Ladies of Letters

What a relief to find this series. I am an American woman in my 70s and I love good detective series (Vera, Wallander, Foyle's War, Frost, Endeavour, etc) especially in light of the trash on American television written & only used to promote a Democratic Socialist workd-view. Good stories from Great Britain & European TV are copied and rewritten to be dumbed-down for the Anerican public. We no longer have cable and instead use Prime, Brit Box, Acorn, Walter, etc., for our entertainment. However, most of what we find well-done are the detective dramas and, though the writing & acting is excellent, they are becoming very graphic and I needed a break. I was thrilled to find this series and very sad there are no more than 2 seasons! I haven't finished it yet (on S2 E6) but already wishing there were more episodes. It's not vapid and childish, or relying on slapstick for humor, like way too many comedies on TV and cable. It's really engaging and funny with enough reality to bring just the right amount of tension. I'm already dreading the end.

I've watched this series many times over, it doesn't diminish with subsequent viewings, the humour is shall, cutting and delivered with absolute perfection.

Reid and Lipman are just glorious in their respective parts, the momentum switches between the two, with each taking chunks out of the other at will.

I preferred the first series, the earlier episodes in particular, but the second series is also very good.

It's so sad that people don't handwrite letters to one another anymore, this series proves how much fun you can have on paper.

Wonderful series, 9/10.

"Ladies of Letters" vividly displays - humorously and with great acting abilities - how difficult it can be for middle-aged women to make new friends - a rare topic indeed. I, an American, have always enjoyed British entertainment of various sorts so I was glad for this TV series from 2009 which aired on PBS and Acorn in 2022. I haven't as yet read the book but have it on order. ~ Vera and Irene, who live rather solitary lives at some distance from one another in England, first meet at a wedding and begin a lengthy correspondence after one mails a thank you note to the other. The two have much in common - both are widows who live alone in freestanding houses with pet dogs and gardens to tend and no household helpers, and both are mothers with grandchildren on the way - but they also have their differences which are apparent even in the opening credits. ~ Although the storyline is exaggerated for entertainment purposes, there is much truth in this fictional relationship which unfolds over 20 half-hour episodes. I was especially impressed with how active both stars - Anne Reid and Maureen Lipman - are as they flawlessly speak non-stop. Their ever-changing surroundings and wardrobes reveal their personalities. They continually deal with unexpected and sometimes unjust challenges that come their way. ~ I would have rated this a 10 except that it was so difficult for me to keep up with the rapid-fire dialogue that I could only follow the massive flow of words by turning on the closed captioning, and I disliked the sometimes fierce antagonism that erupted between the two women. I myself had continued a longstanding long-distance correspondence with a college friend until time and tide eventually broke the connection so I very much appreciate discovering "Ladies of Letters," a rare find and a unique gem. Bravo!

I laughed til I cried. I cried til I laughed. This is decidedly my favourite British female led comedy. These women are brilliant. Their long careers were a testament to their abilities. I've binge-watched it three times and will again. I just adore the entire concept. You aren't ever quite sure if their "friendship" is really THAT contentious. I'm Vera. A past real and for true hippie. Love a vodka tonic (mostly vodka, of course). Irene reminds me of a lot of women friends and it's glorious! I'm old(ish) and I see them portraying life as old(ish) women who long for a past that didn't really exist~except in their memories.

Well to be very honest with you, I have no idea of the previous reviewer was on about as this is a truly wonderful conversion from the audio CDs, of which I have the entire complete collection, onto DVD and taking it into the visual format.

I disagree that the slight alterations are a bad thing - I think they've been a wonderful breath of fresh air and have been written by the original authors.

Without the original actors in the original roles, it wouldn't I have worked in using exactly the same lines so the original authors have used creative license (that they have every right to use!) and have individualised it ever so slightly and still kept it within the extremely funny premise that we are used to and love from the audio CDs.

Maureen Lipman and Anne Reid have been fantastic in their interpretation of the characters and I say my hat goes off to them both for taking something so wonderful and making it as fantastic as the audio CDs but on a new level.

I completely recommend anyone to watch these series and they stand alongside the audio CDs beautifully.