# Peter the Great (miniseries)

Peter the Great is a 1986 American biographical historical drama television miniseries directed by Marvin J. Chomsky and Lawrence Schiller, based on Robert K. Massie's 1980 non-fiction book Peter the Great: His Life and World. It stars an ensemble cast consisting of Maximilian Schell, Vanessa Redgrave, Omar Sharif, Trevor Howard, Laurence Olivier, Helmut Griem, Jan Niklas, Elke Sommer, Renée Soutendijk, Ursula Andress, and Mel Ferrer.
The miniseries received generally positive reviews from critics and won three Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Miniseries. It was also nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Miniseries or Television Film.

## Cast

* Maximilian Schell as Peter the Great
* Jan Niklas as Peter the Great in early adulthood
* Vanessa Redgrave as Tsarevna Sophia
* Omar Sharif as Prince Feodor Romodanovsky
* Laurence Olivier as William III and II, King of England, Scotland and Ireland
* Trevor Howard as Sir Isaac Newton
* Ursula Andress as Athalie
* Olegar Fedoro as Boyar Lopukhin
* Natalya Andrejchenko as Tsaritsa Eudoxia Lopukhina
* Helmut Griem as Captain Alexander Menshikov
* Renée Soutendijk as Anna Mons (Peter's Dutch mistress)
* Hanna Schygulla as Catherine Skavronskaya (Peter's 2nd mistress and later on wife)
* Christoph Eichhorn as Charles XII, King of Sweden
* Lilli Palmer as Tsarina Natalya, mother of Peter the Great
* Mel Ferrer as Frederick I, King in Prussia
* Elke Sommer as Charlotte, Queen in Prussia
* Jan Malmsjö as The Patriarch
* Boris Plotnikov as Tsarevich Alexis
* Jeremy Kemp as General Patrick Gordon
* Geoffrey Whitehead as Prince Vasily Golitsyn
* Graham McGrath as young adult Peter the Great
* Günther Maria Halmer as Tolstoi
* Dennis DeMarne as the figure of Peter the Great at the narrating scenes of the later years
* Ann Zacharias as Daria Lund, the mistress of Captain Alexander Menshikov
* Algis Arlauskas as Father Theodosius
The series was released as a three-tape VHS box (set in 1992, then, in 1994, as a single, lengthy VHS tape).

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| 1986 | 38th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Miniseries | Marvin J. Chomsky Lawrence Schiller Konstantin Thoeren | Won |
| 1986 | 38th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special | Vanessa Redgrave | Nominated |
| 1986 | 38th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) | "Part 1" Laurence Rosenthal | Won |
| 1986 | 38th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or a Special | "Part 1" John Blezard Alfred Dobsak Alexander Popov | Nominated |
| 1986 | 38th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Special | "Part 3" Vittorio Storaro | Nominated |
| 1986 | 38th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Costume Design for a Miniseries or a Special | "Part 1" Ella Maklakova Sibylle Ulsamer | Won |
| 1986 | 38th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries or a Special | "Part 1" David D. Caldwell Dan Carlin Sr. Terry Chambers Paul B. Clay Brian Courcier Dan Finnerty James Koford Linda Moss Richard Raderman Greg Stacy Marty Stein James Troutman Mike Virnig | Nominated |
| 1986 | 33rd Golden Reel Awards | Television Mini-Series: Sound Editing | Greg Stacy Sync-Pop | Nominated |
| 1987 | 44th Golden Globe Awards | Best Miniseries or Television Film | Peter the Great | Nominated |
| 1987 | 44th Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film | Jan Niklas | Nominated |
| 1987 | 44th Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Lilli Palmer | Nominated |
| 1987 | 39th Writers Guild of America Awards | Television: Long Form – Adapted | Edward Anhalt | Won |
| 1987 | 22nd Goldene Kamera | Best German Actress | Hanna Schygulla | Won |