An ode to British television drama

To celebrate the successful launch of the BBC's remake of the 1975 show Poldark, I thought I would make a quick blog post dedicated to British television drama. British tv drama particularly period or crime based dramas are one of my favourite tv viewing experiences. There is nothing better than becoming hooked on an intense storyline, and although they may not be as long in series length as their american counter part, the few episodes we receive are able to keep me hooked from start to finish.

I was hooked on Poldark from the first episode, it has everything that I desire in a tv drama. A bold and complex male lead, portrayed by Aidan Turner, lovable, strong willed female protagonists, in this case Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson) tied together in a plot filled with romance, adventure and action. The stunning setting has the British coast to thank for its authentic style as Cornwall plays host for the set. One cannot help but yearn for British summer time to return and for a trip to the sea! Eleanor Tomlinson is a wonderful versatile actress and has turned her hand to this role with apparent ease, she is a farmilliar face for the BBC and you may recognise her from the 2013 mini series of The White Queen. Aidan Turner on the other hand is not a familiar face for me  (having still not made time to watch the Hobbit films) His empathy for the character is wonderful and the emotion he conveys through his character is a testament of his talent.

Inspired by the success of this remake I thought I thought id celebrate the overall greatness of British Television Drama. Here are a few of my recommended British Tv dramas (in no particular order)

Downton Abbey (ITV)
Need I say anymore. Downton has been going strong for 5 seasons and is set to return later this year for what might be its last.  Downton works so well because of the various story lines running parallel to each other capturing the romance, the scandal and the drama of the household. Because of the length of time Downton has been running for, its not surprising that fans have built up a strong relationship with the characters and uproar occurs whenever the shows talented team of writers dare do anything to harm one of the beloved characters. Remember the Christmas episode scandal of 2012!

My one criticism of the show would be the giant time hops between each series, I feel as if time is progressing too quickly, however the characters appear more or less unchanged by the passing time. This flaw, although disappointing weighs far less than the overall beauty of the show, its stunning costumes and set make you yearn for a yesteryear and its scandalous plots will have you hooked until the very last episode.

Mr Selfridge and The Paradise
I hate shopping with a passion, but these two shows makes me want to love shopping! The magic of the stores is encapsulated in the narrative, the gorgeous, glamorous sets and charming employees .

The Paradise (BBC)
The first season of the Paradise sees young shop assistant Denise (Joanna Vanderham) working her way up the store, whilst also engaging in a whirlwind romance with store owner Moray (portrayed by Emun Elliott). The show contains a certain amount of intrigue, with characters such as Jonas (David Hayman) giving an edge of mystery within the show. I've currently re-visited this show, thinking that perhaps I should give it a second chance, and honestly it is really worth it. I am genuinely upset that it will not be renewed for a third series, and therefore must get around to reading the books on which it is based.

Unfortunately the second season of the Paradise was a disappointment to many viewers and ratings made a significant fall it will not be returning for a third season. The second series appeared to focus on the empowerment of women balanced with their struggles at the same time as  Denise tried to work her way up the career ladder, and although it was wonderful to see this in a period drama, it did not fit in with the romanticised (all be it very patriarchal) image of the time that was built up in the first series.

Mr Selfridge (ITV)
Another department store based show centers around the exciting life of store owner Harry Selfridge and the his family and staff. The show, now in its third series, is still going strong, like Downton, Selfridges does not focus mainly on a set character it has a set of intertwining narratives through all areas of the store. Harry Selfridge may own the store but this is in no way a mans world, there are some wonderful female cast members including Sherlocks Amanda Abbington and real life sisters Kara and Hannah Tointon.

Downton, Mr Selfridge and The Paradise are wonderful period dramas that romantisise the world of beauty and wealth during the times they are set. All three shows focus mainly on the glamour of the time and separate themselves, as much as possible from the dangers occurring in the world around them such as the first world war, therefore making them wonderful shows for easy viewing if you fancy a bit of escapism.

The Musketeers (BBC)
One cannot help but fall in love the wonderfully charming musketeers. Their valiant efforts to protect the monarch despite all odds whilst also overcoming personal daemons and pursuing heartfelt and often troublesome romances. Series one and two of the musketeers have encapsulated all the elements of a perfect period drama, in my opinion, and both have had me hooked throughout. This is currently one of my favourite shows on tv and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new and exciting drama.

The series 2 finale aired a few weeks back and never before has a British tv drama had me so on edge, cinematically and in terms of narrative it was flawless.

Happy Valley (BBC)
Police officer Catherine (portrayed by Sarah Lancashire) is struggling to come to terms with the suicide of her daughter, juggling her depression and struggle with the situation, with her job as a police officer. Along with all of this she is having to bring up her daughters child, with the disapproval of her family and away from his biological father Tommy Lee Royce the man believed to be responsible for her daughters rape that drove her to suicide.

The White Queen (BBC)

One of the only media productions that I can say I wholeheartedly preferred the show to the book. I rarely read books after watching the film or tv rendition as the character descriptions can be tainted by the actors that you have seen portray them, however this series is one that I enjoyed so much that I thought the books would be worth looking into, however, in true BBC style the over-sensationalised narrative was far more exaggerated than the book, and therefore the paper form paled into insignificance in comparison.

I would however fully recommend the TV series, its talented cast portray the sensational romantic yet war filled life of Tudor England.Amanda Hale's breathtaking portrayal of Lady Margaret Beaufort is alone worth watching for, her chilling performance highlights the significance of religion to those surrounding the throne and those who fight to climb up to it.

The Mill (Channel 4)
An utterly wonderful romantic representation of the Victorian England. Victorian England full of soot, dirt and hard labor, it would be easy to think the residence of the mill would lack prosperity, but through their hardships they remain hopeful, a fiery hunger for racial, class and gender equality burns strong in them.

This series shows the lives of those working in and around the mill, the struggles and prejudices they faced and the lengths they had to go to just to survive. (Read my poem inspired by one of the Mill's characters here)

Last Tango In Halifax (BBC)
I never thought I was going to like this show. I began watching it purely because it was on tv and became hooked. It was my surprise and intrigue that got me hooked on it. Not only does the prime time series have a vast set of strong female leads, but its lead protagonist portrayed by Sarah Lancashire is also a lesbian . It feels foolish writing that in a review however it is a giant leap forward in British tv. The BBC have always had a bit of a bad reputation for their lack of diversity in terms of representation, and to portray a homosexual female character in a lead role in a prime time show is a huge risk for the channel, especially considering the number of complaints they received for the relationship between Madame Vastra and Jenny in Dr Who.

Nevertheless it is a risk that has payed off and one i am extremly glad they took. Sarah Lancashire  is a wonderful actress as previously stated and has been very well cast by the BBC in this role.The main cast is also home to Celia and Alan (Anne Reid and Derek Jacobi) an elderly couple who have found love, once again the representation of this couple breaks the conventional boundaries of the BBC.

Broadchurch (ITV)
If you haven't yet watched series 1 of Broadchurch then what are you waiting for! The series was incredibly well thought through in terms of secrecy and unlike many crime dramas, the killer was kept concealed until the very end. You will, at some point through the series, have doubted every single character. Olivia Colman and David Tennant star as the crime fighting duo who among all the mystery have personal battles to fight. This show will leave you on edge through every episode and shocked through until the end.

As with all good series, its sequel was an unfortunate disappointment, but after the booming success of the first series this is not surprising. It's american alternative Gracepoint is currently airing, however I must admit i'm not a fan. I attempted to watch it but I struggled, it is, in my opinion too exaggerated when compared to the moody subtleness of the UK version, and I cannot get my head around the fact that David Tennant still stars as the protagonist, however puts on an american accent for the character.

Into The Woods

Warning

*This post contains some mild spoilers* 

Into The Woods is all about the journey, its not about the start or the end, its about that tricky bit in the middle, its "the climb", "the journey" or in this case, The Woods. A place full of darkness and mystery, it is the tunnel through which the light at the end shines through, where reality is warped and all is not as it seems.

Better than Frozen. Unlike Frozen Into The Woods maintains many of the traditional Disney conventions we all know and love. We see many of the conventions associated with the older Disney classics whilst entwining the Disnified narrative with elements from the original tales, an unusual convention that I really enjoyed, particularly where the dark and twisted original tale of in Rapunzel was included. Frozen was dubbed Disney's answer to feminism, however I personally feel Into The Woods is far more worthy of the title. For a start, in this production no character is perfect. Frozen portrays a style of female favouritism that causes the male characters to be conveyed as either, selfish liars, evil, or "ugly". In Into The Woods' every character has flaws, not superficial appearance based flaws or unlovable flaws like being "pure evil". The greatest example of this has to be the bakers wife, whom the viewer grows to love despite her flaws and even when she makes, what would in other Disney films be an unforgivable mistake, the viewer is still able to forgive her, echoing the reality of life not being black or white.

This is another thing that makes the production so relatable, despite the characters flaws you cannot help but love them, its not as black and white as most Disney films. Even the oh so modern Frozen, had its prejudices, when during the films climax the audience discovers Hanz has alternator motives, you instantly see him as the bad guy, forget the charm that we loved at the start and dismiss him as the villain. The characters are so much more three dimensional, everyone, male or female is a lovable bundle of flaws stitched together with good intentions.

One character especially flawed is the wolf but you really cannot help but love him. The humanisation of the wolf is such an important part of this film. This classic villain is reinvented as the charming yet manipulative stranger lurking in The Woods. Any viewer would be lying if they said they didn't get chills when they first heard Johnny Dept sing Hello Little Girl. It teaches the younger viewers that the "bad guy" is not always the monster that you imagine, he can be the charmer, the manipulator who lures you in before revealing his true colours. A poignant lyric in Little Red's song I Know Things Now reads "take extra care with strangers, even flowers have their dangers, and though scary is exciting, nice is different than good" this once again reinforces the fact that things are not always as they seem, especially when seen in the shadow of The Woods.

Visually Into The Woods is simply enchanting , it is not overly exquisite with lavish sets and props, it has that "quaint theater feel" to it, feeling more like a "proper musical" than a high budget Disney film. Every detail down to the the lighting and the set is perfect creating this gorgeous hybrid of film and theater. 

One vital area of the production that worked beautifully was the costume department. Colleen Atwood's designs are utterly gorgeous and you wouldn't expect any less from the iconic costume designer who has worked on costumes for productions such as Alice in Wonderland, Sweeny Todd and Snow White And The Huntsman. Its Oscar nomination for the productions costumes is not a surprise and is very much deserved. Reinventing many of the iconic costumes including Cinderella's dress into a golden ensemble, this worked stunningly, allowing the viewers to not form too many comparisons between the characters previous representations in the Disney animations.

Alongside the many established names were the two young budding stars Lilla Crawford and Daniel Huttlestone (whom you may recognise from Les Miserables) who fit perfectly into the star studded cast and there lack of experience was not evident despite this being Lilla's first ever film and only Daniel's second. I am sure that these two will soon be household names and will continue to thrive in the musical industry.

I am the kind of viewer who gets utterly addicted to a production, I cannot simply watch a film, love it, walk away and get on with my life. I will listen to the soundtrack on repeat, fall in love with the characters and obsessively re-blog gifs of my favorite scenes on tumblr. I would expect nothing less from a musical than a haunting and addictive soundtrack, one that has succeeded on keeping me hooked ever since I watched the film. 

The depth of the woods will pull you in to its murky shadows, the leaving you both haunted and enchanted.