Filhas e Esposas

I found this mini-series extremely entertaining. The acting was excellent. Michael Gambon was particularly outstanding. Justine Waddell did a wonderful job with Molly. She could have been an insufferable prig, but Justine brought such sincerity and vulnerability to her that you took her to your heart. Francesca Annis touched all the right buttons with her characterisation of the social climbing wife and Bill Paterson's wry humour and warmth made his relationship with Molly all the more realistic. Every role was well performed and no-one struck an artificial note. The settings, of course, were superb. How can you fail with the wonderful wealth of historic houses and the countryside available in England. The costumes,too, were excellent. No detail was missed. This series is one you can watch several times and still find new facets in the characterisations. PLEASE let us have more of this quality. Highly recommended.

The BBC version of Elizabeth Gaskell's "Cranford" a few years back was mostly about Dame Judi and her spinster cronies and their unbecoming bonnets, but this wonderful series, based on Mrs. G's last novel, focuses on the younger generation: Roger Hamley, the old squire's younger son, seems like a perfect match for Molly Gibson, the doctor's daughter; he's a budding naturalist, she reads Lamarck and other serious works; they both enjoy looking at pondwater through the microscope.

The problem is that Molly's father has just remarried, which brings Cynthia, a vivacious, not-so-serious stepsister, into the picture; before he sets out on a lengthy expedition, Roger proposes to Cynthia. This leaves Molly with plenty of time to help the other characters sort things out—Cynthia's unfortunate entanglement with a caddish young striver (Iain Glen, currently seen on "Game of Thrones"), Roger's older brother's estrangement from their temperamental father (a perfect part for Michael Gambon; twenty years after Waterloo, the old squire's still hatin' on the French).

Master adapter Andrew Davies, assisted by a near-perfect cast, really gets us involved in such no-longer-burning questions as whether a young lady who's "lost her character" by talking with a young man in a secluded spot could get it back by swanning around town for an afternoon with a peer's daughter; Rosamund Pike is charming, and gets to wear the best costumes, as the latter (I wanted to call her the duchess ex machina, but I think she's just the daughter of an earl).

Francesca Annis is clearly enjoying herself in the role of Molly's stepmother, Hyacinth, a scheming, moralizing ex-governess; Dad seems to find her adorable, because she's not the boss of him and, despite the unflattering Mid-Victorian coiffure, she's still Francesca Annis. Though Mrs. Gaskell was a reformer and a progressive on the issues of her day—she clearly approves of Molly and Cynthia's ladylike revolt against the town's gossips and prigs—it's interesting that she weighs in on the current stay-at-home-mom debate by portraying Cynthia as a fractious adolescent who resents her mother for "abandoning" her to go to work as a governess.

Justine Waddell may be a bit too glamorous for the part of Molly, but that doesn't strike me as a dealbreaker; Keeley Hawes, who seems to have had a corner on out-of-control ingenue roles that year (see "The Last September"), is just right for Cynthia. Available on streaming Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Anybody who loves a good adaptation of a book, lovely period detail, compelling storytelling and great writing and acting should find no real reason to not enjoy Wives and Daughters. As an adaptation, Wives and Daughters is hardly disappointing, some might be underwhelmed by the ending but the book's incompleteness does deserve some of the blame here but the adaptation does show loyalty to the book while telling it intricately and freshly. I however have always found it fairer to judge an adaptation on its own, and on its own Wives and Daughters is brilliant and you don't even have to have read the book to enjoy what is personally considered one of the best series the BBC has ever done. The scenery and locations are stunning and the costumes, hair(didn't have much of a problem with Rosamund Pike's in Episode 4) and make-up are true to period and a feast on the eye, which is always a great starting point for a period drama adaptation. The music is quirky yet at other times understated and is never obtrusive, letting the story speak for itself when needed. The dialogue is incredibly thought-provoking with splashes of humour, ranging from subtle and hilarious, and emotional impact, and the story has every nuance and detail of society at the time down-pat and spot on and the telling of it is done loyally while fresh and relevant and intricate while never dragging or being too staid or faithful. The characters are immensely engaging and are developed just fine, Gaskell's characters like George Eliot's and Charles Dickens's were quite flesh-and-blood-like and there is a sense of that here. You'd think that you'd be annoyed by characters like Lady Harriet, but actually you might find that she later becomes one of your favourites when she stands up for Molly. The acting is superb from all, especially from Michael Gambon who is gruff yet poignant and Francesca Annis who makes a formidable character genuinely beastly. Justine Waddell is excellent never comes across as too perfect considering her type of character and Keeley Hawes is incredibly charming and naturally. Bill Paterson is likable and admirably restrained and Tom Hollander, who plays a conflicted character most touchingly, and Anthony Howell, who is effortlessly dashing, provide the heart of the drama without problem. The beautiful Rosamund Pike is wonderfully feisty and forceful(the scene on the carriage is very funny) and also elegant and dignified, it's a fairly small role but Pike makes a lot out of it. All in all, a brilliant series and adaptations. 10/10 Bethany Cox

The BBC is well known for its high quality costume dramas and this is one of the best in recent years. Elizabeth Gaskell is not an author that I was familiar with except for her usually being known as 'Mrs. Gaskell', which immediately makes her work offer the prospect of being a bit staid. Well not a bit of it! This production is intelligent, witty and thoroughly charming throughout. When it was shown as a serial, I couldn't wait for the next episode! Every member of the cast is exceptional, but special praise for Justine Waddell and Francesca Annis. I defy anybody not to become thoroughly involved in the story of Molly and her family/friends. Elizabeth Gaskell never finished the novel, sadly dying before its completion, but I feel certain that she would have wholeheartedly approved of the BBC's ending which is absolutely heartwarming! Even if you dislike period drama, I urge you to give this one a try, I know that my DVD copy will be getting a lot of use in the coming years - many thanks BBC!

I already knew this was going to be fab after I'd watched the first one, because I have seen lots of the BBC costume dramas, and they are always fab, and I was not disappointed in Wives and Daughters. The cast are (as always) excellent. Particulely Justine Waddel (Estella in Great Expectations) and Keeley Hawes (Lizzy in Our Mutal Friend) I can't wait for the final episode. I'm dying to see what happens!!