Ladies of Letters

"Ladies of Letters" vividly displays - humorously and with great acting abilities - how difficult it can be for middle-aged women to make new friends - a rare topic indeed. I, an American, have always enjoyed British entertainment of various sorts so I was glad for this TV series from 2009 which aired on PBS and Acorn in 2022. I haven't as yet read the book but have it on order. ~ Vera and Irene, who live rather solitary lives at some distance from one another in England, first meet at a wedding and begin a lengthy correspondence after one mails a thank you note to the other. The two have much in common - both are widows who live alone in freestanding houses with pet dogs and gardens to tend and no household helpers, and both are mothers with grandchildren on the way - but they also have their differences which are apparent even in the opening credits. ~ Although the storyline is exaggerated for entertainment purposes, there is much truth in this fictional relationship which unfolds over 20 half-hour episodes. I was especially impressed with how active both stars - Anne Reid and Maureen Lipman - are as they flawlessly speak non-stop. Their ever-changing surroundings and wardrobes reveal their personalities. They continually deal with unexpected and sometimes unjust challenges that come their way. ~ I would have rated this a 10 except that it was so difficult for me to keep up with the rapid-fire dialogue that I could only follow the massive flow of words by turning on the closed captioning, and I disliked the sometimes fierce antagonism that erupted between the two women. I myself had continued a longstanding long-distance correspondence with a college friend until time and tide eventually broke the connection so I very much appreciate discovering "Ladies of Letters," a rare find and a unique gem. Bravo!

I forgot to mention the best part of the show if you forge through later seasons. No matter what happens, the ladies maintain a positive attitude towards their live in general - something perhaps we all need at times. Is it the proverbial British stiff upper lip of the ladies and earlier generations? I don't know, but I do know that their attitudes are most uplifting.

I gave up after two minutes of ep 1 but then returned. The payoff was enormous as the show is hilarious. I've had to stop several times to translate random slang. My favorite was "Bronco". I won't say in what context it was used but I finally learned it was a toilet paper brand no longer made but that older people would know. I guess the Bronco is like "Kleenex" when we refer to a tissue.

It gets a bit absurd as the seasons go, but Season 1 is a true delight with both actresses divine.

I've watched this series many times over, it doesn't diminish with subsequent viewings, the humour is shall, cutting and delivered with absolute perfection.

Reid and Lipman are just glorious in their respective parts, the momentum switches between the two, with each taking chunks out of the other at will.

I preferred the first series, the earlier episodes in particular, but the second series is also very good.

It's so sad that people don't handwrite letters to one another anymore, this series proves how much fun you can have on paper.

Wonderful series, 9/10.

Sucks you in more each episode. Probably need to be over 35 to get nuances Season 2 ep 6 was best for me, then each episode after got better. Sooooo enjoyable. Watch it.