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Watch Fantastic BBC Period Dramas
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North & SouthNorth & South
Buy new: $17.49 / Used from: $17.40
Excellent, excellent, excellent. Very close to the novel. It's a romance and social commentary all rolled into one very delightful package.
Wives and DaughtersWives and Daughters
Buy new: $21.99 / Used from: $18.94
I actually enjoyed the film more than the novel itself. That may be because Gaskell died before writing an ending to the book (so there is no real sense of completion). The movie, however, creates a very wonderful and satisfying conclusion.
CranfordCranford
Buy new: $19.49 / Used from: $19.68
Originally I avoided this film. For some reason I thought it was about a bunch of old ladies gossiping and running around. Wrong. Somehow this film just because more and more powerful as it continues. It displays the lives of the townsfolk (young and old). It was extremely moving with fabulous acting.
Pride and Prejudice - The Special Edition (A&E, 1996)Pride and Prejudice - The Special Edition (A&E, 1996)
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $15.40
Who doesn't know Pride and Prejudice? Over the years there have been many, many variations and remakes of this novel in film. I've seen almost all of them - this is, by far, the best and closest adaption of the novel.
PersuasionPersuasion
Buy new: $11.49 / Used from: $10.48
This is my favorite adaption - mostly I liked the fellow who played Captain Wentworth (Ooh-la-la!). A few scenes are extremely different, however - such as the climatic scene, but I didn't mind the change overmuch.
Emma (A&E, 1997)Emma (A&E, 1997)
Buy new: $9.99 / Used from: $4.30
The film is quite good and is very well-written (Andrew Davies is a genius when it comes to adaptions!).
Masterpiece Theatre: Mansfield ParkMasterpiece Theatre: Mansfield Park
Buy new: $13.99 / Used from: $12.59
The film is good. This novel is my least favorite of Jane Austen (I've never warmed to the idea of first-cousins marrying first-cousins, even is that is what occurred back then). The movie, however, is good, no matter my opinion of the book.
Sense & Sensibility (with Miss Austen Regrets) (BBC TV 2008)Sense & Sensibility (with Miss Austen Regrets) (BBC TV 2008)
Buy new: $19.49 / Used from: $18.99
Great adaptation again. I don't know how BBC casts for these. They're always excellent.
Masterpiece Theatre: Northanger AbbeyMasterpiece Theatre: Northanger Abbey
Buy new: $13.99 / Used from: $11.13
Extremely well cast with the right amount of suspense and innocence.
Berkeley SquareBerkeley Square
Buy new: $29.99 / Used from: $25.00
Actually a series and, I believe, only based slightly on a play. The film focuses on the "below-stairs" lives of three nannies along with a slew of other interesting characters. I must admit, I particular liked the romance that blossomed between Mattie and the cook's son.
Jane Eyre (Masterpiece Theatre, 2006)Jane Eyre (Masterpiece Theatre, 2006)
Buy new: $16.99 / Used from: $18.30
The most recent adaption.
The Tenant of Wildfell HallThe Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Buy new: $11.99 / Used from: $7.99
I really like Tara Fitzgerald. The romantic interest is the same actor from Jane Eyre.
Bleak HouseBleak House
Buy new: $21.99 / Used from: $19.95
Fantastic epic. Gillian Anderson (X Files) is brilliant.
The Woman in WhiteThe Woman in White
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $11.96
I love this novel. The film is quite good. Not entirely as good as the novel, but an excellent attempt.
The MoonstoneThe Moonstone
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $10.78
I could basically repeat myself word-for-word from The Woman in White.
A Room With a View (Two-Disc Special Edition)A Room With a View (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Buy new: $15.49 / Used from: $14.89
One of my absolute favorite period films. If you've ever been to Florence, Italy or have ever dreamed of going, this film will ignite your imagination.
Where Angels Fear to TreadWhere Angels Fear to Tread
Buy new: $9.99 / Used from: $4.87
Another great film with Helena Bonham Carter. I love adaptations of E.M. Forster's work.
Under the Greenwood TreeUnder the Greenwood Tree
Buy new: $11.49 / Used from: $11.17
A nice film. A bit easy on the comprehension side of things.
The InheritanceThe Inheritance
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $8.38
The film was ok. It was a little too simplistic for my taste, however.
MiddlemarchMiddlemarch
Buy new: $8.49 / Used from: $6.95
A great version of the book. The characters are really flushed out well.
Daniel DerondaDaniel Deronda
Buy new: $8.49 / Used from: $8.10
I've never read the novel. The film was quite nice and interesting. I do feel, though, that the ending was a bit rushed.
Little DorritLittle Dorrit
Buy new: $29.99 / Used from: $26.99
Very interesting - concerns a family in debtor's prison rather than your usual "lord and ladies" type story. The male lead is the same fellow from the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film.
Our Mutual FriendOur Mutual Friend
Buy new: $8.49 / Used from: $8.06
Another nice adaptation.