The Crème de La Crème of Period Dramas ? ? ?

I might add that despite having had to read Cranford at school at about 14, it’s still one of my favourite comfort-reads.

Where can I find Larkrise Fanny ?

Sparklefizz

Where can I find Larkrise Fanny ?

It’s on BritBox Sparkle
If you don’t already have it, it’s got lots of great stuff, try it and then cancel if need be

I like BritBox , British programmes

Cold comfort Hall with Rufus Sewell.
The Jewel in the Crown.
When the Boat comes in, for me will always mean a move from the North East to the Midlands. They all wanted to know if I was from "Where the boat comes in". I had picked up a Geordie accent.
The Return of the Native with Catherine Zeta-Jones as the heroine,
The original Poldark with Angharad Reese.
Kes, I saw it as a film as a student,I think it was subtitled when it was shown in the south.

Witzend

Ditto to Middlemarch! As a lover of the book I thought it very well done.

I resolved to read the book but never got round to it.

Parsley3

I blush to say that I have binge watched Pride and Prejudice more times than is decent. I loved Lark Rise too.
If I get the chance I would like to watch When The Boat Comes In from the beginning. Young James Bolan was quite a charmer.

Dds and I have watched P&P so many times, we’ve said (only half joking!) that we could go on Mastermind with Who Said What To Whom And When, as our Special Subject.

Might add that the original set of videos was a Christmas present from dh shortly after the series finished - we all watched the whole thing on the evening of that Christmas Day - including dh, who’d never read or seen any of it, but was soon equally hooked!

Grandma70s

I enjoyed Brideshead Revisited, and at the moment I’m watching Lark Rise to Candleford on DVD. So lovely to look at, if a bit idealistic about rural life, and some great characters. I love Claudie Blakley as Emma Timmins, and Matilda Ziegler as Ruby Pratt. I find Twister is irritating, though, and so is Miss Lane after a while. All the same, good comfort viewing.

Matilda Ziegler played Pearl Pratt not Ruby

Cranford War and Peace with Edward Norton also Pride and Prejudice very enjoyable. I have box a set of Catherine Cooksons dramas I never get tired watching them. All the stories from the wonderful North East are brilliant.

Middlemarch. P & P with Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul.
Brideshead with Anthony Andrews and Jeremy Irons.
Bleak House - 2005.

I would also recommend Brideshead Revisited (1981), loved every minute of it (and the music accompanying it is beautiful). A brilliant series that is recent but you may have missed it is The Handmaid's Tale, season 5 is about to be televised - but in my opinion, season 1 is the best. Happy Valley is another recent series that is very good.

Parsley 3.

When the Boat Comes In is our ultimate favourite. We have the whole set of DVDs and have watched the whole thing many times. We know much of the dialogue and occasionally quote e.g. I’m going to fettle that ironing.

Elizabeth R (Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth l), from 1971.

Another thumbs up for Middlemarch, really good.

I have Elizabeth R (Glenda Jackson) on DVD and it's very slow and plodding but very realistic (unlike the trivial cartoonish stuff they make today). Also The Six Wives of Henry VIII with Keith Michell. both perfect if you like realism in your costume drama.

The two best period dramas ever made were Upstairs and Downstairs (lots of episodes) and Downton Abbey. Another delightful series I absolutely adored was Mr Selfridge. Great characters, great sets and great costumes.

There have been a great many Dickens and Thomas Hardy so take your pick!

If you can't find any of them on TV then the DVDs are very cheap to buy from Amazon or E-Bay.

Our Mutual Friend, Little Dorrit from the early 2000’s maybe.
Also the Aristocrats about the Lennox sisters daughters of the Duke of Richmond 18th century.
Frenchman’s Creek from the 90’s with Tara Fitzgerald.
Daniel Deronda also from the early 2000’s
I quite like the slower pace and storylines of the older series.
I think I will have to make a list of them all.

Callistemon wow, you are related to Dorcas Lane!
That’s amazing.
Can you tell us more? Please!

Thanks everyone, this is a lovely thread ?

Has to be the original Forsyth Saga; Barchester Towers; I Claudius; and I enjoyed The Far Pavilions, having loved the book. The Onedin Line too.

FannyCornforth

Sparklefizz

Where can I find Larkrise Fanny ?

It’s on BritBox Sparkle
If you don’t already have it, it’s got lots of great stuff, try it and then cancel if need be

Thanks Fanny. I don't have Britbox (yet) but will look into it.

Ooh, it’s great Sparklefizz
You’ll love it

It’s my one weakness Fanny

Anniebach

It’s my one weakness Fanny

Aah! ?

I disagree about Julia Sawalha.
I know that she’s annoying, but she’s supposed to be like that.
She’s a strange mix of passion and restraint.
Her little tics and the way she says ‘hmm’ (tilt head, raise eyebrow, crooked smile) is her trying to restrain herself and not quite succeeding.

In yesterday’s episode Queenie was teaching Ruby how to make lace.
It brought a tear to me eye.

I have most of those on dvd, I just love the gentle pace of them, watching while knitting, no fast twists and turns. Cranford, when the boat comes in,catherine cookson, lots more mentioned above

I do wish we had a convention on Gransnet that when recommending a programme you were expected to state the channel. I would love to rewatch many series listed above.

I agree about where to find them-especially for free!
Right, the hunt is on! ?