War and Peace is a British television dramatisation of the 1869 Leo Tolstoy novel War and Peace. This 20-episode series began on 28 September 1972. The BBC dramatisation of Tolstoy's epic story of love and loss set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. Anthony Hopkins heads the cast as Pierre Bezukhov, Morag Hood is Natasha Rostova, Alan Dobie is Andrei Bolkonsky and David Swift is Napoleon, whose decision to invade Russia in 1812 has far-reaching consequences for each of them and their families. The twenty-part serial was produced by David Conroy and directed by John Davies. Conroy's aim was to transfer the characters and plot from Tolstoy's novel to television drama to run for a duration of 15 hours. Scripted by Jack Pulman, this version of War and Peace contained battle sequences, which were filmed in Yugoslavia. The theme tune is the Russian imperial anthem, played by the band of the Welsh Guards. Hopkins received the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his performance, and the production designer Don Homfray won a BAFTA for his work on the series. Production War and Peace followed the success of such literary adaptations as The Forsyte Saga (BBC2, 1967). Charlie Knode designed the costumes. The production took three years (1969–72) and involved location filming in SR Serbia and at English stately homes. Soldiers of the Yugoslav Territorial Defense appeared as extras in battle scenes. Cast Anthony Hopkins as Pierre Bezukhov Alan Dobie as Andrei Nikolayevich Bolkonsky Morag Hood as Natasha Rostova Angela Down as Maria Bolkonskaya Rupert Davies as Count Ilya Rostov Faith Brook as Countess Natalie Rostova David Swift as Napoleon Bonaparte Frank Middlemass as Mikhail Kutuzov Sylvester Morand as Nikolai Rostov Joanna David as Sonya Harry Locke as Platon Karataev Donald Douglas as Tsar Alexander I of Russia John Cazabon as Barclay de Tolly Fiona Gaunt as Hélène Kuragina, wife of Pierre Bezukhov Anthony Jacobs as Prince Nikolay Bolkonsky, father of Andrei and Marya Athene Fielding as Mademoiselle Bourienne, companion to Marya Barnaby Shaw and Rufus Frampton as Petya Rostov Peter Bathurst as Pfuhl Morris Perry as Joseph Fouché Geoffrey Morris as Napoleon's secretary Michael Gover as General Balashev Toby Bridge as young Nikolenka Bolkonsky Neil Stacy as Boris Drubetskoy Anne Blake as Princess Drubetskoya Gary Watson as Denisov Donald Burton as Dolokhov Tony Steedman as Marshal Davout Joseph Wise as Russian officer Colin Baker as Anatole Kuragin