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List Price: $34.98 | | Label: BBC Warner
Salesrank: 802
Released: May 20, 2008 |
| Our Price: $18.99 |
| Used Price: $23.95 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
The BBC drama series adapted from Elizabeth Gaskell's classic novels of small town gossip, secrets and romance. 1842. Cranford, a market town in the North West of England, is a place governed by etiquette, custom and above all, an intricate network of ladies. It seems that life has always been conducted according to their social rules, but Cranford is on the cusp of change… For spinsters Deborah Jenkyns, the arbiter of correctness in Cranford, and Matty, her demurring sister, the town is a hub of intrigue - a handsome new doctor Frank Harrison from London has arrived; a retired Captain and his daughters have moved in to a house opposite and the preparations for Lady Ludlows garden party are underway. Everyone - from charming rogue Dr Marshland to mean Mrs Jamieson and her lap dog talks, and is talked about, behind closed doors. The town also has its secrets which it slowly reveals: Mattys encounter with an old flame at the garden party; Lady Ludlows gardener, Mr Carter, teaching a gypsy lad to read and write; the wild expectations of the May Day celebrations and - news that shakes the town when it is revealed - a railway line from Manchester is coming to Cranford.
Description of Cranford:
Adapted from Elizabeth Gaskell's novels, the five-episode miniseries Cranford focuses on female characters in the 19th-century British town to thematically contemplate encroaching modernity in rural England. With the camera roving house to house, each drama within the grander story is constructed of scenes featuring dialogue between several gossipy ladies obsessed with moral code, romantic ideas about courtship, and social occasions. Three main characters, the ever-appropriate Deborah Jenkyns (Eileen Atkins), her sweet sister, Matilda (Judi Dench), and their younger, more savvy relative, Miss Smith (Lisa Dillon), continuously weigh in on situations, providing a dependable view when other ladies, like the nosey Miss Pole (Imelda Staunton) are too judgmental. In fine period dress, the women of Cranford remind the viewer of how little action was needed in their small-town lives to provide unceasing entertainment. The series'most intriguing aspect lies not in the ample female conversation but rather in its display of earlier technologies and ways of life. Part One, for example, quickly launches a main narrative thread that runs throughout the series, namely the arrival and assimilation of London doctor, Frank Harrison (Simon Woods), into village society. Dr. Harrison's medical practices, such as his refusal to amputate a man's arm because it's broken, are all the more radical because they are so fundamental by today's standards. In subsequent episodes, he recommends Miss Smith get spectacles to cure her headaches, and saves his love's life by cooling her fever after conservative doctor, Dr. Morgan (John Bowe), recommends the old school practice of burying her in blankets in front of a raging fire. In Part Two, Lady Ludlow (Francesca Annis) throws a garden party at her estate, treating all the women in their fancy hats to a new novelty: ice cream. This scene foreshadows Ludlow's future concern at a railroad plan involving her land that would connect Cranford to Manchester, symbolizing the ruin of this idyllic setting.
In fact, fluffy and clever as some scenes are, death and rebirth assert themselves in each showing, both physically and idealistically. Part Four shows an auctioning off of a deceased man's antiques, and focuses on issues of class and women's education, as Mr. Carter teaches a peasant boy to read while his assistant fumes at her trappings as a seamstress. Part Five ushers in a new period of medical emergencies, securing Dr. Harrison's shaky position in town. In total, Cranford offers a powerful, if sentimental, look at how death begets life, love, and passion. --Trinie Dalton
Cranford Reviews:
Smile, smile, smile. 
2009-12-15 - What can I add to the above 5-star reviews but .... I want to live in Cranford!
Cranford series
2009-12-09 - Admirers of Jane Austen will love this watching this authentic series. Makes a perfect gift!
This is a gem! Ranks among the best period dramas.
2009-11-03 - Cranford is a gem -- ranking among the best of the period dramas, such as Pride & Prejudice (Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle version), North & South (Richard Armitage version), The Forsyte Saga (Gina McKee version), Sense & Sensibility (Emma Thompson), Emma (Gwyneth Paltrow), and a new favorite: Lark Rise to Candleford. I love the tension between the comfort of tradition and the push toward change (exhibited by the new young doctor's passion for modern medicine and the push for education for the poor). Mostly, I loved the relationships, the sense of community, the beautiful land, life so full without consumer electronics -- all of which make me long to leave the rat race of our modern world for a slower, gentler, more connected way of life.
Beautifully and sensitively done.
2009-10-22 - The village of "never changing" Cranford is about to be beset by many changes. New generations, with differing aspirations, sometimes in conflict with the more established citizens, nevertheless treat one another with due respect. The producers of Cranford have done a magnificent job of re-creating for us the scenery and, most of all, the characters that make up this complete little society, complete with aristocracy, gentry, and the laboring poor.
The stellar cast composed of so many of our favorites greatly enhanced our enjoyment. Thanks, again, BBC!
What a dissapointment 
2009-10-13 - Just loved this story. However, this DVD collection is severely edited from the original BBC production, leaving it shorter and harder to follow. WTF? Why did the BBC need to cut so much out?
Sorry I bought these and am hoping the full version will come out soon.
