The Roads to Freedom (TV serial)
The Roads to Freedom is a 13-part drama British serial broadcast on BBC2 in 1970. Based on the trilogy of novels by Jean-Paul Sartre, "The Roads to Freedom" was adapted for television by David Turner and directed by James Cellan Jones. The serial was repeated in 1972 and again in 1977. Script. David Turner spent fifteen months on the script. While Sartre's trilogy is divided into three more or less equal parts - "The Age of Reason, The Reprieve and Iron in the Soul" – Turner's adaptation was divided as "The Age  of Reason" (6 episodes), "The Reprieve" (3 episodes) and "The Defeated" (4 episodes), thereby placing greater emphasis on the protagonists' pre-war lives in Paris. Controversy. Reception was mixed. The series drew several comments over its nude scenes and frank sexual references, including a comic yet highly sympathetic portrayal of a homosexual man. Some doubted if Sartre could or should be adapted for television. Theme Music. The show's theme song, "La Route est Dure", was sung by Georgia Brown, who also played the part of Lola. Awards and nominations. "The Roads to Freedom" was nominated for five BAFTAs (Best  Writer, Best Drama Production, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Design). In 1971 David Turner won the Writers Guild award for 'Best British Television Dramatization: Jean Paul Sartre's Roads To Freedom (BBC)'. Legacy. The serial has never received a home media release in any format, although all episodes are retained in the BBC's archives. In 2011, considerable interest was generated by a screening of episodes 7,8 and 9 as part of a BFI season dedicated to director James Cellan Jones. The following year a "rare and complete screening" took place at the BFI South Bank, with all thirteen  45-minute episodes being shown on the 12 & 13 May.