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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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New Song discovered

Song: Billie Jean

Cover by: The Civil Wars

I love the Civil War and I also have a closet love for Michael Jackson songs from the '80s so to have a combination of the two it is great. 

Old Fashion Love

Sunday in the heat of the day I watched the 1940's Pride and Prejudice. It was interesting to watch. I was for warned that the movie was based off the play and not the book so I was curious to see what changes would happen. I thought the plot changes took away a lot of the great details of the story but what was hardest for me was to see them in completely wrong period outfits.

Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy
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I have known for awhile that the costuming in this film was wrong and for that reason I avoided this film but on a horribly hot day with nothing to do and being only $1.99 to rent on YouTube I thought I would give it a chance.

First plot change we meet Wickham in the first few minutes and he actually attends the assembly ball. Then at the assembly ball Mr. Darcy first insults Elizabeth but then begs a man to introduce him to her and asks her dance... what? Elizabeth is quick to turn him down and then accepts a dance from Mr. Wickham. 

Other plot changes were also okay but I didn't like them for example The Netherfield ball becomes a garden party and Elizabeth shows off her archery skills to Mr. Darcy, which I thought was just humorous. And then the couple seems almost friendly until Mr. Darcy hears Mrs. Bennett talk about how Jane had captured Mr. Bingley. After this Mr. Darcy does not want to dance with Elizabeth.

Elizabeth with the bow and arrow
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Of course Mr. Collins has the awkward proposal and the even more awkward refusal. Then when Mrs. Bennett tells him Elizabeth's character is unruly he believe Lady Catherine De Bourgh would not be happy about this in his match and this seems to be the catalyst which makes him propose to Charlotte Lucas. So good job Mrs. Bennett. 

Up to now all these plot changes are acceptable but the real change happens when Elizabeth goes off to visit Charlotte. The visit is fine and Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth and of course she turns him down. In the other Pride and Prejudices I have watched I felt heartache over the refusal and in this one I didn't feel the same emotional agony to see Mr. Darcy refused. It might be because I didn't have the crush I have had for the other men who played Darcy and I think that is emotional attachment to Darcy is very important because you are suppose to be hurting for both Elizabeth and Darcy at this moment.

The proposal scene
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Then after her refusal she returns to home to find out that Lydia has eloped with Mr. Wickham... what no Pemberly? That hurts. Then Mr. Darcy comes to explain his hatred for Mr. Wickham (yep no letter either) and asks if he can be of some use to help locate Lydia and Wickham... "NO! He is suppose to be doing this in secret!" I wanted to yell at the TV. Ugh!

Lady Catherine De Bourgh comes to call on Elizabeth and for some reason says that she has the power to take away Mr. Darcy's money if he marries some one that is not of her liking. "What? That is not true! Why are you messing with the plot?" It turns out not to be true she was just saying it to see if Elizabeth would refuse Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth does not refuse Mr. Darcy saying she is okay being poor. Lady Catherine leaves to report to Mr. Darcy, who just happens to be standing outside. He hearing that Elizabeth will not refuse him goes in a proposes again... What about Jane and Bingley? They are not talked of much, which is sad.

The best thing about this version was seeing Mr. Bennett who the same actor as St. Clause from the classic Miracle and 34th St.

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So with the costumes being wrong and some of the plot changing I didn't really like this version of Pride and Prejudice and I feel sorry for people who lived then because there was not another Pride and Prejudice at least that I know of until 1980.

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I feel I will have to look up that adaptation though I feel after losing my heart to Collin Firth and Daniel Vincent Gordh no man will ever be a good enough Mr. Darcy.

Minus the 2008 Darcy from Lost in Austen I  have  fallen for the Darcys
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