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{{Short description|BBC television adaptation of Shakespeare's plays}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2010}}
'''''ShakespeaRe-Told''''' is the umbrella title for a series of four television adaptations of [[William Shakespeare]]'s plays broadcast on [[BBC One]] during November 2005. In a similar manner to the 2003 production of ''[[The Canterbury Tales (TV series)|The Canterbury Tales]]'', each play is adapted by a different writer, and relocated to the present day. The plays were produced in collaboration by [[BBC Northern Ireland]] and the central [[BBC television drama|BBC drama department]]. In August 2006 the four films aired on BBC America.

==Episodes==
===''Much Ado About Nothing''===
*Adapted by [[David Nicholls (writer)|David Nicholls]]
*Directed by [[Brian Percival]]
*Broadcast 7 November 2005
*Set in a local news studio, with [[Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing)|Beatrice]] ([[Sarah Parish]]) and Benedick ([[Damian Lewis]]) as feuding anchors. [[Hero (Much Ado About Nothing)|Hero]] ([[Billie Piper]]), the weathergirl and daughter of station manager Leonard ([[Martin Jarvis (actor)|Martin Jarvis]]), becomes engaged to Claude ([[Tom Ellis (actor)|Tom Ellis]]), the sports presenter. Jealous visual effects manager Don<ref>The roles of Don John and Borachio are combined into the character of Don.</ref> ([[Derek Riddell]]), plots to break up Hero and Claude, whilst the others attempt to get Beatrice and Benedick together. Hero and Claude eventually repair their friendship, though Hero refuses to consider marriage again, the ending is left ambiguous about their future as they are the best man and [[bridesmaid|maid of honour]] (respectively) for the finale: the wedding of Beatrice and Benedick.<ref>The ending is highly modified from the original text</ref>

===''Macbeth''===
*Adapted by [[Peter Moffat]]
*Directed by [[Mark Brozel]]
*Broadcast 14 November 2005
*Set in a [[Michelin Guide#Stars|three Michelin star]] restaurant owned by celebrity chef [[King_Duncan|Duncan]] Docherty ([[Vincent Regan]]), with Joe [[Macbeth (character)|Macbeth]] ([[James McAvoy]]) as the [[Chef#Sous-chef|sous chef]] and [[Lady Macbeth|his wife]] Ella ([[Keeley Hawes]]) as the ''[[Maître d'hôtel|Maître d']]''. Joe and his fellow chef Billy [[Banquo]] ([[Joseph Millson]]) are annoyed that Duncan takes the credit for Joe's work, and that Duncan's son [[Malcolm (Macbeth)|Malcolm]] ([[Toby Kebbell]]) has, in their opinion, no real flair for the business. Then they encounter three supernatural [[Waste collector|binmen]] who predict that Macbeth will get ownership of the restaurant, as will Billy's children. Joe and Ella are inspired to kill Duncan, but the binmen subsequently warn that Macbeth should be wary of Peter [[Macduff (Macbeth)|Macduff]] ([[Richard Armitage (actor)|Richard Armitage]]), the head waiter.

===''The Taming of the Shrew''===
*Adapted by [[Sally Wainwright]]
* Directed by [[David Richards (director)|David Richards]]
*Broadcast 21 November 2005
* Katherine Minola ([[Shirley Henderson]]) is a politician who hopes to become the [[Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Leader of the Opposition]]. She is told that her abrasive personality is bad [[public relations|PR]] and that it might be good for her image to get married. When penniless nobleman [[Petruchio]] ([[Rufus Sewell]]) shows up, interested at first in Katherine's money, sparks fly as Katherine seems to have met her match. The relationship and battle of wills bring big surprises for both parties. Katherine's sister Bianca ([[Jaime Murray]]) is a supermodel whose manager is Petruchio's friend, Harry ([[Stephen Tompkinson]]). [[Twiggy]] has the role of Katherine and Bianca's mother.  [[David Mitchell (comedian)|David Mitchell]] played Kate's hapless secretary Tim.

===''A Midsummer Night's Dream''===
*Adapted by [[Peter Bowker]]
*Directed by [[Ed Fraiman]]
*Broadcast 28 November 2005
*[[Theseus|Theo]] ([[Bill Paterson (actor)|Bill Paterson]]) and [[Hippolyta|Polly]] ([[Imelda Staunton]]) visit Dream Park inclusive leisure facility to celebrate the engagement of their daughter<ref>Theseus and Hippolyta are not Hermia's parents in the original.</ref> [[Hermia]] ([[Zoe Tapper]]) to [[Demetrius|James]] ([[William Ash (actor)|William Ash]]). The engagement party is, much to the irritable Theo's horror, disrupted by Hermia's true love [[Lysander (A Midsummer Night's Dream)|Xander]] ([[Rupert Evans]]). Despite their own disagreements, the [[fairy]] rulers of the woods around Dream Park, [[Titania (A Midsummer Night's Dream)|Titania]] ([[Sharon Small]]) and [[Oberon]] ([[Lennie James]]), have a duty to ensure a happy ending, so Oberon gets [[Puck (A Midsummer Night's Dream)|Puck]] ([[Dean Lennox Kelly]]) — portrayed as a sort of magical [[wide boy]] — to try to sort things out with "love juice" eyedrops, while Oberon and Theo discuss their marriages. Puck's efforts inevitably lead to more confusion. Comedian [[Johnny Vegas]] appears as [[Nick Bottom]] who, like the other [[Mechanical (character)|Mechanicals]], is a Dream Park security guard who hopes to make it onto the entertainment staff.

==DVD==
On 26 December 2005, a Region 2 DVD of the episodes was released by [[Acorn Media UK]]. A Region 1 release followed on 24 July 2007 from BBC Warner.

==Notes==
<references />

==External links==
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/shakespeare/tvdramas.shtml The BBC's official ''ShakespeaRe-Told'' site]
*{{IMDb title|0468034|ShakespeaRe-Told ''Much Ado About Nothing''<nowiki/>}}
*{{IMDb title|0453514|ShakespeaRe-Told ''Macbeth''<nowiki/>}}
*{{IMDb title|0453555|ShakespeaRe-Told ''The Taming of the Shrew''<nowiki/>}}
*{{IMDb title|0462425|ShakespeaRe-Told ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''<nowiki/>}}

{{Shakespeare}}
{{Much Ado About Nothing}}
{{Macbeth}}
{{The Taming of the Shrew}}
{{A Midsummer Night's Dream}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2005 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:2005 British television series endings]]
[[Category:Television shows based on works by William Shakespeare]]
[[Category:Modern adaptations of works by William Shakespeare]]
[[Category:Works based on Much Ado About Nothing]]
[[Category:Works based on The Taming of the Shrew]]
[[Category:Works based on Macbeth]]
[[Category:Works based on A Midsummer Night's Dream]]