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kally
7-3-11, 5:48am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQnI_rX4YS8

Divided into parts Cranford.

Followed by Return to Cranford. Both fun.
iris lily
7-3-11, 7:52am
Cranford and all parts is excellent, agreed.

Has anyone see the new Upstairs Downstairs?

I'm working my way through Downton Abbey this week. I am in love with Brendon Coyle.
IshbelRobertson
7-3-11, 9:06am
Cranford was a great couple of series.
Ditto Downton, but I don't think the 'new' U/D is anywhere near as good as the original series (but that doesn't stop me hoping they'll make another series!)
peggy
7-3-11, 9:13am
I loved Downton Abbey and I heard they were filming more. I agree about Upstairs Downstairs. Not as good.
CathyA
7-3-11, 10:22am
I just watched "A Passage to India" yesterday.
Kat
7-3-11, 10:40am
I'll have to check that out! My favorite BBC production is the Pride and Prejudice miniseries with Colin Firth. My mom introduced me to the old Upstairs, Downstairs, and I love that, too. I didn't know there was a new one! Is it a remake of the old one, or is it a new show with a new premise?
Tradd
7-3-11, 1:41pm
The new Upstairs, Downstairs picks up in 1936 or 37, with a new cast/family, aside from Rose, the old parlormaid, who is the housekeeper.

I have the Cranford DVD. Love Elizabeth Gaskell's novels, although Wives and Daughters is my favorite.
IshbelRobertson
7-3-11, 5:24pm
The Beeb filmed Wives & Daughters at least twice - the latest was at the end of the 1990s. Here's a link. Don't know if it was available outside the UK, though.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0215364/
Tradd
7-3-11, 5:49pm
Wives and Daughters aired in 2000 on PBS here in the States. I have Cranford, Wives & Daughters, and North and South all in one DVD set from BBC America, bought on Amazon. Have to watch it as I've not had the time yet.
danna
7-3-11, 8:11pm
Just got into these lately, bought one box set from Costco with Cranford, watching it now really good, North and South was really, really good, it also had Wifes and Daughters which I haven't started yet.
This box set was on with all three for $32.99 so Dd and I split the cost...a slurge that was well worth it.
Watched Downton Abbey awhile ago...also, excellant.
Just finished Season One, Two and Three of "Larkrise to Candleford" from the library and waiting for Season Four to be off hold...this has been my favourite TV viewing in years...
Iris Lily if you love Brendon Coyle he is one of the main characters in this show. He is a wonderful actor have a bit of a crush on him myself...hehe

Even DH has really got into these..so much story, funny and so well written compared to most of the stuff we get these days...
Tradd
7-3-11, 8:46pm
I think I might have read the Larkrise books, but not sure. Off to check on Amazon.
Zigzagman
7-3-11, 8:47pm
Just started watching 'Little Dorritt" this evening - 4 DVD's. The BBC has definitely got it together when it comes to mini-series. Such great actors.

Peace
Tradd
7-3-11, 8:51pm
Yep, I do think I read the Larkrise books. Darn - no Kindle edition!

Did anyone see "Bleak House" on PBS? That's my favorite Dickens book. Since I don't have a TV I watch a lot of the PBS stuff on my iPad now (I rather enjoyed "South Riding" earlier this spring), but most things on Masterpiece are only available for maybe 2-4 weeks.
IshbelRobertson
7-4-11, 4:36am
Unfortunately for those who have a crush on Brendan Doyle, he didn't appear in the final Larkrise to Candleford series! The final series wasn't very good, by the way, as it seems the writers had little original material to build upon. It needed to end!
danna
7-4-11, 9:38am
IshbeRobertson that is too bad about Brendan Doyle in Larkrise...he was not in the last two epsidoes of Season Three...that is true of so many series they should just end sooner.
iris lily
7-4-11, 10:42am
Unfortunately for those who have a crush on Brendan Doyle, he didn't appear in the final Larkrise to Candleford series! ... It needed to end!

That's because he got a better gig in Downton Abbey, I believe. Oh I know he's in Lark Rise, I just finished Disc 3 of Season 3. It's nice and predictable. Minnie the house maid is a scream.
Nella
7-4-11, 3:34pm
Saw the new Upstairs Downstairs, and enjoyed it. Probably because "Rose" is back. Don't know if I'd be that interested otherwise. Saw first installments of Downtwon Abbey awile ago. It kind of felt like the old Upstairs Downstairs. I'm hoping they next installments come out this fall.
AustinKat
7-4-11, 5:43pm
Another "Lark Rise" fan here, at least of the first three seasons. I just watched seasons 3 and 4 (Netflix *finally* got them), and I agree with Ishbel--by season 4 they were just flailing. I found myself seriously disliking Dorcas (the center of the series, more or less). I felt sorry for Brendan Coyle and later for Claudie Blakley, who played his wife, because they seemed to always be stuck delivering the most sanctimonious speeches imaginable.

I adored "Cranford" and "Return to Cranford," and I'm halfway through the new "Upstairs Downstairs," which I'm not totally crazy about, but I'll watch Eileen Atkins in anything.