A Year in Provence

The amount of French language is enormous for an English language production, and that makes it fun to listen and try to understand, because much of the French in conversation is not translated fully. The things that one expects from Provence are all there, and when the expected ending of a story plot does not come and the twist is even more inventive than the simple negation of a stereotype, the narrative really shines. Peter runs the plumber out and you would think that this is the beginning of a rancorous feud, but it's not. Winning at bowling turns out not to be winning after all. The production does its best to include some of the most pointed vignettes of the book. It manages to capture the flavor very well overall. For the strongest sense of the continuity, I recommend that you read the book first; then, when you watch this on VHS/DVD, you can bask in the extra time and story added here to add depth to this stranger and his wife in a foreign land desperately trying to become local and belong.

If you've ever harbored a fantasy of living in a foreign country, A Year In Provence is a must see. I've owned the A&E DVD set for awhile and watch this series at least once a year; it's like taking a vacation to a now familiar place where I have friends and know the ropes. I treasure this series as it shows just what it might be like to try to re-settle in a foreign land where you know no one, don't speak the language very well, and, in this case, in a rural area where the residents aren't fluent in English and where you have to conform to their habits, schedules, and priorities. One sees very quickly that moving to a large city might make such a transition easier where services, multi-lingual inhabitants, and common ground are more quickly found. But the charm of this story is watching the husband & wife find their way, played superbly by Lindsay Duncan and John Thaw. Their civilized British take on things is perfectly tuned. They are the strangers in a strange land and their adjustment to a new and very different lifestyle is always interesting. So many kinds of "normal" behavior are depicted and it is the rural French version that delights; never has normal made me smile so much.

The story flows seamlessly through the four seasons of a year and, while the pace is relaxed, there is an assembly of characters and situations that adds just the right spice to keep your attention. Like a fine French meal in the country of origin, by the end you know you've experienced the unique flavor and texture of not only the local food, but also the people, culture, and dilemmas of living country style in Provence. Likely, you'd be able to translate many of the events to almost any country that has indoor plumbing. This is a trip worth taking. 9* out of 10*

I have this on VHS, and I enjoyed it enormously. Every single scene had something to smile about, whether it was Peter Mayle struggling with french, or Challemagne the rooster. I have one question, Why did so many people ignore this series at the time? Of course, it fell victim to the Darling Buds of May, which is also wonderful, but this is so relaxing to watch.

Provence has never looked so beautiful, some of the landscapes were absolutely gorgeous. John Thaw gives a rock-solid performance, that is always overlooked. When I mention this series to anyone, they are either blank-eyed, or go on criticising the books. Lindsay Duncan is also wonderful as Annie, although I read somewhere, that Thaw's wife Shiela Hancock was originally asked to do the role before the producers decided she was too old.

Watch this series, you'll really like it. I am just angry, that this wonderful programme was ignored. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I was worried that this A&E production would lack the charm of the book. As it turned out, the aesthetics of this film were spot on, even if the French humor was not as well adapted for the screen compared to all those wonderful passages that were peppered throughout the book.

I read the book many years before seeing the film, but remarkable, the details were still fresh in my mind, thanks to Mayle's gift of description.

I still gave this 4 stars because they did a great job of presenting Provence exactly the way it is and the way one pictures it while reading the book.

But it's the book that will always have a special place in my heart.

~NN

I watched this series on FTA TV from Radio-Télevision Monte Carlo. It was subtitled in French.

I've since read the book, and it's better. But the photography is good, and some of the characters (can you say Rivière?; the Mayles can't, pronouncing it RIViair) are very convincing. But I'm left with the overall impression that this is the British conquest of Provence. The Mayles are the centrepiece, saving the local people from one disaster after another (amongst other things). Annie doesn't even appear in the book, and my impression is that her name is a pun on the French title "Une année en Provence", but here she's saving the French from themselves. That wasn't necessary, and it strongly detracts from what would otherwise have been a very enjoyable series.

How do I rate it? It's difficult to say. I like watching the recordings we made, but every time the sheer Britishness of it gets on my nerves. So: parts of it are excellent, I'll give it a 5.