Vanity Fair

I went into watching this unsure I guess, especially after seeing the trailer and hearing the music, but once I started watching, I was like WOW! far from dull! It's actually far better than what I expected! I am really enjoying it.

I don't know too much about the book, and I am glad, as I might have been of a similar opinion to the dowdy people reviewing it on here. (God! calm down!) It is visually stunning.

The sets (CGI) and costumes are incredibly grand without being over the top. The acting is top notch from EVERYBODY involved.

In a word, it is FANTASTIC! And it's human!

I have just finished watching the first episode of this latest adaptation of William Makepeace Thackary's classic tale of fighting against the tide of traditional class prejudice in Regency England. Aside from the odd choice of a contemporary song to open proceedings, it was note-perfect. Olivia Cooke was the perfect choice to play Becky Sharp, delivering a version of the character that has never felt more right, complete with occasional knowing looks through the 4th wall. This is all the more remarkable for the fact that Olivia Cooke has not come through the traditional dramatic training for period roles, and has done a fantastic job of delivering the required 'received pronunciation' instead of her native Northern British accent. From what I've seen of her so far, she has a glittering career ahead of her. If the rest of this series is a well made and paced as the opener, then it ought to be lauded as the finest example of the genre in quite some time.

ITV are no slouches when it comes to the adaptation of classical novels, and I am delighted that Vanity Fair is proving to be a first class series. Thackeray's sharp wit and sometimes cynical view of human behaviour is portrayed with skill by a top class cast.

There is hardly a false step anywhere with Becky doing all she can to convince her tv audience and her companions in the Crawley household that she is the Queen of all she Surveys. She is ably assisted by a nimble cast, notably Martin Clunes as the roguish Pitt Crawley and Frances de la Tour as the irrepressible Miss Crawley. I don't know if a series as good as this needs the modern music and I am hoping ITV won't spring the BBC's favourite trick of changing the ending of the story.

Mary Gumsley

'Vanity Fair' is the story of Becky Sharp; a young woman determined to rise to the top of London society. To this end she flirts with the rich and powerful and is quick to move on to the next potential suiter if she thinks he will further her ambitions. Of course things don't always go according to plan but Becky is one of nature's survivors and is soon on her way up again. Her life is juxtaposed with that of her friend Amelia 'Emmy' Sedley; the daughter of a wealthy businessman whose life seems to be going in the opposite direction.

This satire on the social mores of the time it was written still feels delightfully fresh. The modern music during the opening and closings, and the electric lights on the merry-go-round the characters ride on during the introduction remind us that the World will always have its Becky Sharps wanting to get to the top. Becky could easily be an unsympathetic character but a combination of fine writing and great acting from Olivia Cooke make it hard for the viewer not to root for her. The rest of the cast is top-notch too; even the more comic characters feel real. As one would expect from a period drama everything looks great. Overall I'd certainly recommend this; even to people who don't consider themselves fans of adaptations of literary classics.

This modernised version should NOT be compared with either the movie or the other tv series version! It's completely different with both heart and soul!

I rather doubt there will be a better version.

So far Becky is a delightful little minx and Amelia is innocent and sweet, both actors playing their parts, very well!

There are so many brilliant actors, too many to mention. It's captivating, entertaining, funny and heart wrenching, can't wait to watch the rest