau, Paula Milne Best Editing (Fiction/Entertainment): Neil Thomson Banff Television Festival 1997 Won Best Mini-Series : Paula Milne, Carnival Film & Television Royal Television Society, UK 1997 Nominated Best Drama Serial Nominated Best Actor - Female : Dearbhla Molloy London Film Critics' Circle Nominated Actress of the Year : Helen McCrory
Home media The Fragile Heart was released on DVD on 8 October 2018.
References
External links
The Fragile Heart at the FilmAffinity