Death Comes to Pemberley: PBS Sunday Oct 26 & Nov 2

Matthew Rhys and Anna Maxwell Martin in Death Comes to Pemberley

I haven't seen a new Jane Austen adaptation in a while and boy did I enjoy Death Comes to Pemberley! I admit I was a bit nervous when I watched this, as I didn't really like the book, a murder mystery sequel to Pride and Prejudice by mystery writer P.D. James. The book was OK, but a bit of a yawn. Fan fiction by a 94 year old Jane Austen fan, albeit well written I suppose.

James Fleet and Rebecca Front as Mr. and Mrs. Bennett

However, add a few of my favorite actors (inspired casting to have Anna Maxwell Martin as our beloved Lizzy!) and set it at one of the all time top English Country Houses, Chatsworth, and I was hooked within the first few scenes. This is 3 hours of pure pleasure and I can't wait to see it again on my HD TV this time when Part 1 airs tomorrow. Having almost the entire three hours set in and around Chatsworth makes one realize how little we saw of it when it was used as Pemberley in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

Matthew Goode as the wicked Mr. Wickham

Many familiar faces and fabulous actors flesh out the other roles (other than Lizzy and the filming location, which might have been enough for me). Matthew Goode as Wickham played the role with some depth, as did Jenna Coleman as Lydia. What a great take on the relationship which none of us had much hope for, including Jane Austen! And the chemistry between Anna Maxwell Martin and Matthew Rhys as Mr. and Mrs. Darcy caused me to rewind a few sections just to see the love and playfulness a bit more. Mmmmm.

Mr. and Mrs. Darcy- great chemistry not apparent in this photo!

Then add in James Fleet (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Sense and Sensibility) as Mr. Bennett, Eleanor Tomlinson and James Norton as Georgiana Darcy and her love interest and the awesome Joanna Scanlon (Mrs. Dickens from The Invisible Woman) as Mrs. Reynolds and you have a winner.

Too bad they made my beloved Colonel Fitswilliam into a creep (plot related I understand but still!) and Penelope Keith as Lady Catherine de Bourgh sounded a bit more like Lady Bracknell from The Importance of Being Earnest but that is nit picking I suppose.

So just pour a cuppa and turn on the telly tomorrow and enjoy the ride. It might be a while before we get another one this good!

Philomena is phantastic!

I finally had the chance to see Philomena (as a treat for my birthday getaway weekend) and what a treat it was! This is my kind of film.

I will try not to give too much away, but it is based on the true story of Philomena Lee, an Irish woman who was "convinced" shall we say to give away her out of wedlock child to adoption by an American couple in the 1950s. A half century later, on what would be the child's 50th birthday, Philomena (played expertly by Judi Dench) admits the existence of her son for the first time to her adult daughter (Anna Maxwell Martin, whom I adore).

At times heart wrenching and then, in a moment, hilariously quirky (in the way that British films seem to do so well), it takes you on a roller coaster ride as she enlists the help of a jaded journalist Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) to help find her lost child. It then ends on a happy note, so what more could I ask?

The girl who plays Philomena as a teenager is absolutely astoundingly talented, and Steve Coogan has much more depth than I realized. Judi Dench and Anna Maxwell Martin are always wonderful, and how they got those toddlers to act is beyond me! Kudos! Stephen Frears is a director who has given us many great films such as The Queen and Dangerous Liaisons. I also really liked the rather quirky Tamara Drewe myself.

I am glad to see that the film is getting some good word of mouth and I hope my dear readers will all see it and love it as much as I did. It may be difficult for some Catholics to watch (and some Republicans if you can believe the American press) however the real Philomena Lee is quite pleased with the film and remains a staunch Catholic to this day. Her capacity for forgiveness and optimism is truly admirable.

If you want to read the book written by Martin Sixsmith, the journalist involved, it is called The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, retitled Philomena for the North American market.

Cheers and enjoy!

Longbourn by Jo Baker

I have recently been swallowed up by a book, Longbourn by Jo Baker. This is going to be a short post because I am nearing the end of this totally absorbing story and I want to get back to it.

If you haven't heard of Longbourn yet, it is the story of what happened below stairs in the Pride and Prejudice story. Not only a brilliant concept, but brilliantly executed. We tend to forget who actually made those big country houses tick, and the story of the maids, cooks and footmen make for just as riveting a novel as the original. At times I forgot it was the P&P story, until, for instance, Elizabeth reappears and tells the main character (maid Sarah) that she is coming to stay at Hunsford parsonage with her when she visits Charlotte Lucas. To which I said to myself, "Oh, goody! Let's get Sarah's spin on the whole Darcy issue!"

Random House Australia provided this adorable character map if you would like to see who the downstairs folk are. Or you could just be surprised. Suffice it to say, this one is a great read and will make a wonderful film. I would be surprised if the film rights aren't already spoken for. I look forward to this future film much more than the one already being made Death Comes to Pemberley, a miniseries adaptation of P.D.James's murder mystery sequel to Pride and Prejudice, even though that one stars a fave of mine, Anna Maxwell Martin.

So that is all I am going to tell you about this wonderful book. You are just going to have to check it out for yourself. And picture the film as you read it!

Cheers!

P.S. Now that I have finished the book, I can give it an unqualified recommendation. There is a happy ending (unlike so many modern novels). As well, it will make you feel pretty awesome about yourself and all you do. We are the cooks, maids, gardeners, housekeepers, nannies and income earners these days. Not to mention that we manage to be as captivating and handsome as the Bennet sisters all the while. Well, some of the time anyway!!

The Bletchley Circle starts Sunday April 21 on PBS

The Bletchley Circle is a brilliant period mystery drama series airing on PBS starting Sunday April 21 at 10 o'clock and continuing each of the following 2 Sunday nights.

It follows four highly intelligent women who were code breakers working at Bletchley Park decrypting codes and ciphers (most importantly those generated by the German Enigma and Lorenz machines). These women were recruited either through networks at the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Aberdeen or through newspaper contests asking to hear from people good at puzzles and crosswords. Little did they know they would be changing the course of the war.

Already awesome, right?

But just as we are finding out how supremely talented these women were, we jump ahead 8 years to 1952 and we find out that not only are they all leading boring pedestrian lives, but because of the National Secrets Act none of their friends and family are aware that they did anything more than clerical work during the war.

Anna Maxwell Martin (I love her!) plays the main character Susan, married to a nice steady bloke with a government job and is raising two lovely little children. She is happy but...so incredibly bored!

Susan has been tracking the trail left by a serial killer, trying to find the pattern of his killings and thereby help the police with their investigation using only information from the radio and newspaper.

She soon finds out that she is over her head and decides to enlist her friends from Bletchley who each have a particular gift so they can put their heads together. Lucy (Sophie Rundle) has a photographic memory and can recall things like she has a computer in her head.

Mousy Jean (Julie Graham) is working in a library but has access to people who can get her the information they need. They don't publish everything in the newspapers you know!

Rachel Stirling plays Millie the tarty waitress who traveled the world before she ran out of money and has an affinity for maps. I love this story, I love these women and I can't wait to find out how it ends. If you missed this episode you will be able to catch up on PBS Masterpiece.

Enjoy!

Ripper Street, Parade's End, Mr. Selfridge and more

Any fans of Matthew Macfadyen out there? You may want to check out Ripper Street, a BBC production coming to BBC America this Saturday January 19th at 9 pm. Called CSI Victorian London by The Telegraph, this is apparently a fairly gory but interesting and well produced crime drama, which just happens to be set in the 1880s.

There seem to be mixed reviews on this one. Some are really loving it, others are not so impressed. It is airing on Sunday nights in the UK right now and Mr. Selfridge, the much lighter-hearted story of the great retailer (ITV and Andrew Davies) is beating it out in ratings for the after Sunday dinner crowd. Any Brits out there who can weigh in on Ripper Street?

Parade's End, which airs on HBO on Tuesday February 26th is another one which is hard to make out. There are fabulous reviews and others ones which are lukewarm. Sumptuously filmed by the BBC, this adaptation of a classic English novel about the Great War may draw a few of us viewers just to see the gorgeous chameleon Benedict Cumberbatch. Apparently his fans in America (The Cumberbitches) will be thrilled. It is also packed with other stars such as Rebecca Hall, Rupert Everett, Miranda Richardson, Rufus Sewell, etc, etc. Too many to list!

I caught a snatch of this on YouTube before it was yanked and I liked it. However one viewer called it Parade Never Ends, so perhaps it drags toward the end. Again, anyone seen this and like to weigh in?

I am going to stick my neck out and predict that Mr. Selfridge, an ITV production written by the wonderful Andrew Davies (Pride and Prejudice, Bleak House, Sense and Sensibility) will be a little more universally appealing than the previous two offerings. Described as Downton in a department store, this one follows Harry Selfridge (Jeremy Piven) "The Showman Behind the Retail Empire" of Selfridges.

This one airs on PBS in March in 10 episodes (!!!) so all of a sudden, the winter looks shorter to me. Lots to look forward to.

The Bletchley Circle doesn't air until April 21 on PBS, but this story of 4 former code cracking ladies from Bletchley Park who find post-war Britain very dull and so move into solving a murder sounds like fun. Anna Maxwell Martin (Bleak House and Becoming Jane) is always wonderful to watch. We get the second season of Call the Midwife around the same time in the spring as well.

Not a period drama (but truly my cup of tea), Quartet is a light dramedy about the residents of a "retirement castle" (it is truly sumptuous) for classical musicians. The entire supporting cast are actually talented retirees and the stars are some of the best "experienced" actors that Britain has to offer. Dustin Hoffman directed this one and apparently had his hands full keeping Maggie Smith in line. I will be seeing this soon and will post a review.

Anyhow, there you have a sneak peek at some coming attractions. Anything else you are looking forward to that I neglected to mention? Or opinions on the above? Please comment below. We ALL want to hear from ALL of you!

South Riding with Anna Maxwell Martin

Anna Maxwell Martin in South Riding

I have really enjoyed South Riding, although it is getting mixed reviews online. This 3 part series is based on the 1936 novel South Riding by Winifred Holtby about an idealistic headstrong young woman who goes back to her home riding in Yorkshire to become headmistress at a struggling girl's school during the depression. Of course there is conflict with the town council, two love interests and some interesting girls for the lead character Sarah Burton to deal with. There are a few extramarital rolls in the hay and some heartrendingly difficult to watch scenes if that would put anyone off, but I was transfixed.

The costumes and scenery are amazing and the acting is first rate. It really made me want to read what I understand is a great novel. I will likely pick it up right after I finish my current read (Year of Wonders:A novel of the Plague about the Derbyshire village of Eyam which quarantined itself in 1666-this one would make a good film too). I think to best entice you all to see this one, and help those who need to catch up on the characters before next week, I'll give you the BBC character sketches:

Anna Maxwell Martin as Sarah Burton

Sarah Burton is an ambitious and modern career woman, a headmistress who is determined to show her girls that the future is theirs for the taking. She has returned from London to her place of birth, the South Riding, determined to make a difference and implement change. However, beneath the self-confidence is a flawed and vulnerable heroine, whose ideals will be heavily tested when they come up against the messy reality of life.

David Morrisey as Robert Carne

Robert Carne is a brooding, troubled gentleman farmer. On the surface, he may appear snobbish, obstructive and backward-looking but he is actually just trying to protect the way of life in the countryside that he so believes in and loves. He is equally protective of his delicate young daughter, Midge, who reminds him constantly of her mother, his beloved wife now lost to him. Carne is a man trapped in the past but the world of the thirties is a rapidly changing place...

Katherine McGolpin as Midge Carne

Midge Carne is fourteen and has never been to school. She has been privately educated by a string of governesses who have struggled to control this highly-strung girl. With money tight and Midge clearly in need of company, Robert Carne decides to send his daughter to the local school. It's a serious shock for Midge, being told what to do and forced to socialise with local grocers' daughters! But despite her initial snobbery and fear, Midge forms a deep affection for Miss Burton and increasingly finds school a much needed refuge from her troubled home life.

Douglas Henshall as Joe Astell

Joe Astell is, like Carne, a veteran of the Great War. Unlike Carne it has left him with a deep distaste for its memory and a determination that matches Sarah's to make the world a better place in its aftermath. Born in Glasgow he forged his politics in the shipyards of the Clyde and came to Yorkshire during the Depression to work with the trawlermen of the South Riding. Sarah Burton is exactly the kind of woman he has hoped to meet - passionate, political, free thinking - and Joe can't help but wonder if she might be part of his future.

Penelope Wilton as Mrs. Beddows

Mrs Beddows is a strong woman ahead of her times: she is the district's first alderwoman and a formidable and vocal presence on the County Council. Beneath that surface, however, she is as hopelessly romantic as a young girl, privately battling against the disappointments of life.

John Henshaw as Mr. Huggins

Alfred Huggins is a man tormented both by earthly desires and by the desire to do good. He is a man of the cloth, whose heart genuinely bleeds for the poor of the South Riding, whose eye will always be caught by a pretty girl, and whose soul will be in torment after. In agonies of lust for young Bessy Warbuckle he exposes himself to blackmail and in a bid to get hold of enough money to pay her off, becomes embroiled in a piece of political corruption that may lead to his ruin... 

Charlie May-Clark as Lydia Holly

Lydia Holly is a teenage girl with huge academic potential but very limiting social circumstances. She lives in a railway carriage in a shanty town known locally as The Shacks with her parents and five siblings. Until now, Lydia's had to stay at home and help her mother raise the children but at last she can take up her scholarship at Kiplington High School. Sarah Burton recognises a gift in Lydia. She knows that education could entirely transform this girl's life but will Lydia ever be able to escape the cycle of poverty that has trapped her family for generations?

Shaun Dooley as Mr. Holly

Mr Holly is a labourer with a love for simple pleasures; a warm curd tart or a warm cuddle from his wife will send him to bed with a smile. Even if he has to share that bed with his wife and most of his six children! He lives in a railway carriage in the local shanty town, The Shacks, but he's happy and reckons they've got the best sea views in the whole of South Riding. Mr Holly's own education was curtailed as a boy because he had to work to support his family. Now he dreams his daughter Lydia will fulfil her potential in a way he never could, but when tragedy strikes, everything they both hoped for is threatened. 

Well, you know I will be watching this one for the next two Sunday nights on PBS. And I hope those of you who like to read some of these classics will also enjoy the novel.

Oh, one little explanation for those who watched the first episode and wondered what Robert Carne was doing with the vial and breathing into the handkerchief.  Apparently the character of Robert Carne has angina and he is breathing in amyl nitrite, a vasodilator, similar to the nitroglycerin used these days. You will see him use this again in episode 2 so I thought I would mention this for those who are puzzled.

Cheers and I hope you will enjoy this little gem, but just understand that this is a bit grittier than some of Masterpiece Theatre's more recent offerings. A very interesting look at regular folk's lives in Northern England during the time period between the two great wars.

Bleak House in the Bleak Midwinter

Bleak House BBC cast photo

My birthday present to myself this year was yet another Amazon shopping spree. It was pointed out to me by a few of my readers when I photographed and posted my DVD collection for snooping, that I was missing a couple of critical Dickens/BBC biggies, namely Bleak House and Little Dorrit. Both of these I had seen on television and so somehow never bought. Well, after Downton Abbey, the timing was perfect for another wonderful series to take the place of the schlock on TV this winter.

If you have never seen this adaptation of Dickens' scathing take on the legal profession (as only Dickens can do), you need to buy, borrow, rent or otherwise procure this series, as it is one of the best things the BBC has ever produced. EVER!

Gillian Anderson as Lady Deadlock-"Bored to death!"

Gillian Anderson, having been brought up on two continents, switches effortlessly to a British accent (no Scully here) and is amazing to watch as the "bored to death" Lady Deadlock. Her situation as the wife of an older rather soulless aristocrat makes her an odd object of pity. She is, simply, riveting to watch.

Anna Maxwell Martin as the true heroine, Esther Summerson

Anna Maxwell Martin does a wonderful job of portraying the main character, Esther Summerson, a role which could be bland and boring, but is not at all in Martin's capable hands. Unfortunately, she looks nothing like her supposed mother in this so suspend your disbelief if you will.

Denis Lawson as Red Two (Wedge) in Star Wars-I knew I had seen those eyebrows somewhere!

Denis Lawson a few years later as Mr. John Jarndyce

Denis Lawson does a lovely job with another character that could come off as bland, Mr. John Jarndyce. Apparently, he invented a back story to explain why John Jarndyce is still a bachelor at this age (a crushingly broken heart of course) which helped him bring the character to life.
I had to look up Denis Lawson on IMDb to find out where I had seen him before, and of course it was as one of the X-Wing fighter pilots in the 3 original Star Wars episodes. Apparently, his role as Red Two (Wedge) inspired both of his nephews in their careers. One nephew, Ewan McGregor, became an actor and another nephew, Colin McGregor became a pilot in the RAF!

Philip Davis as Mr. Smallweed "Shake me up Judy"

OMG my husband (the Squire) is still walking around saying "Shake me up Judy" two weeks after watching this! This was one of the most hilarious things I have ever seen on the screen. Philip Davis must have had a blast with this character, and character is definitely the word!

Burn Gorman as the unforgettable Mr. Guppy

Speaking of characters, they could not have cast Mr. Guppy any better than they did with the odd looking Burn Gorman. He has a face that was meant to play a Dickens character. The scene where he proposes to Esther is absolutely priceless. "My Angel!"

Charles Dance as the oily evil Mr. Tulkinghorn

Patrick Kennedy as Richard Carstone and Carey Mulligan as Ada Clare "The Jarndyce Wards"

Nathaniel Parker as Mr. Harold Skimpole "I am like a child..."

Well, I could go on and on but in short, you have to see this. You have missed one of the best period dramas ever if you miss this one. If you only saw it on PBS, it looks much better on DVD. Not as dark and easier to see the action. I felt like I was missing half of this the first time I saw it, but it comes through beautifully in high definition with DVD. The half hour episodes are great too as you can decide how much or how little you want to watch at one sitting.
 
Warning, it is like potato chips...hard to stop at just one episode!