Please don't misunderstand me, I love crinolines, boots, bonnets and knee breeches as much as the next girl and when Colin Firth is involved, even better, but I cannot help but think we are suffering from a surfeit of same at the moment.
We have had the wondrous Cranford, then hot on its heels the semi-wondrous Sense and Sensibility and now we have a ten part serialisation of Lark Rise to Candleford. This is on the BBC. Over on the commercial channel we have had a very lacklustre Oliver Twist and also The Old Curiosity Shop (which I have taped and not watched yet so will reserve judgment) and I am beginning to feel that it is about time we give Dickens and Austen, much though I love them, a bit of a rest. No need for a new Sense and Sensibility when the simply excellent Emma/Alan/Hugh/Kate et al version is still around. There was no real need for a new Room with a View either but that was done and, as in the latest S&S, liberties taken with the characterisation and script and, in the case of Room, a totally different ending. Why do they bother?
Anyway, back to Lark Rise to Candleford and while watching the first episode last week, not totally sure if I will be giving those in the future my close attention, I played Spot the Actor who Appears in all Costume Adaptations. I cannot remember all names so you will have to forgive me if I identify them by which part they played
- First off, we had Julia Sawalha who was in Cranford playing the postmistress in Lark Rise
- Then Miss Matty's maid in Cranford turned up as the mother of the heroine in Lark Rise (She also appeared in the film of Pride and Prejudice as Charlotte Lucas)
- The actress playing Mrs Jennings in Sense and Sensibility then turns up in Lark Rise
- The actress playing the ghastly Fanny in Sense and Sensibility also turns up in Lark Rise
- The actor playing Sir John in Sense and Sensibility also popped up in the new Room with a View (he also plays Ron's dad in Harry Potter)
- Then playing a snooty owner of the local drapers is an actress who played Julia in the film of Mansfield Park (I have a feeling some actresses must spend all their time in bodices and shifts)
- Dawn French plays The Vicar of Dibley, albeit with a all purpose mummerset accent in Lark Rise. Much though I love Dawn, we had her in La Fille du Regiment over Christmas, then the two part final episode of Dibley, then a programme on the making of the Vicar of Dibley, and then after Lark Rise episode one, we had another showing of a Vicar of Dibley from the first series. ENOUGH
- Oh and Liz Smith who played Mrs Cropley in Vicar of D also turns up in Lark Rise as a gobby servant. I shall be watching out for the rest of the cast to arrive in weeks to come
What I want to know is - where was the incrediblygorgeoussexydivine Richard Armitage? They had nearly everyone else there so why leave him out. Of course, he also was in the Vicar of Dibley over Christmas, but I might stretch a point where he is concerned and not complain that I am seeing too much of him (as if!). Just in case any of you have forgotten exactly who he is and what he looks like, I am inserting a little pic here to remind you....
There were plenty of other examples with smaller parts played by incredibly familiar faces who pop up in various costume guises all over the place and I wonder if the BBC/ITV have a book with all these names in who they just allocate parts to when planning these adaptations. Almost like a Crinoline Rep Company.
While I am not decrying costume drama and love it dearly, I have posted earlier about the BBC and its dumbing down policy and its lack of modern drama and series that are not featuring maverick cops/spies/mistresses/spooks/spies et al, and I cannot help but feel that when they run out of ideas they just pull the nearest Dickens or Austen down from a shelf and say 'Let's do this again'.
I am awaiting a 'new' TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, bound to happen sooner or later, though that will be a tough act to follow. I mean, who could recreate that glorious Colin Firth Wet Shirt moment that had us all palpitating ten years ago?
Actually I may have answered my own question here - Richard Armitage anyone?
Answers on a postcard please.....
