Elizabeth Gaskell BBC Collection: Cranford / North & South / Wives & Daughters
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Product Details
Box set of BBC period dramas based on the novels of much-admired Victorian
novelist Elizabeth Gaskell.
'Cranford' (2007) tells the story of the small absurdities and major tragedies
in the lives of the people of Cranford, as they are besieged by forces that they
can't withstand. Cranford in the 1840s is a small northern English town on the
cusp of change. Things are on the move. The railway is pushing its way
relentlessly towards the town from Manchester, bringing fears of migrant workers
and the breakdown of law and order, and the arrival of handsome new doctor,
Frank Harrison (Simon Woods), from London causes a stir; not only because of his
revolutionary medical methods, but also because of the effect he has on many of
the ladies' hearts in the town. Judi Dench plays Miss Matty Jenkyns, whose hopes
and rebellious spirit were crushed when, as a young woman, she was forced to
give up Mr Holbrook (Michael Gambon), the man she loved.
'North and South' (2004) is a passionate love story, set across the social
divides in the changing world of Victorian industrial society. Margaret Hale (Daniella
Denby-Ashe) is a southerner from a country vicarage newly settled in the
industrial northern town of Milton. In the shock of her move, she misjudges
charismatic cotton mill-owner John Thornton (Richard Armitage) , whose strength
of purpose and passion are a match for her own pride and wilfulness. When the
workers of Milton call a strike, Margaret takes their side, and the two are
brought into deeper conflict. As events spiral out of control, Margaret - to her
surprise - finds herself falling in love with Thornton.
'Wives and Daughters' (1999) is based on Gaskell's unfinished novel. The
decision of long-time widower Mr Gibson (Bill Paterson) to remarry has several
repercussions for his daughter, Molly (Justine Waddell), who resents the arrival
of her stepmother Hyacinth (Francesca Annis). However, Molly also acquires a
stepsister, Cynthia (Keeley Hawes), with whom she soon forms a close bond; a
bond which is later put to the test when they both set their caps at the same
man, Roger Hamley (Anthony Howell).
Technical Details
Region 2
Sound: Dolby Digital
Main Language: English