| The First Churchills | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Genre | Period drama |
| Starring | |
| Opening theme | "Trumpet Tune (Warlike Consort)" from King Arthur by Henry Purcell |
| Ending theme | "Rondeau" from Abdelazer, or The Moor's Revenge by Henry Purcell |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Camera setup |
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| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Production company | BBC |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC2 |
| Release | 27 September – 13 December 1969 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
The First Churchills is a BBC serial from 1969 about the life of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and his wife, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. It stars John Neville as the duke and Susan Hampshire as the duchess, was written and produced by Donald Wilson, and was directed by David Giles. It is notable as being the first programme shown on PBS's long-running Masterpiece series in the United States. Wilson and Giles were fresh from their success in writing and directing The Forsyte Saga, which also starred Susan Hampshire and Margaret Tyzack.