Miniseries · BBC One
War and Peace
Brought to life for a new generation.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Paul Dano
Pierre Bezukhov
6 eps
Lily James
Natasha Rostova
6 eps
James Norton
Andrei Bolkonsky
6 eps
Gillian Anderson
Anna Pavlovna Scherer
6 eps
Olivia Ross
Mademoiselle Bourienne
6 eps
Jessie Buckley
Marya Bolkonskaya
6 eps
Aneurin Barnard
Boris Drubetskoy
6 eps
Greta Scacchi
Natalya Rostova
6 eps
Aisling Loftus
Sonya Rostova
6 eps
Tom Burke
Fedor Dolokhov
6 eps
Tuppence Middleton
Helene Kuragina
6 eps
Adrian Edmondson
Ilya Rostov
6 eps
Brian Cox
Mikhail Kutuzov
6 eps
Jack Lowden
Nikolai Rostov
6 eps
Stephen Rea
Vassily Kuragin
6 eps
Ken Stott
Bazdeev
6 eps
Rebecca Front
Anna Mikhailovna
6 eps
Jim Broadbent
Prince Bolkonsky
6 eps
Kenneth Cranham
Uncle Mikhail
6 eps
Callum Turner
Anatole Kuragin
6 eps
Mathieu Kassovitz
Napoleon Bonaparte
6 eps
Chloe Pirrie
Julie Karegina
6 eps
Pip Torrens
Prince Bagration
6 eps
Laurent Maurel
French Viscount
1 eps
Kate Phillips
Lise Bolkonskaya
1 eps
Kit Connor
Petya Rostov
3 eps
Vesta Grabštaitė
Rostov Maid
1 eps
Fenella Woolgar
Catiche Kuragina
1 eps
Ferdinandas Jakšys
Old Count Bezukhov
1 eps
Julia Rayner
Sophie Bezukhova
1 eps
David Quilter
Tikhon
2 eps
Jolyon Coy
Kaisorov
2 eps
Ludger Pistor
General Mack
1 eps
Thomas Arnold
Vassily Denisov
2 eps
Oscar Pearce
Lieutenant Colonel
1 eps
Michael Shelford
Russian Infantry Soldier
1 eps
Petras Kuneika
Pierre's Friend
1 eps
Michael Epp
Austrian Official
1 eps
William Brand
Austrian War Minister
1 eps
Thomas Arnold
Vassily Denisov
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How War and Peace actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
War and Peace reads strongest on Character Depth, Bingeability and Serialized.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
The love story of young Countess Natasha Rostova and Count Pierre Bezukhov is interwoven with the Great Patriotic War of 1812 against Napoleon's invading army.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E05
Episode 5
Napoleon outrages the Russian emperor by marching his army towards Moscow.
- Directed by Tom Harper
- Written by Andrew Davies
S01E06
Episode 6
As Napoleon marches into Moscow, the Rostovs rush to leave the city.
- Directed by Tom Harper
- Written by Andrew Davies
S01E02
Episode 2
As Andrei prepares for a great battle, Pierre struggles with married life.
- Directed by Tom Harper
- Written by Andrew Davies
S01E04
Episode 4
Natasha is shocked by Andrei's decision to delay the wedding and travel abroad for a year.
- Directed by Tom Harper
- Written by Andrew Davies
S01E03
Episode 3
A nervous Pierre fights a duel. Natasha and Sonya receive unexpected proposals.
- Directed by Tom Harper
- Written by Andrew Davies
S01E01
Episode 1
Russia is drawn into war with France, changing the lives of three young people forever.
- Directed by Tom Harper
- Written by Andrew Davies
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Julia StannardProducer
- Andrew DaviesExecutive Producer
- Robert WalakExecutive Producer
- Harvey WeinsteinExecutive Producer
- Bethan JonesExecutive Producer
- Simon VaughanExecutive Producer
Writing
- Andrew DaviesWriter
Direction
- Tom HarperDirector
Cinematography
- George SteelDirector of Photography
Music
- Martin PhippsOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon Prime VideoStreaming
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Peacock PremiumStreaming
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- Fandango At HomeBuy
- Criterion ChannelStreaming
- Amazon Prime Video with AdsStreaming
- Peacock Premium PlusStreaming
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
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