Fan Casting Fielding

In an age of excess, corruption, and the clash of class systems, Henry Fielding emerges as both a moral crusader and an irreverent satirist, determined to expose society's flaws through his razor-sharp pen. "Fielding" is an immersive, gritty, and witty six-part miniseries that takes viewers into the chaotic world of 18th-century London, where politics, literature, and social upheaval collide. The show traces Fielding’s evolution from a young, ambitious man of privilege to a fiery writer who stands up for the marginalized. Starting as a lawyer and magistrate, Fielding navigates the corruption of the legal system, which propels him into a life of literary rebellion. He uses his pen as a weapon to critique a society rife with inequality, scandal, and hypocrisy—most famously in works like The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, and Jonathan Wild. We follow Fielding's struggles and relationships, including his tumultuous marriage, his battle with alcoholism, his chronic health problems, and the inevitable loss of his fortune. As a writer, he is celebrated and vilified, often at odds with the establishment he seeks to critique. At the same time, Fielding’s passionate love for the theater, his friendships with other writers (like Samuel Johnson), and his complex political leanings—torn between Whig and Tory ideologies—highlight his unshakable desire for reform in all areas of life.