Lillie

At the end of the first hour of this BBC Costumer, you may be tempted to forget the rest, as it appears to be somewhat dated--the color as dated a bit, the film techniques--and the plot establishment a bit slow; but stay the course! This excellent immersion in Victorian society is both informative and wonderfully acted, particularly by Francesca Annis as Lillie Langtry, who is seldom off the screen, playing a young woman whose strength of will develops as she copes with a society whose strictures are iron-clad. I can't recall when I've seen a better portrayal of Oscar Wilde and his immediate Bohemian Circle, Peter Egan brilliantly capturing his offhand wit and vulnerability; Denis Lill, too, as the Prince of Wales who becomes enamored of the "Jersey Lily" sent me to Wikipedia to discover more about the entire period; to someone who only knew of Lillie Lantry because of Judge Roy Bean's obsession with her in the John Ford movie My Darling Clementine, this lengthy series was mesmerizing; it's a colorful and involving recreation of a world long past.

A renowned cast, headed by lovely Francesca Annis, tells the story of Lillie Langtry from her teenaged years in the island of Jersey, through her time as a personality-cum-courtesan-cum actress, until her last days.

Anton Rogers is her increasingly marginalized husband who falls into alcoholism. No spoilers, but what happens to him is fascinating.

A highlight of the show, perhaps the highlight, is Richard Egan's Oscar Wilde. I wish they'd spun his story off as a series for as many weeks with Egan in the lead.

For me and my artistic soul the best part of the series is when LL mixes with artists of her day.

I remember watching it weekly on "Masterpiece Theatre," back when all its British offerings were stagey and declaimed and endless and wonderful. No CGI, so it won't intrigue modern audiences. But then, I was one of those kids who could find a million ways to play with a large cardboard box. It's called "imagination."

How much is true? How much of "Amadeus" is true? How much of "Shakespeare in Love" is true? Well, I'm no LL expert but "Lillie" possibly has the best track record of the three. But it's really a soap opera in fancy costumes. Pears soap (inside joke).

Admittedly, the first episode is a bit difficult to get through, even with Annis as the teenaged Lillie: but the series is rewarding if you stick with it.

A languid tale of late 19th century and early 20th century Britain and America. It tells the story of a gold digging, high class trollop, set against a background of high society, the theatre and horse racing. Francesca Annis playing the title character does a worthwhile job although at the beginning as a young and naive 15 year old the 33 year old actress was a little unbelievable. The vibe of the production was clearly 1970's TV drama with most of the action confined to interior sets due , I would say, cost restraints, although the costuming was at a high level. On the whole this mini series is worth a look but keep your expectations to a controllable level; it is no masterpiece.

Here are just a quick few words in order to correct irish23 above;

This series was NOT made by the BBC but by the ITV (Independant Television) company LWT (London Weekend Television). LWT was a regional independent TV company which was financed by advertising and sales of programmes such as Lillie abroad. It only catered to the London area, but other regional ITV companies provided shows for other parts of the UK, such as Grampian in Scotland, and Tyne Tees in Newcastle. Unfortunately, the Conservatives de-regulated TV in the 1990s, and now all regions come under the "ITV" name.

The BBC, which continues to leech off its licence fee payers for revenue, made a series called The Dutchess of Duke St, about a similar female character making her own fame and fortune, without the aid of the men in her life.

Another ITV series was the far superior Upstairs Downstairs, which I seem to recall being repeated on Sunday nights in place of Lillie.

I found this biographical series truly fascinating. I was introduced to it by my grandmother, and I saw it with her, and I couldn't stop watching. "Lillie" is divine in every sense of the word, with sumptuous attention to detail, with the breathtaking scenery and lavish costumes. The music is beautiful and haunting, and the script is sophisticated enough. The story of Lillie, the woman ahead of her time, is compelling and maintains interest throughout. The performances are top notch, with Francessca Annis outstanding as Lillie, playing her with grace, determination and a great deal of charm. Peter Egan plays Oscar Wilde pretty much to perfection, and Anton Rogers is excellent as Langtry. Do I have any complaints about "Lillie"? Not of the mini-series itself, as I found it positively divine, but the picture quality was sometimes a little too grainy and washed out. Overall, I loved "Lillie" and recommend it. 10/10 Bethany Cox