Set in Victorian era England with a backdrop of parliamentary life, Simon Raven's dramatisation covers six novels and follows the events and characters over two decades.

The series begins with the story of Lady Glencora, fiancée of the dry, aristocratic Plantagenet Palliser, who will inherit the title of the Duke of Omnium and Gatherum from his uncle.

Whilst Plantagenet succeeds in his political aspirations, Irish barrister Phineas Finn is elected to Parliament for the family seat of Loughshane.

In London, Finn rises quickly in society and falls in love with Lady Laura Standish, who is struggling to maintain her lifestyle after paying off the debts of her brother, Lord Chiltern.

Lady Laura marries Robert Kennedy, a wealthy Scottish MP, and Finn is forced to resign after a defeat on the Irish Tenant Right issue.

Alice Vavasor cannot decide which man she loves - the upright but boring John Grey, or the dashing but unreliable cousin George, whom she has turned down once already.

Just as Phineas screws up courage to ask Lady Laura to marry him, she forestalls him by telling him she has accepted a proposal of marriage from Finn's wealthy fellow parliamentarian Robert Kennedy.

"[4] Production stretched over 13 months and the series was transmitted at the height of industrial action in the UK, marked by Three-Day Weeks and power shortages at the start of 1974.

A sudden general election called for February 1974 resulted in the postponement of the series as it dealt with political storylines heavily featuring the Liberal Party, albeit completely fictional.

In Clark's opinion: "The Pallisers stands as a reminder of how satisfying television drama can be when writers, producers and directors concentrate on emotion instead of editing, and don't underestimate their audience.