Four iconic British TV series — two from the seventies, two from the nineties. A little long in the tooth perhaps and lacking some of the bouncy lushness of a Bridgerton or Downton Abbey, but I like to think that these shows have a classic meets retro vibes feel that’s all their own. ~The House of Eliot Sisters Evie and Beatrice, brought up by a stick-in-the-mud father who gave them little in the way of niceties and education (their mother died giving birth to Evie) despite being an affluent physician, find themselves in dire straits when he dies. Turns…
~Harlots A show that fully embraces its inner sluttiness and flings it out into the world in full technicolour glory. The overarching storyline is a turf war between two rival brothel owners in late 1700’s London, who happen to share a very complicated past. Margaret Wells is unapologetic about her roots, views prostitution as a way (the only way) for women to gain financial independence and is not beneath auctioning off her daughter’s virginity to the highest bidder. Across town, Lydia Quigley, runs a much classier establishment with girls who dress elegantly, play the piano and speak French. Margaret and Lydia…
Christmas(ish) because, well, these films are a bit of a motley crew. A couple aren’t Christmas movies and a couple are but shouldn’t be. ~The Man Who Invented Christmas Shortly before Christmas in 1843, Charles Dickens finds himself short of money after a rather unfortunate series of flops. He lands upon the idea of a Christmas ghost story, inspired by his teenage housemaid, but then struggles to write it. He wanders the foggy streets of London finding inspiration in the places and people he meets, using snippets from here and there to create his own characters. When he settles upon…
Read More British Christmas(ish) Movies For The Holiday Season
It’s been a solid nine months since the last season of Bridgerton dropped and likely several more before season three is released. If you’re a big fan, it’s possible you are now suffering withdrawals from all of that sartorial splendor, for while it’s a show which revels in scandals and manners set against a lush backdrop of houses and balls, it is the exquisiteness of the clothing which truly commands centre stage. And particularly fun is the elegant, icy pale tailoring of the Bridgertons facing off against the candy colored finery of the Featheringtons, which leans ever so gently into…
Read More Nine Glossy British TV Shows With Fabulous Fashion (For Bridgerton Withdrawals)
I have always found the Victorian era to be rather fascinating. The lower classes experienced rampant poverty, appalling work conditions and terrible overcrowding in houses, creating a cesspool of crime and disease and making it no big surprise that the drinking of cheap gin reached epidemic levels. The wealthier classes meanwhile, indulged a deep interest in taxidermy and seances and exhibited a morbid curiosity of all things freakish and weird leading to a resurgence in gothic literature and mysticism. Yet all of this was curiously juxtaposed with an explosion of technological and scientific advances, increasingly liberal views and real social…
Read More British Victorian (esque) TV Dramas Perfect for the Spooky Season
~I, Daniel Blake Ken Loach at his finest, this movie is real and raw and guaranteed to make your blood boil at the excruciating Catch-22 the main character finds himself in. Daniel Blake is a 59 year old widowed carpenter recovering from a heart attack. Doctors say he is not able to go back to work, the government begs to differ and denies his benefits. Yes, it’s sad. Yes, it’s bleak. Yes, it’s depressing. But what makes it all bearable is that Daniel is real and authentic and deeply kind and passionate, as witnessed by the (platonic) relationship he…
I have professed my love of the highly stylized movie before and the recent rendition of Emma proves to be a delicious addition to the genre. It’s a frothy confection with interiors awash in pink and pastels, reminiscent of a Wes Anderson film, punctuated by the vibrant jewel tones of some of the outfits. I’m pretty sure this is what it would look like to take up residence inside a macaron box. And while the clothes may be exquisite, with a breathtaking attention to detail, it must be said that it is the sublime hats which rather steal the show.…
Britain certainly has no shortage of dark and gritty crime dramas but sometimes what’s needed is crime which is silly and irreverent. Bright and bubbly. Death by cheese, perhaps. Here are a handful of shows which keep things on the lighter side without sacrificing (too much) in the substance department. ~Midsomer Murders There is a running joke about the body count in Midsomer Murders. At 2-3 bodies per episode over 20 years of broadcasting, the fictional county of Midsomer is clearly the most dangerous place to live in England. It is, however, quintessentially British, with gorgeous gardens, quaint village pubs,…
While in life I generally enjoy things that have a natural, more organic feel to them, on the big screen I have something of a fondness for the highly stylised movie. It’s theatre meets film in all of its over the top grandeur and opulence. I recently watched the 2012 version of Anna Karenina with Kiera Knightly, more because I was in the mood for extravagant costumes than anything else. I had a vague recollection of the movie not garnering the best of reviews and, let’s face it, Anna Karenina isn’t the lightest, most uplifting of tales, so imagine my…
In a sea of great British programming these three shows stand out for their fabulous storylines, exquisite acting and sheer entertainment value. ~Broadchurch Ellie (Olivia Colman) is a detective who returns from maternity leave to find that her promised promotion has been handed to outsider, Alec Hardy (David Tennant). Within the hour she also learns that the body of an eleven year old boy found dead on the beach is that of Danny Latimer, best friend to her son and youngest child of her neighbours Beth (Jodie Whitaker) and Mark (Andrew Buchan). The opening scenes play out with quiet and…
