S1, E1: Ken Russell had wanted to make a film about the composer Edward Elgar as early as 1959 but it wasn't until the success of his documentary about the Russian composer Prokofiev that the BBC gave him the opportunity, along with a greater budget and running time. Utilising extensive locations, including Elgar's birthplace of Birchwood Lodge as well as newsreel footage and photographs of Elgar and his family, the production also involved an increased amount of 'reconstructions'. The film sets out to rescue the composer from his association with jingoism and 'pomp and circumstance' as well as successfully making the case for understanding Elgar as a 'full-bloodied romantic' rather than simply a 'drum-beating patriot'. Elgar sealed Russell's reputation as a director, launching his career in the film industry and firmly establishing him as one of television's leading auteurs.