David Tennant in a 18th-century velvet coat. That’s usually enough to get people interested. But honestly, the Casanova 2005 TV serial is so much more than just a costume drama or a vehicle for a future Doctor Who. It’s a weird, neon-colored, heartbreaking, and surprisingly funny masterpiece that feels like it was filmed five minutes ago rather than two decades ago.
Most people hear "Casanova" and think of a hollow womanizer. A predator, maybe. Or just a guy in a powdered wig jumping out of windows. But when Russell T Davies sat down to write this three-part miniseries for the BBC, he wasn't interested in a dry history lesson. He wanted to talk about love. Specifically, the kind of love that ruins your life and makes you better at the same time. It’s vibrant. It’s loud.
The double-edged sword of the Casanova 2005 TV serial
You get two Casanovas for the price of one here. There’s the young, scrappy, incredibly manic version played by Tennant. Then there’s the older, cynical Giacomo, played by the late, legendary Peter O’Toole. The show bounces between them. We see the old man working as a librarian in a cold, dusty castle in Bohemia, looking back on a life that was essentially a fireworks display.
The structure is clever because it forces you to care about the consequences. In most biopics, you just see the "greatest hits" of a person's life. Here, every time young Casanova wins, we see the older version’s face, and we see what he lost. Peter O’Toole’s eyes in this show are basically a masterclass in acting. He looks like a man who has seen everything and regrets just enough of it to be interesting.
It’s about the hunt for Henriette. That’s the core. Rose Byrne plays her with this grounded, almost modern sensibility that makes you understand why a man would spend fifty years trying to find his way back to her. She isn't just another notch on his bedpost. She’s the one who actually saw him.
Breaking the "period drama" rules
If you hate period dramas, you’ll probably love the Casanova 2005 TV serial. Why? Because it refuses to be polite. The colors are cranked up to eleven. The music isn't just harpsichords; it’s got this driving, pop energy. The costumes look like something from a high-fashion runway in Milan rather than a museum exhibit.
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Russell T Davies brought the same energy here that he brought to the revival of Doctor Who. He’s interested in the "now." Even though the characters are wearing stays and breeches, they talk like us. They feel like us. When Casanova is poor, you feel the hunger. When he’s rich, you feel the absurdity of the wealth.
There’s a scene where Casanova is trying to impress the nobility in Venice, and it’s played for laughs, but there’s this undercurrent of desperation. He’s a con man. He knows he doesn’t belong there. He’s the son of actors—the lowest of the low in the 1700s—and he’s basically bluffing his way through the highest circles of Europe. It’s a classic "fake it 'til you make it" story, but with more silk.
Accuracy vs. entertainment
Let’s be real for a second. Is this a 100% factual documentary? No. Not even close. If you want the gritty, boring details of the real Giacomo Casanova’s life, you should go read his Histoire de ma vie. It’s thousands of pages long and has way more talk about gambling debts than most people can handle.
The Casanova 2005 TV serial takes the spirit of the memoirs and turns it into a myth. The real Casanova was probably a lot more difficult to like. He was often broke, often sick, and sometimes quite cruel. The show sands off those edges to give us a romantic hero we can actually root for. But it keeps the important stuff: the escape from the Leads prison in Venice, the travels across Europe, and the meeting with Catherine the Great.
Interestingly, the show gets the vibe of the Enlightenment right. It was a time of massive change. People were starting to question the church and the monarchy. Science was becoming the new religion. Casanova represents that shift—he’s a man who lives by his wits rather than his birthright. That’s the most authentic part of the whole production.
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Why we are still talking about it twenty years later
Digital cinematography was still in its relative infancy when this was made, yet the show looks better than most things on Netflix today. Director Sheree Folkson used these wide lenses and fast cuts that give the whole thing a breathless feeling. You’re never bored.
The supporting cast is also low-key incredible. You’ve got Nina Sosanya, Shaun Parkes, and even a young Matt Lucas. They all treat the material with a mix of reverence and irreverence.
But the reason it sticks is the ending. It doesn’t give you the easy, happy Hollywood wrap-up. It deals with the reality of aging and the tragedy of being a "man of the world" who eventually runs out of world to explore. It’s a story about a librarian who used to be a legend.
How to watch and what to look for
If you’re going to dive into the Casanova 2005 TV serial for the first time, or maybe a rewatch, keep an eye on the transitions. The way the show moves from the 1790s back to the mid-1700s is seamless. It’s all tied together by Casanova’s voiceover, which feels like he’s whispering secrets directly into your ear.
- Look for the chemistry: The scenes between Tennant and Byrne are the heartbeat of the show. Without that spark, it’s just a guy running around in a wig.
- Notice the lighting: Venice is filmed in these warm, golden hues, while the later years in the castle are blue, grey, and stagnant. It’s visual storytelling at its best.
- Listen to the dialogue: RTD writes dialogue that moves at 100mph. You might need to rewind a few times to catch the jokes.
Finding the series today
Tracking down the Casanova 2005 TV serial can be a bit of a hunt depending on where you live. It often pops up on streaming services like BritBox or the BBC iPlayer in the UK. Physical media collectors usually hunt down the DVD because the bit-rate on old streaming versions can be a bit crunchy.
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For the best experience, try to find the uncut version. Some international broadcasts trimmed out the more "mature" moments to fit a specific time slot, but you lose a bit of the show's wild, hedonistic soul when you do that.
Moving forward with the Casanova legend
If this show sparks an interest in the era or the man himself, your next move shouldn't be another movie (avoid the 2005 Heath Ledger film—it’s fine, but it lacks the heart of this serial). Instead, look into the actual memoirs. Just be warned: the real Giacomo is a lot more complicated than David Tennant makes him look.
You can also check out the work of the production team. This series was essentially the "dry run" for the 2005 Doctor Who launch. You can see the same DNA—the fast talking, the emotional stakes, the slightly camp but deeply sincere tone. It’s a pivot point in British television history.
Don't just watch it as a history piece. Watch it as a study on how to live life loudly. That’s what Casanova would have wanted. He didn't want to be remembered as a saint; he wanted to be remembered as someone who was never, ever bored. And this serial ensures that he never will be.
Check your local digital libraries or specialized British TV streaming apps to see if the rights are currently active in your region. Most fans find that a physical DVD copy is the only way to guarantee access to the full, unedited three-part experience without regional "blackouts."