Mapp & Lucia

There is a mean streak throughout episode one like a fly buzzing around my head. The light, humor-sprinkled delightful dialog is missing from this version. We have two very talented actresses playing down the humor. Were they directed in this fashion?

The original Mapp & Lucia (1985) was brilliantly performed by all quality actors who understood the material. Character Quaint Irene was a poor lesbian artist wearing manly attire. The new Irene isn't anything. Major Bengi was a humorous drunk but not weirdly creepy as the new one.

I was so let down, almost as much as the remake of All Creatures Great and Small which I stopped watching after the second episode because it did not have the spirit of the relationships from the book that the original version embraced.

As an Australian born in the mid 1980s, I admit I never saw the previous Mapp & Lucia TV adaption and I haven't unfortunately come across E.F. Benson's novels.

Having made that disclaimer and confessed my ignorance, I have to say I love watching this BBC version (even if only on my iPad in bed late at night). Having read other reviews, I am now inspired to read the novels and (time permitting) dig out the 80s TV adaptation. I think the casting and acting is fabulous. The town is colorful, picturesque and exiting. The take on 1930s fashion (costume design) I find eccentrically appropriate and exciting to behold. Overall very fun and amusing viewing!

Good script, fast paced. Altogether entertaining. Colour palette seems rather dark and sombre compared to the insouciant sweet lightness of the C4 original. Anna Chancellor: a bit too butch for the part, too threatening, a bit sour, missed a fragility and joyfulness that McEwan got. Actress portraying Irene (Gemma Whelan) was much better and more credible than the original actress. Miranda Richardson very good, copied some mannerisms of Prunella Scales interpretation I thought. Pemberton also very good, copied Hawthorne's mannerisms in places. Chemistry between Pemberton and Chancellor was not right or credible somehow. Frances Barber - hammy over the top but delightful. All other actors and actresses worked really well. The final shot of Pilsen and Irene apparently bonded surprised me.

It is inevitable that there will be comparisons with the earlier 1980's production and I agree that some of them are justifiably unfavourable and many would agree that the cast of McEwan/Scales/Hawthorn etc. was a tough act to follow.

However I think it is unfair to compare the two as its often the case that we deem subsequent productions of any TV show or movie to be inferior to the original because we form our opinions on the first one that we see. It would be interesting to get a consensus of reviews for the new series from people who have never seen the original to see what they thought without being influenced by it.

I've read the books several times and also have the original series on a set of DVD's but still enjoyed this new series. Having said that I did find some of the acting a little unconvincing at first but I felt this did improve as it progressed. I also thought that bringing in the Guru (from a prior time in the book) was a great mistake but then it was nice that the vicar's wife 'Evie' was included as she was omitted in the original. Many things in the book were not included in the first series which ran for ten episodes so it was always going to be difficult to do justice to the book in just three episodes, although perhaps there will be further episodes if this series is successful.

Hopefully the new production will introduce E.F.Benson's Mapp and Lucia to a wider audience who may then read the books and view the original series.

It's been a long time since I've thoroughly enjoyed anything this good. I'm an extremely discerning viewer and I'm at a complete lost re what some reviewers were watching. Queenie, Miranda Richardson, was simply brilliant and so too was the scrumptious Anna Chancellor. Every character was brilliantly cast. I would certainly like previous reviewers to state other shows that could possibly match this level of viewing. I would so be eternally grateful. It's faultless television and probably better than Jeeves and Wooster. How has the acting world bypass Miranda Richardson whose talents are simply stupendous. Her facial expressions were magnificent and too funny. The wittisms, OMG!! Absolutely brilliant. Au Reservoir!