Friday Favorites: North and South (2004)

Mar 29, 2019 |

A little while ago this article reminded me of one of my very favorite costume dramas of all time: the BBC adaptation of Elizabeth’s Gaskell’s North and South, which premiered nearly 15 years ago. Reading the article filled me with such nostalgia and yearning that I jumped at the chance to watch the mini-series again when visiting my friend Michelle in Tennessee.

We watched all four episodes in one evening. It didn’t matter that I’d seen the series 20 times already. It’s just so SATISFYING.

Sarah Seltzer at Flavorwire agrees:

Like the best “prestige TV,” its concerns are with social justice, moral ambiguity, and individual responsibility. Everyone is rendered sympathetically, to some degree, even those who stand in opposition to each other. Surrounded by the conflicts of this complex world, we have the love story between Thornton, who transcended his modest background to become a mill owner (a boss with principles, but a boss nonetheless), and the refined, socially liberal Margaret Hale (played by a radiant Daniella Denby-Ashe), who comes from the gentler South and thinks him an oppressive brute. It’s one of the most explosive, chemistry-rich misunderstanding-laden romances that’s ever graced the small screen. Their courtship has a structure that clearly imitates Pride and Prejudice, but each step along the way is ten times as dramatic.

I love these comments from Armitage and Denby-Ashe about their chemistry. (If you haven’t yet seen the series and you’re super squeamish about spoilers, you might skip this short video.)

All enthusing aside, I could imagine someone watching the first episode and not continuing. It’s a somewhat grim set-up, and everyone/everything is flawed or unappealing in some way. If you felt this way and stopped, I urge you to continue. It is worth it! And it’s endlessly re-watchable. (You’ll find it on Netflix. It’s also available on various other streaming platforms.)

If you’re already a fan, feel free to share some favorite moments in the comments!

***This bog entry is also somewhat of a “Friday Flashback” because I want to include some comparison/discussion of the novel and TV adaptation saved from my old Livejournal blog. I read the novel after viewing and, as you might imagine, I had some thoughts. But I’m going to put them in a separate WordPress post soon…

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