A Year in Provence with Carol Drinkwater

I usually like this type of show and while I'm still watching it, it's probably because I can't find anything else on Britbox at the moment to watch. At first, I thought this was made about 10 - 15 years ago and was surprised when I saw it was a 2021 production. It just feels a bit old-fashioned. The scenery is okay, but the awkward conversations Carol has with people out and about is strained and and sometimes a little hard to watch. I'm not sure if it comes naturally to her, actually. In fact, it seems like they don't even want to be part of the show.

And I agree with another reviewer, Carol seems a bit up herself (I'm Australian, so we always think that about the English). Michel seems lovely, though, and Marvin, well, I'm not sure if he's ever cracked a smile in his life!

The last two episodes are probably the best, so if you can persevere, do.

A delightful series hosted by actress Carol Drinkwater, author of the series of best-selling memoirs about her experiences on her olive farm in Provence. This documentary series explores the beauty of Provence and is a blend of local Provencal flavours and her life on her olive farm, Appassionata. In a year when travel has been limited, this little gem of a series offers escapism, from the azure waters to fields of luxurious lavender. .

Normally quite enjoy this type of programme, but it really comes down to the presenter I suppose. She comes across as a bit up herself to be honest, it seems more about her than the country she's in. It was incredibly tedious.

If you want to know how to take something as fascinating and beautiful as the south of France and make it into a tedious bag of cliches and meaningless superlatives, this is the show for you. And why would anyone care that she was on some hoary old British tv show a million years ago?