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Ian Richardson plays scheming politician, the deliciously villainous Francis Urquhart, in THE HOUSE OF CARDS, who plots his ruthless rise to power through the ranks of his political party in this television mini-series. Based on the best-selling trilogy by Michael Dobbs and set in the Houses of Parliament, this political satire follows the career of MP and anti-hero Urquhart whose election campaign has been plagued by a number of mysterious deaths. The politician's scheming knows no bounds, and he manages to ensnare a member of the royal family in his quest for power. In the second part, TO PLAY THE KING Urquart involves the heir to the throne, the Prince of Wales, whose personal life has already been upset by scandal. The scheming Urquhart's aide shares his deadly secret, but his mistress, who's also a journalist, tries to expose him. He leaves a trail of victims, friend and foe, but nothing stops his rise to power. The last part, THE FINAL CUT sees Urquhart wanting 'to leave his mark on the world' before his tenure as head of Great Britain is over. However, when deadly skeletons in his cupboard, which could eventually bring about his ruin and downfall, keep raising their ugly heads, steps are taken by those closest to him to insure that does not happen.
