VReviews
What is so satisfying about British productions of 19th century authors is that there is inevitably an ensemble cast of outstanding actors. They all work together from minor to major roles without letting ego or grandstanding overwhelm the story.Cranford and Return to Cranford (RTC) is enjoyable not only for it's acting, but for it's excellent writing. The adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel about a small village with little outside influence, and it's growing pains when old ways begin to change, specifically when faced with the development of the railroad, is consistent and true to the story. As expected for this period, the class system based on the remnants of the feudal system is ever present between the relationships of the townspeople and the aristocrats. Propriety, appearances, and societal rules forever rule the lives of the 19th century Britons. Cranford/RTC will draw you in and immerse you in the conflicts, misunderstandings, and joys of its characters.
kamele2353
Our family so much enjoyed "Cranford" from 2007, and could hardly wait for the "Return to Cranford" to be available on DVD. It is another winner! The cast and crew of these 2 video presentations are wonderfully talented and have presented excellent works. Heidi Thomas surely did her homework in setting up the dialog... the costuming was extraordinary... the music lovely... the acting was superb! We especially appreciated the roles that Michael Gambon (Mr. Holbrook), Judi Dench (Matty), Julia McKenzie (Mrs. Forrester), Imelda Staunton (Ms. Pole), Lisa Dillon (Mary), Claudie Blakely (Martha), Andrew Buchan (Jem Hearne), Simon Woods (Frank Harrison), Alex Etal (Harry), and Tom Hiddleston (William Buxton) played. I do believe that these actors have a way of speaking volumes with their eyes that adds so much to their acting skills. And Miss Pole's little maid, Bertha (Hannah Hobley), was priceless in her part, as well. All the characters did great jobs in providing us with exceptional entertainment. We laughed & cried...were surprised and even shocked at some turns of events, but all was very well presented. We highly recommend the works of Sue Birtwistle, Susie Conklin and Heidi Thomas, incl. "Pride & Prejudice" (1995), "Emma" (1996), "Wives & Daughters" (1999), and "Cranford" (2007 & 2009). We hope that they keep on producing those Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell novels. We are anxiously awaiting to hear that they will be making a "Cranford III" in the near future!
Sasha2010
I generally like period pieces because they usually build their characters and create suspense so well. Unfortunately, this series is an exception to this rule. There are too many characters and story lines for the viewer to care about, if they manage to keep track of them all. Moreover, the stories are *so* predictable - it's infuriating!! I mean *everybody* either dies or gets married, and the only source of suspense is the question which will it be this time. On a positive note, the acting is outstanding, I especially enjoyed the performance of the actress who plays Mary Smith. But this is not enough!! Indeed the great acting makes the screenplay's faults appear all the more distinct because just when you are persuaded that some character is really struggling with some emotion (for example Sophie's guilt after Walter's death or Matty's fear after Debora's death) they promptly forget all about it for no apparent reason. In conclusion, it won't be a great shame to skip this one, even if you're one who enjoys period films.
Casey Smith
This series was recommended to me because I loved the BBC adaptations of Bleak House and North and South. It is a very high-quality production, but the story is pure fluff and lacks any substance. I've never read the books, but based on this series I would assume that, when they were written, they were pretty commonplace light reading. Someone else here described this as a "soap opera," and I completely agree. It's a nice cute series of stories, but contains nothing really interesting. In particular, the romance between Dr. Harrison and Sophie Hutton couldn't have been more boring and predictable, watching any of THAT was a complete waste of time.
AD
