Silver Spring, MD; July 22, 2008 — First Among Equals, a 10-part adaptation of Jeffrey Archer’s international bestseller, debuts on home video on September 16, 2008 from Acorn Media. This riveting political saga follows four politicians from their first day in Parliament through more than 20 years, as each jockeys to become prime minister. Two-time Oscar®-nominee Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton, In the Bedroom, John Adams), James Faulkner (The Bank Job), David Robb (The Life and Death of Peter Sellers), and Jeremy Child (Amnesia) head an excellent cast as the ambitious—and occasionally unscrupulous—Members of Parliament.

No one knows political intrigue better than Jeffrey Archer, the internationally bestselling author and erstwhile British politician who has seen his share of scandal firsthand. This 1986 production of Archer’s blockbuster novel exposes the sex, money, and power within the hallowed halls of government. Beginning in 1964, the tense drama follows the careers of four members of Parliament from their backbench days through 20-plus years of alliances and betrayals, triumphs and reversals. Each man aims to become prime minister—but only one will succeed.

Crackling with realism—some of it straight out of Archer’s personal experience as a former MP—First Among Equals takes you through the wood-paneled clubs, well-appointed drawing rooms, dingy offices, and secret love nests where deals get done and marriages, careers, and lives are undone. With subplots touching on terrorism, financial chicanery, and a politician’s dalliance with a prostitute, this late 1980s miniseries has lost none of its relevance.

The series also stars Joanna David (The Forsyte Saga), Diana Hardcastle (If Only), Anita Carey (Doctors), Jane Booker (North & South), and Clive Swift (Keeping Up Appearances). The series debuted in the United Kingdom in September 1986 and also aired in the U.S. on public television.

Headquartered in suburban Washington, D.C., Acorn Media distributes distinctive home video releases to the North American market with a special focus on the best of British television. Acorn’s DVD sets are available from select retailers, catalog companies, and direct from Acorn Media at (888) 870-8047 or www.acornonline.com.