Larks Rise to Candleford

[Suttonrog]

Having read the book as a youngster I have not been watching the new BBC series. If you don't have it in your country yet, I'm sure you soon will.

I was visiting tonight and caught my first glimpse of it. The reason I mention it is that the costumes are fantastic. Set indeterminately about 1905 it really demonstrates the leg of mutton sleeves sitting comfortably with less fashionable dress, and the wealth of colours would be a great reference for restores.

There was a topic last week about purples - everything available from lilac to purple blue.

Recommended watching.

Rog

[mazwad]

I have wached it from the start and its my favourite programme at the moment.
Brilliant cast and as you say the costumes are fantastic.  Definitely one to watch.

I hadn't read the book so the story is new to me, I didn't realise it was set at that time I thought it was earlier than 1905.

[marihelen]

When I saw that Lark Rise to Candleford was on the TV, I remembered reading it a long time ago, (around twenty years.   I still have it.     I have the illustrated Lark Rise to Candleford a trilogy by Flora Thompson.  (Lark Rise  - Over to Candleford - Candle Green).   I am now reading it again.
Marihelen.

[LizzieW]

I hadn't read the book and to tell the truth am a bit disappointed with the TV series.  I expected a more realistic day to day life of the poor people and what we get is the postmistress and the magistrate making eyes at each other, obviously wishing they could be together although he's now married to someone else, two stuck up spinster dressmakers causing trouble and all in a different village to the poor people.  I know Dawn French is a good actress, but surely if she was so poor and had lots of children to feed, she wouldn't have been so buxom.

Lizzie

[Maggott]

I thought it was absolute garbage - total falsification of the book. made the people in Lark Rise look like a load of ninnies.  It's always summer there, too, if you've noticed.  Can't fault the actors - they're all fine, even if the accents are a bit dodgy, but the writer & the director- grrr.
 The book stands as a record/memorial of people living in a pretty bleak village, doing their best to keep their heads above water.  They were the Ag Labs that most of us had as ancestors, & most of them had fairly grim lives.  The TV production reduces them  to jolly rustics living in heritage land.... There, I feel a lot better now.  Glad other people have enjoyed it more
Maggott     

[marihelen]

Lizzie the book is exactly like you expected (try and get it from the library).   It is well worth reading.   As a lot of my ancestors were ag labs I can relate with the book, but not the TV series. I have given up looking at the series because it does seem to relate to the book I am reading.  Marihelen   

[marihelen]

Maggott, I agree with you not like the book at all.    I suppose if we hadn't read the book, the series would have been just another historical fiction.     Marihelen

[Lancsliz]

I was looking forward to the series but I was very disapointed! 
I have read the book.
They should re-name it the Dawn French show she just takes over, they should have picked another actor to play the part.

They even admit that they enlarged the part for Dawn French that the person was only mentioned once in the book.
French is too over powering ! totally spoilt the whole thing.

Lancsliz

[JenB]

I have to confess I have never read the book. The TV series seems to be fairly undemanding Sunday evening viewing.

I find the Dawn French character fairly unbelievable: it just seems to be Dawn French doing her usual act rather than playing a character.

Am I alone in beginning to find Dorcas/Julia Sawalha rather sickening? Just too good to be true?

Another thing - the sun always seems to be shining.

Jennifer