Period Dramas: The Good, the Bad, and all The Heartache...

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My summer of watching Period Drama continues

So far here are my favorite (in no particular order) I have discovered this spring/summer

1. Little Dorrit

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I have already written about this series in my post Period Drama Weekend but I still love it. Some times I am tempted to re-watch it all over again. But right now I am still seeking new films and my pinterest board To Netflix or Not to Netflix is growing (even though I don't have a Netflix account I am finding YouTube and the Boston Public Library to be a great place to find movies... even if I have to watch them in pieces. 

Here is a preview...

2. The Paradise

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I am actually surprised I have not written about this one yet. I think I discovered it during my blogging break during the end of my semester. It is the story of Denise who comes from the country to work at her uncle's tailor shop but he doesn't have enough work for her so she finds employment at the new department store of The Paradise. Some one on Pinterest told me Mr. Selfridge is better than the Paradise... I do not think that is correct. Denise is very motivated to have the best in life, and that might sound selfish, I would say Denise is far from spoiled she is just a go-getter with big dreams and an ambition to see it through. Mr. Moray, her boss, is also a go-getter but he has a dark past that haunts him. I loved The Paradise and while it is only 8 episodes long (they are up on YouTube thanks to MsElifora) there is so much fun drama.

Here is a preview...

Also the costumes are fabulous... not so much the shop girls as they frequently wear black dresses but the customer's get to wear pretty dresses.

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You might recognize the girl in that picture she also plays Laura in my next favorite...

3. Lark Rise to Candleford

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I have already recently talked about this one in "My one Weakness" post but I think from that post it is quite clear my love for it. I think this is the most humorous period "drama", it is so light hearted and hard to some times believe all the drama that can happen in a small town and in that way it make it funny.

3. Cranford-

The controllers of Cranford
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 I can't remember when I originally watched this so I don't know if it is right putting it under the category of films I discovered this spring and summer and loved. But I do love it. It based off of three works of Elizabeth Gaskell. It is about the lives of this little town and the single and widowed middle class women. They all seem to be busy bodies but they always say to keep to themselves, that is until a new young doctor comes into town and really shakes things up. At one point he has three women thinking they love him but he only has eyes for Peggy (they are in the picture at the top). There are other sub plots as we learn the story of the town of Cranford but I must laugh at all the "drama" that can happen in these small towns.

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5. The Inheritance-

The blog post this picture comes from as some good insight.
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It is based of a Louisa May Alcott novel. I thought the story was good but a little too sappy.Yes, I can think stories are too sappy. The one scene I really liked was when our heroine, Edith, turns down the proposal to James Percy (Thomas Gibson from Dharma and Greg), it is not that she doesn't love him she just knows that their places in life are so distant that it would be wrong to get married. Then she goes off and he finds her being attacked by another man and he comes to her rescue and sticks up for her virtues. But over all it is like a Cinderella story with a twist of fate.

My Gilmore Girl fans will recognize some of the places that are also used in Chilton and the Hutzenberger's home. 

Chilton Academy
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Huntzberger's foyer
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I may or may not have seen Gilmore Girls too much to realize this.

Here are some I did not like...

1. Jane Eyre.

I have already used up too much of my blog on this movie in my "Jane Eyre...what the" post so I will not rant about it again. 

2. Daniel Dedronda

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I also talk about this movie in my "Period Film Weekend" and while I give it an A+ on the costuming and thought it was great to see Hugh Bonneville play a bad guy.I did not like it because I found the story dragged out too much and I was not happy because the woman I thought was the heroine did not have a happy ending. So just watch it for the great costumes...

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3. The Way We Live Now

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I watched this film because I have been really impressed by Andrew Davies adaptations, he did Mr. Selfridge, Bridget Jones Diaries, Little Dorrit and LOTS of others. And I love Matthew Macfayden, even though Colin Firth is my favorite Mr. Darcy he is great and I love him in Little Dorrit, so with these two credentials I watched it. Sadly I never wanted to hit someone so bad. He is spoiled, in the beginning of the movie he has already spent his inheritance and goes searching for a rich wife (who he does not love) and then sleeps with a poorer girl. Later on in the story when the poorer girl is upset he won't marry her, she leaves, and then he almost raps her (fortunately she is saved). His only redeeming quality is he does protect his sister, Hetta, from entering a marriage to a man who is a scandal. Fortunately he has a happy ending for Hetta. 

Hetta and Paul
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Now since I'd rather talk about things I love more than things I dis-like I will stop my list there...

I think this post has gotten too long so I might have to write another post to cover some more period dramas I like. If you want to see more Period Dramas I like follow my Chivalry Does Exist board on Pinterest. If you have any questions about links to these shows please contact me. 

Here are some other blogs I love that talk about Period Dramas...

Yet Another Period Blog

Jane Austen Film Club

Enchanted Serenity of Period Dramas
Elegance of Fashion
Regency Delight

And one last picture, that I think all us period drama lovers can agree with...

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