New BBC 10-part period drama adaptation that just started. Introduction:

Spoilers for part 1:
Enjoyed this a lot, even if it comes off as Cranford light so far. Reinforced by the fact that Cranford's Martha and Jessie are in this. The writing and acting is certainly a lot better than the tepid and underwhelming Sense and Sensibility. I'm surprised at how handsome Ben Miles (Squire Patrick!) looks with the grey hair, and am definitely looking forward to his intriguing relationship with Dorcas. I thought it was fairly obvious he was in love with her, but then, when Lady Adelaide showed up at the picnic, he was properly attentive to his wife.

I was also surprised to see the actress who played Mrs Cropley (aka the Dibley poisoner) in the Vicar of Dibley in this as I was under the impression that she was dead. I assumed that's why they killed her off on that show. Hope Brendan Coyle gets more to do as he was so good in North and South.

I wanted to like this, good cast, but oh my, all that footering about over postal charges, it seemed to go on forever. I felt I was literally stuck in a post office listening to old ladies going on and on about it. Hope future stories are more interesting.

I kept noticing people from all the recent BBC adaptations - Mrs Jennings from Sense and Sensibility was there as Queenie.

Was there a discount for bulk bookings for period dramas this year?

But it was quite fun going 'ooh, that's such and such from such and such'



I know what you mean. It was sweet but not all that full of point, unlike Cranford seemed to have.

Heehee - footering. I like that word - describes it perfectly.

I enjoyed it, footering and all. Partially because it is a true story and partially because I could see some interesting plot points. What's the story with Dorcas (unfortunate name thanks to Bart and his Dorkus Malorkus) and Sir Timothy? I would imagine that nothing will happen between them but it was interesting all the same. I would imagine that Sir Timothy wasn't a typical country squire / magistrate of the time.

Weird seeing Nicholas Higgins (N&S) and Martha (Cranford) as a married couple too but can Dawn French be anything other than Dawn French? Just one time!!

I kind of liked it too. It was nice gentle Sunday evening fare, and it was fun to play "spot the star". My only real problem (other than the distinct lack of something happening) was that it was so soon after Cranford. Come on BBC give us a break before you throw us back to the 19th Century again.


I know that probably nothing will really happen between them but I hope we get to see some more of them together. I quite like working out the story between them. It has lots of potential.

It was also quite wierd seeing Julia Sawalha in costume again since I'd just been watching her look so young in Press Gang the same day (ITV website has s1 up).

Just got around to watching episode 2:

I think I enjoyed this one less as it focused way too much on the Dawn French character who gets zero sympathy from me, and DF's over-acting doesn't help. I really wish she had been thrown into debtor's prison because she deserved it. What kind of horrible mother steals her own son's wages so she can blow it on ale for herself, after already knowing she had to appear in court for unpaid debt? The neighbors would have looked after her kids and I really don't think they'd be any worse off if she was gone. With the way they are neglected, they'd probably be better off! The happy-ish ending for that plotline just didn't sit well with me.

Boo on the lack of interaction between the squire and Dorcas this week.

Must add that the Pratt sisters are really good as the ultimate snobbish, judgmental hypocrites. I liked how they were costumed in the one scene where they were fishing for info on Mrs Macey, in those severe black dresses, with the feathered black hats, giving them the look of vultures.

I am still finding this quite boring. I agree with you that Dawn French's character is beyond annoying and also overacting. The prisoner storyline was ok but overly drawn out. This series is just not holding my interest. I think they've milked the storylines too much and it should have been a four-parter.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

Am amusing myself with spotting whoniverse people - Mrs Macy's husband (Who), the lead character (Torchwood), and did you spot Camille Coduri (Jackie!!!!) in next weeks previews?

I adored this book. Still do! It is one of my all-time favourites. I hope this makes it to Canada and shortly! But it's not really a drama, it's a fictionalized memoir of the author's girlhood in an agricultural hamlet in Oxfordshire. Not a lot happens. But when I need to seriously chill out, it's Lark Rise I turn to!

I can actually imagine I would like the book. But from what I have read about the show, they have taken things that are covered in a few sentences or paragraphs and stretched them out for an hour.

I gave up before the end, so didn't, H. Might try again one more time next week.

I love that Higgins/ Timmins have the same political views. I kept on expecting Richard Armitage to come in and say "you keep to your times Higgins, and we haven't got a problem".

I think so much of the acting in this is great, which makes DF's presence so much more jarring. I feel like I am wrapped up in scene, then she comes in and then I feel like I am watching a French and Saunders sketch, but with no punchlines.

The squire's wife needs to bloody cheer up. She's married to Ben Miles and lives in a country mansion, what's she got to complain about? Nothing more annoying than the ennui of the rich.

I bought the book last week but I haven't started it yet. It's three books in one; Lark Rise, Over to Candleford and Candleford Green. From a quick flick through it seems that the TV adaptation starts where Candleford Green begins with bits of the other books mixed in.

I watched episodes two and three yesterday and the verdict is... they're... nice. I find some of the plots a bit tedious and yes, Dawn French is seriously annoying. In fact, the whole Arless family is annoying. Just go away.

In episode two, I liked the Mrs Macey story but GOD! Why didn't Sir Tim do us all a massive favour and chuck Caroline into Debtors Prison? A few weeks in the slammer would have put her out of our misery.

The young gamekeeper, Whatshisname, who fancies Laura seemed nice enough. I also like the transformation of Laura from country girl to capable young woman. Wish she'd stop doing that curious "noddy" thing with her head though. It was unintentionally funny when she was talking to the gamekeeper as her head was shaking about so much, it looked like she had a nervous twitch.

She's a mope becasue Sir Tim clearly prefers Dorcas's company to hers. Doesn't make her any less annoying though. Dorcas really is a bit strange what with every second sentence ending with "is my one weakness." She's a meddler but also seems kind hearted, if a bit odd.

In episode three, what the hell was that whole thing with Patty and Amos Jnr & Snr about? One minute Amos Jnr can't stand her and the next he's madly in love with her? Amos Snr wants to keep her around to keep house so ZAP he's in love with her and wants to marry her immediately. Okay then!!

I don't know - I have a feeling that this is less of an adaptation and more of a drama series that just happens to have some similarities to the book, which I don't really have a problem with. Some of the acting is excellent but I just feel that the whole thing has yet to come together. It's a bit scattered which might be the result of giving most characters in two villages their own story.

Lastly, is this for real? A second series has just been announced by the BBC. Huh? Long-running Sunday night drama? I... huh? I'd be all for more Cranford (but only if they resurrect Mr Carter - WAIL!) but Larkrise is already 10 episodes long - so, what gives?

Oh, yawn. Of all the wonderful classic novel adaptations, it has to be this one which gets two series. Is it really such a big success? I haven't heard a single person talk about it except here, where most don't seem exactly ecstatic about it, more just mildly approving. Whereas lots of people were talking and blogging about Cranford (which, sadly, they could never get Judi Dench back for permanently, I guess).

Heh. Just keep him away from Mrs Arless or we'd have to suffer through another "comical" Dawn French skit-like subplot.

The problem with the series is, entirely way too much of Dawn French and Mrs Arless who is a very minor character in the books. But she's in every bloody episode, with her own stupid subplots, and ruining one's enjoyment in the show, mild as it is. And there she is again, front and center in the previews for the next episode!

God yes! Bad Magistrate Squire Sir Tim! BAD!

The young gamekeeper looks like a younger Jake Gyllenhaal, and I don't blame Laura for dumping that homely Arless lad for him!

I did like seeing more Dorcas and the squire in this episode, but I wish there was more tension and drama in the squire-squire's wife-Dorcas triangle. It does seem weird to me that it's perfectly fine and acceptable for Dorcas to stand in as a sort of "social wife" whenever Lady Adelaide decides that something is beneath her to attend.

I am really liking Julia Sawalha in this and find the recurring "one weakness" thing rather amusing.

Regarding ep three's Amos storyline: Sorry but all I could think every time I saw Patty was, it's Jackie Tyler. The cliched "fight, then fall in a kiss" scene was horribly clumsy. And when Dorcas was trying to talk sense into Old Amos by pointing out that Patty may want kids, it was a bit much. I would think Patty's child-bearing days would be near an end, unless Patty is supposed to be a lot younger than she looks!

Previews for next week: It's Smallweed! And it looks like he's going to shake up the Pratt sisters (Judy!).

I am a bit surprised at the announcement of a series 2, and would have much preferred a Cranford sequel. But I can see how that is unlikely due to the Cranford cast-Judi Dench and Imelda Staunton would probably have been hard to get back again, and probably very expensive as well. LRtC would be fine if they would just greatly minimize Caroline Arless and her family's presence!

I have one thought and one thought only about this episode: Not. Enough. Sir. Timothy.

That and it was hard to take those sisters seriously in those fancy costumes.... OK it was quite sad. Will never feel sorry for Dawn French’s character. Oh my Alfie... oh my ass. All your own fault woman.

I want Mr Timmins to be my Dad.

Also... where is Candleford? The last scene looked like Salisbury Cathedral was in the background.

Next week: “is there room in the report for love?”. Oh dear. Bad dialogue cometh.

Agree. More Sir Tim is a necessary part of LRtC. He compensates for all the minutes I spend rolling my eyes every time the bloody annoying Caroline Arless appears. Dare we hope that she really is off to Debtors Prison? For, what can only be hoped, is an extra long spell.

I think the story of the Ms Pratts's father was quite sad. Especially when Ruby tried to stop her sister cutting up the letters.

I liked Laura's reunion with her father. How could she be ashamed of her Dad who seems to be the most normal of all the characters?

I don't quite get what's the story with Twister and his Big Sleep. I suspect he's after having some sort of mini-stroke and it's the onset of dementia. I just thought they made quite a big deal out of it for something that will probably have no link up in future episodes.

Who's that post office Inspector from the preview? He looks so familiar yet I can't place him. Ohh - I hate when that happens.

If you mean where were the real locations that Flora Thompson was writing about, then Lark Rise is Juniper Hill, in Oxfordshire, and Candleford is Brackley, just over the border in Northamptonshire.

If you mean where was the series shot, then I have no idea, although the random accents of the cast would suggest the proud old theatrical county of Mummerset.

Anyway, having loved the books since first reading them 30 years ago, I finally gave up on this series tonight for the sake of my blood pressure. I mean, the Janeites think the latest Austen adaptations are a travesty? They have no idea!

Hee.



Yes, I thought it was that area. I really thought that when the dad was walking away through the field at the end, the church in the far background looked liked Salisbury- the same proprotions. Maybe it was just a smaller church; just nearer (now I feel like Dougal in Father Ted, having to be told that cows in the field are actually bigger than his toy cow, they are just further away). I am sure they wouldn't put the wrong cathedral in a programme set in Northamptonshire.

Especially after learning that she's just spent and spent and gone into even more debt after Sir Timothy let her off easy. Us viewers could do with some cheering up of our own: now that they've sent Caroline bloody Arless to prison, they need to keep her there and not let her back on the show! I can't believe how much I hate Dawn French in this.

Agree on the lack of Sir Timothy and how there needs to be a lot more of him. He needs at least twice the screen time that Caroline Arless has to even things out. Will he feel some twinges of jealousy next week when Dorcas makes eyes at the postal inspector?

I am confused as to why Laura was even ashamed of her father.


Don't know the actor's name but he was in The State Within with Jason Isaacs, and he was also a Russian mobster on an episode of Spooks.

I thought it was more that she didn't want her dad to see her walking out with the lad she was with. And then when she thought he's seen her ignore him, she was embarassed and avoiding him because of that.

Yeah, the church in Candleford is just SMALL but the cathedral is FAR AWAY. ;) Speaking of Dougal, anyone else see this? Heeheehee!

That's it! Oh, he was good in that. I liked his character a lot. All mysterious yet the ultimate good guy.

I thought it was becasue he fell into a pile of cow sh*te. The young chap (what the hell is his name??) was laughing scornfully at country bumpkins so she ignored her Da. It just seemed really out of character for Laura to do that. Why would she be ashamed of her father who was just knocked down? That's what I thought anyway. But it could be that she didn't want her Da to see the new bloke.

PS - Here's a clip of Brendan Coyle in Paths to Freedom from RTÉ. He played Jeremy, an obnoxious gynaecologist who did time in prison for knocking someone down while over the drink driving limit. Paths to Freedom was absolutely brilliant but I don't think it's available any more. If you can get your hands on it, it's worth it just for Brendan Coyle alone. I just love the line from that clip. "No. That's ridiculous. This is a Mercedes."

Who knew a show about Post Office regulations could get so over-melodramatic? And as an added bonus a bit of casual racism at the end! (Of the characters obviously, not the show).

When Alf, and that hot bloke that carries a gun around met each other on the lane, I know they were meant to be looking at each other like "back off, Laura's mine", but I saw it more as "damn, you're hot, fancy a bit of fun in the bushes?". Am I sick?

CJ Haughey I have been Doogling all week- my mum (whose Irish) loves it.

I'm tempted to say this was the best episode so far, due entirely to the lack of Caroline Arless. May she stay rotting behind bars in debtors' prison.

When Adelaide was telling Sir Timothy that she was mistaken about being pregnant, she asked him how long he would wait. Wait till...what? Before he dumped her for not bearing him any children? I'm unclear about that.

Well, only Alf would be thinking that. Phillip would know he can do a lot better! But I don't mind Alf when he's on his own, i.e. without his mother. Boy sure is homely looking though.

I was expecting more to happen between Dorcas and the postal inspector, but it all felt rather anti-climatic in the end. He comes around to how she does things, and leaves, presumably not to be seen again, except perhaps in series 2.

When Adelaide was telling Sir Timothy that she was mistaken about being pregnant, she asked him how long he would wait. Wait till...what? Before he dumped her for not bearing him any children? I'm unclear about that.

To have sex again?

When Adelaide was telling Sir Timothy that she was mistaken about being pregnant, she asked him how long he would wait. Wait till...what? Before he dumped her for not bearing him any children? I'm unclear about that.

To have sex again?


Until his has an affair with Dorcas? They can't divorce really can they?

Hee . I wonder how long before Adelaide makes some comment at the borderline inappropriate glances they keep throwing each other. I assumed "the waiting" was before he found someone else to have his kid. I can't see him agreeing to a divorce or anything, and she seemed too melodramatic to just be asking about when they would have sex again.

I think Philip is all kinds of pretty no wonder Laura keeps traipsing through the woods so often. Poor Alf doesn't stand a chance.

Do we need to use spoilers for stuff that has already aired (we didn't spoiler previous episodes)? As far as I know, there is no broadcast date for America and the TWoP spoiler policy says we only need to spoiler, "Plot details for shows broadcast outside the U.S. and scheduled for broadcast in the U.S. at a later time." LRtC may never be shown in the States.

I'll spoiler this post but I really think we don't need to. If people agree, I'll edit to remove the spoilers.

I presumed Adelaide was talking about divorce when she asked Sir Tim about waiting. What I found interesting is that he didn't answer her. So there's hope for Dorcas yet!

The whole thing with Mr Rushton was odd. What happened to him? Just 'cause Dorcas gave him a bit of a verbal slap he has a total meltdown? To the extent where he falls off his horse and lies down to die of a broken heart? Dude - chin up! It was only Dorcas, for God's sake. If he was a recurring character then it probably would have been more interesting. They certainly took their duties in the Post Office very seriously back in the day. All that fuss over Sunday deliveries and for what, exactly? Who knew then what the Royal Mail would become. Sunday deliveries? When I lived in London, I'd have settled for A delivery.
I think it WAS the best episode for exactly that reason. No more bloody irritating Dawn French. I could take it all a bit more seriously as opposed to rolling my eyes all the time.
So true. Alf thinks he stands a chance but as he lied about the parcel, Laura will go back to Philip, pronto. If it were me, I'd be all, "Thanks for finding me parcel, Alfie! Now - hit the road." Speaking of the parcel, how the hell did Queenie know to leave it at the Ms Pratt's door?? Queenie can't read. Sure, didn't we have an entire episode revolve around her inability to read! So, she just left the parcel at the right house by chance? I bet that's where the game "Pass the Parcel" originated from too.

It's so funny. There's some computer science graduate out there who has far too much time on their hands, no?

But I assume it will eventually find its way either to PBS or BBC America. it is still airing in the UK, so chances are it wouldn't be on any broadcast schedule here yet.

I am curious about the possibility of Sir Timothy divorcing Adelaide because of the lack of children. Wouldn't that ruin her? Even if he makes eyes at Dorcas, he does seem to care about Adelaide too. Not to mention, the lack of children may be entirely HIS fault. I guess they didn't consider that back then!


But I can understand it since it is sex with Sir Timothy. Heh.

I agree with CJ H re: spoilers, but I will keep using the bars just in case.



Hee- my thoughts exactly. I think they could have made that scene a lot clearer.

I really disliked this episode- I know there was no DF, but I found so much of it far too melodramatic- all those sweaty faces over post office regs- I spent the whole time cringing. I really thought the inspector guy should have had a moustache to twiddle in a evil manner.

*cough* that said I totally would *cough*

It's Ben Daniels - he's probably best known for playing Finn (Allie's ex who she got back with) in Cutting It. He played the mother's hippie boyfriend in Beautiful Thing too.

Sadly I can't get into Lark Rise like I did with Cranford, I think the pace may be too slow since I keep falling asleep watching it.

I have come to the conclusion that Lark Rise is not the new Cranford, however deceptively it was scheduled to follow it, but it is the new Heartbeat - albeit with a slightly earlier period setting. Seriously.

Worse. With all the "misunderstandings," abandoned children, meddling in neighbours affairs, jealousy, cluelessness, senility, etc etc I'm thinking that this is period Coronation Street. There is one thing it certainly is not and that's an adaptation of Lark Rise to Candleford. The only things the telly and the book have in common are the place names, plus a few characters.

Having said that, two weeks on the trot without Dawn French mucking around made it one of the better episodes. Her annoying theme tune which signifies "comedy" (the flute doing the scales thing - you'll know it when you hear it) has passed to Twister. So I automatically grimace when I hear the "comedy" music beginning. I really hope she's locked up in the slammer until the end of the series.

There was some nice angsy bits between Dorcas and Sir Timothy. I do get the impression that Lady Adelaide is not quite the full bob. "Oh look! A child who doesn't speak! I will clean her up and adopt her immediately." Okayyy... you're the local Squire's wife, Lady A. You don't just go around picking up children of unknown origin - that whole aristocracy and inheritance thing? Remember? >eyeroll<

Poor Dorcas. I did feel sorry for her in this episode. She really did (does?) love Sir Timothy and I expect, vice versa, but they can do nothing about it. Yet. Maybe Lady A turns into a mad Mrs Rochester type and they lock her up in the third floor of the house. What? It could happen! It's not like they're sticking to the books or anything. Maybe they'll pick another book! I liked Dorcas and Sir Timothy reading the poem and the expression on both their faces when Thomas tells Sir Tim that the poem wasn't for him... sniff. Poor Dorcas. Julia Sawalha did a really good job, I must say. I think she plays serious roles much better and in this, she's light years away from Lydia "I want to go to Brighton" Bennet. As Dorcas, she's more like Saffy from Ab Fab or Lynda from Press Gang.

As always, I found the Pratt sisters to be funny and nosy. What a pair they are. A leaf cannot fall from a tree without them knowing about it. But why the entire Post Office had to be awake just becasue Thomas couldn't sleep is weird. If he was just sitting at the kitchen table, was there any need for everyone else to do the same thing?

I didn't quite get what was Zillah's problem. She was just jealous? So she behaved like a spoiled brat? But... she's not two. As for Twister and the visions of his dead sister - I thought we had already established a while ago that Twister was losing his marbles. The signing with Queenie was quite nice (even though it was sad).

Re: The Mr Rushton, the Post Office Inspector:Oh yeah.

Yes, I think the main problem with Lark Rise is that everything just moves so leisurely that there is no drama at all. It's like the waaaay decaffeinated, non-fat version of Cranford.

I am enjoying the Caroline Arless-free going-ons a lot more, and I don't want to seem ungrateful since they did get rid of her (seemingly for good!), but couldn't they have taken Twister and Zillah as well? All the Twister and his wife scenes make me want to fast-forward as they just seem so pointless. As for Zillah, I guess I wasn't paying attention but I still don't quite understand why they continue to indulge her childish and petty behavior? (I was so happy when Laura asked that question!) It's not like she's supposed to be losing her marbles like Twister, which would at least be an excuse. She's just a mean, gossipy, petty old hag. I wish that hole she fell into last week had been about 100 times as deep.

Another reason why this isn't Cranford is, Cranford killed off quite a few characters–great characters! Lark Rise could afford to lose many awful characters and yet, no one freaking dies! A Cranford-level body count would do this show a world of good.

I did like the Pratt sisters snooping, and the whole Dorcas-Lady Adelaide-Sir Timothy-lost child plot. But much as I can understand why Dorcas can't say no to Sir Timothy, I wish she would because it makes her come across as bit of a doormat for him. "Whatever you want, Sir Timothy, I cannot deny you, you know that." Dorcas being so gosh darn nice is probably why the love triangle feels so lame at times.

I thought Lady Adelaide was about to go the same way as Gillian Anderson's character in Bleak House then. But it is ok- if you have marriage problems, get the wife pregnant and it will all go away.

Stephen Campbell Moore!!!!

I'm tired of this. It's going nowhere and tells nothing. I've given it a fair shot but really, I just can't be arsed with it any more. The Dorcas / Sir Tim story is going nowhere. The Lark Rise folk are going nowhere. The Candelford townies are going nowhere. It's all just become too boring and worse, those trailers make us think there's more interesting things to come next week where in fact, it just falls further apart.

Compare the trailer from last week to what happened this evening. It's a totally different story! The repressed and tortured passion between Dorcas and Tim? Damp squib. The wife beating? All caused by the demon drink so if you'll just sign a bit a paper and wear a badge everything will be a-okay. And hey! The local Magistrate will absolutely take the woman's word for it and have her husband locked up. Which he didn't do for US when we were having our heads wrecked by Caroline Arless, I might add. Bonus points becasue she's still not back.

I agree ilikenoise. Everything is back in it's rightful place by episode end, complete with a new set of gates and a Midwinter Jnr on the way. That'll stop Lady A chucking things at her husband's head and running about the woods like a loon. Nothing like pregnancy to set the world to rights, eh?

Huff. I know it's utterly pointless but I wish they were making more Cranford instead of this. We all know what the Beeb can do with costume dramas. They're way off the mark with this - what the hell happened?

Stephen Campbell Moore is a busy man these days. He's on Ashes to Ashes too.

Well, I was going to at least finish watching series 1, but they are really testing me by bringing Dawn French back. Yes, Caroline Arless has returned to Lark Rise. What kind of rubbish debtors' prison system do they have on this show anyway? She really needed to stay rotting behind bars a lot longer. Too bad idiot Alf wasn't caught poaching or he could have joined her in prison. If she's back as a regular in series 2, I won't be watching.

Needless to say, the plots have not improved. The promos are still misleading. For instance, the one for the final episode shows Lady Adelaide catching Sir Timothy and Dorcas hugging, Dorcas deciding to sell the post office, and promises a death (if they kill off Caroline Arless, I will forgive a lot!). We'll see if anything close to the above actually happens!

I saw it too ovrdedge. I could not believe that Caroline Arless was back. What are they trying to do to the viewers? Deliberately drive us away? There's only one more episode to go so I will watch until the end but Lord, has this been one long and drawn out series. If the Stephen Campbell Moore character stayed on then it might have had some hope but any promise shown there just petered out.

Idiot Alf gets on my nerves as does idiot Philip. I long to give Laura a shake and tell her to pick neither. I am still completely puzzled by Queenie's sudden ability to read, btw. She knew the grave of the person where the panel was found immediately. Well... I suppose she could've just known the grave but it was still odd. And no way would an embroidered panel, wrapped in a newspaper and left out in the open, survive intact for 40 years or however long it was.

As for next week, I bet nobody of significance will die. They might even introduce a new character just to kill them off. I read the plot synopsis on the BBC press office site. Oh good grief.

Maybe not all viewers are as irritated by her as we are, but I can't imagine why!

Same with the Ben Daniels character. It is really frustrating as they obviously can get great guest actors, and do have great actors in the cast. But the writing totally lets them down. If they are determined to keep the Dorcas-Sir Timothy forbidden love plotline alive, then they need to actually do something with that too. How many episodes is it going to take for her to realize that she needs to move on? It's like one tiny step forward and three steps back.

Yeah, and not just tea leaves.

I think my main problem with this show is, I either don't like or don't care about most of the characters. Even Sir Timothy behaved badly in the Stephen Campbell Moore episode. The Timmins parents seem worse and worse each week, although the writers did make Edmund into a budding delinquent out of the blue. It was bad enough when Emma Timmins was counselling the abused wife a few weeks back to give her wife-beating husband a second chance, but what kind of parents don't even notice their own son's deathly pallor and bleeding chest wound for over a day? I think the only characters I still like are Dorcas, Pa Timmins, and Ruby Pratt. Having said that, if they get rid of Caroline Arless, I probably would still check out series 2. But that's unlikely to happen.

See? Things do happen in LRtC! Zilla was taken away from us at a tragically young age. Death; when will you be sated?

Lots of people died in childbirth back in those days, right? So why couldn't Caroline Arless? Since I find Zilla very irritating, I don't mind that it was she who died. Twister would have been fine too.

Does this mean no more Sir Timothy in season 2? No Squire and continued panto acting from Dawn French means I won't be tuning in.

I wanted Dorcas to run off to Manchester and find that school teacher but the finale was in keeping with the rest of the series in that nothing significant actually happened. I was surprised to find out that it was Dorcas who rejected Sir Timothy and that he did make an offer though.

I was a bit underwhelmed by 'Lark Rise,' but I watched it every week. I thought the final episode was a letdown. I wanted some 'where are they now?' closure. So I provided my own:

Assistant gamekeeper Philip White catches Alf Arless poaching pheasant on Sir Timothy's land and kills him with a single blast of his shotgun. Philip hopes this will endear him to Laura Timmins, for whose affection he has competed with Alf. But Laura is horrified by his act. In a strange twist, Philip marries Alf's mom, the rotund Caroline, when it turns out she was never legally married to the seafaring husband she's spent the whole series waiting for.

I've given sequels to the other characters on my blog:
http://voxford.blogspot.com/2008/03/petard...ise-sequel.html

I actually did like the series -and almost all the characters- very much. True, it's not Cranford, but even Cranford had some episodes where the pacing was off (YMMV, of course). I think it compares better with a series like Lilies which I thought had some great acting and plotlines, but sometimes missed its mark. In LRtC, I think the 'worst' part of the show was its miscasting of Caroline Arless and the character of Laura. I simply couldn't get under her skin/identify with her at any point - thought she was a spoild brat (embarrassed over Lark Rise and her father because of that twit Phillip), self-rightious, snobbish, meddling, indecisive, prying and stupid (and I hated some of the actress' acting choices. Twitching her head like she was some little bird lost - I thought the actress had Tourettes at first. But she cried prettily.) Sorry. End of rant.

But I watched it for the rest of the characters: Dorcas, Timothy, Adelaide, Mr. and Mrs. Higgins, the Pratt-sisters, Alf, Twister and Queenie etc. And I'm glad we'll get a second series, because this one seemed so unfinished. (I hope Mr. radical Schoolmaster returns.) I also think I'll have to read the book :)


Perfect, Voxford. And a fitting end for them both :)

This is one of my favourite books of all time. I couldn't wait to see the series and it's just now playing on BBC Canada. Shame that they made such a wonderful book into such a completely crappy, soap-opera series! I haven't seen such clunky writing, set-design and acting for twenty years. But on reflection I should have expected this. Lark Rise isn't a novel, it's a lightly-fictionalized memoir. So it hasn't got a strong narrative arc. It's just Flora Thomson's recollections of her life as a girl growing up in an Oxfordshire hamlet at the end of the Nineteenth Century. The Beeb should never have gone near this one! And honestly, I highly recommend reading the book. If I'm feeling really fed-up and strung-out, it's LRTC I turn to. It's lovely. And it is as far from this garbage as it could possibly be.

I haven't read the books, but I was wondering if the second series is anything close to it. This series reminds me of Road to Avonlea, with its focus on a few characters in a rural small town, and I like most of the characters, except for Caroline Arless. I didn't mind Dawn French in Vicar of Dibley, but she's really annoying in this and the less focus on her the better. Virtually everyone else is fine, although I have to say Dorcas is my favourite. I also don't mind the James Dowland character if only because he creates tension, and isn't completely unavailable like Sir Timothy, because this being a family drama and all, there was never any chance of adultery happening.

I started to like the first series as it went on, and as long as Caroline is kept to a minimum of appearances, I will keep watching this.

I wasn't super impressed with the Christmas episode though, especially there were some pretty pathetic attempts at snow, making it obvious that the plants were painted white in some sections, but not others.

Dear All

I didn't watch any of the old series, so I can't comment on any of the things mentioned earlier e.g. Dawn French etc.

I would just like to say that the new series, airing on the BBC in the UK at the moment, is quite lovely. Admittedly, the ladies are far too fashionable, and have far too many clothes, and the accents are atrocious (seriously, I had heard of Ma and Mum, but what on earth is a Maaaaaaaarrrrrr).

However

Julia Sawalha is as good as she was in Press Gang (and for those of my generation, that is truly a compliment) and there is the added joy of seeing her new love interest (who again for those of my generation was one of the best things about Casualty wa back when). And he isn't married, which from what I read here is a big improvement on her last love interest.

Plus guys, really, what more is needed other than the yummy man who plays Emma's husband, who is acting as a kinda-sorta match maker beween these two. After all, he carries with him the successfully made match of Mr Thornton and Margaret from North and South-- every time I see him I get a little flash back to North and South, plus the added joy of his gravelly voice.

So, can I please urge you to not give up on Series 2, whenever you get to see it. it does seem to have lost some of the irritating aspects you describe of season 1. And has the Casualty guy!!!

I take it you're not in the UK? Because that's a fairly decent West Country accent!

I'm a through and through londoner, so have never heard a real person talk like that-- greenery and I don't get on too well, so I don't leave the city too often!!

Well, if thats a good accent, more kudos to the actress-- I'll apologise for besmirching her good name!

See, good acting and authentic accents-- even more reason to watch the show.

Although, looking at the info, its supposed to be Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Maybe they're just going for 'generic yokelish accent?'

Well they film just outside Bath which counts as West Country. I even saw Brendan Coyle walking around Bath once - looked very scruffy at the time it must be said.

I'm quite fond of Lark Rise in a sort of lovely Sunday evening way. Partly this is because I think Julia Sawalha can do no wrong (she was in Press Gang after all) and partly it is because it's just quite sweet. It is much better without Dawn French popping up all the time as well, although I do miss Ben Miles.