his pet activities: painting, and building walls around the family house. Clemmie eventually returns, and the couple are reconciled. A young official in the government, Ralph Wigram (Linus Roache) has become concerned about the growth of the German Luftwaffe (air force), and is convinced by his wife to leak information about it to Churchill. Shortly afterwards, Churchill uses Wigram's information to launch an attack on the appeasement policies of Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin (Derek Jacobi). In 1936, Wigram commits suicide. With Churchill's fortunes restored, by September 1939, with the declaration of war against Germany at the start of World War II, and the announcement that Churchill will be taking over command of the Royal Navy again as First Lord of the Admiralty. An impatient Churchill bids farewell to the staff at the country house, and travels to London. Arriving in the middle of the night at the Admiralty, Churchill is met by a Royal Marine corporal who informs him the fleet have already been signalled that "Winston is Back", to which Churchill triumphantly replies, "And so he bloody well is!" Cast Albert Finney as Winston Churchill Vanessa Redgrave as Clementine "Clemmie" Churchill Jim Broadbent as Desmond Morton Linus Roache as Ralph Wigram Lena Headey as Ava Wigram Derek Jacobi as Stanley Baldwin Ronnie Barker as David Inches Tom Wilkinson as Sir Robert Vansittart Celia Imrie as Violet Pearman Hugh Bonneville as Ivo Pettifer Gottfried John as Friedrich von Schroder Anthony Brophy as Brendan Bracken Edward Hardwicke as Mr. Wood Tom Hiddleston as Randolph Churchill Tim Bentinck as John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Churchill's ancestor Dolly Wells as Sarah Churchill Emma Seigel as Mary Churchill Nancy Carroll as Diana Churchill John Standing as Lord Moyne Gerrard McArthur as Vic Oliver Locations Chartwell House was Churchill's real-life family home and was used for the scenes at his house and grounds. Reception In 2016, Mark Lawson of The Guardian chose The Gathering Storm as the most memorable television portrayal of Churchill. He wrote: "This BBC-HBO account of Churchill's return from exile to save his nation will always be the one to beat. Finney doesn’t take many roles, and his meticulous preparation is apparent: he uncannily walks and talks almost exactly as Churchill did, while also vividly suggesting – especially in a scene where the leader, nude in his bathroom, dictates a speech to a secretary – the character’s battles between body and