Product Details

• Actors: Judi Dench, Julia McKenzie, Imelda Staunton, Lisa Dillon, Deborah Findlay
• Directors: Simon Curtis
• Writers: Elizabeth Gaskell, Heidi Thomas, Sue Birtwistle, Susie Conklin
• Producers: Kate Harwood, Rebecca Eaton, Rupert Ryle-Hodges
• Format: Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: BBC Warner
• DVD Release Date: January 19, 2010
• Run Time: 177 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002XTBEDI
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,795 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

  #48 in	Movies & TV > Television > BBC
  #70 in	Movies & TV > Television > British Television

• For more information about "Cranford: Return to Cranford" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The two-part saga Return to Cranford opens to a struggling Cranford, a traditional English village that in autumn 1844 is airing the conflicts that accompany progress. Miss Matty Jenkyns (Judi Dench), after having closed her business in the last series, is happily babysitting the child of her maid, Martha (Claudie Blakley). This gives the ladies in town something to gossip about, as does every other small event in this chatty group. The same women populate this new Cranford--the snooty Miss Jamieson (Barbara Flynn), nosy Miss Pole (Imelda Staunton), Miss Forrester (Julia McKenzie), Peggy (Jodie Whittaker), and Erminia (Michelle Dockery)--while a few new men added into the mix creates options for love interests throughout. In Part One, Peggy, visiting her dead father's grave, bumps into William Baxton (Tom Hiddleston), a young and dapper gentleman who becomes a central character in Cranford's growing divide between those who want a railroad coming through town and those who don't. While politics are sorted, scenes alternate between heated public debates and intimate domestic exchanges to make Return to Cranford as charming as the first incarnations of this historical drama. The emphasis on the ways the women in town navigate thorny social situations remains primary in Return to Cranford. Babies are born and the elderly pass away while the ladies busily decide what to make of it all. While Part One focuses on catch-up, showing where each crone stands on the latest current events, Part Two attempts more to challenge outmoded cultural values such as elitism and to show how the community members toughen up to become a courageous bunch. Unfortunately, Miss Matty discovers that solidarity is hard to come by in this small village, and Part Two is as much about a town falling apart as it is about ways to heal sore feelings and a violated landscape. Ultimately, life marches on in this pleasurably fictionalized glimpse into England's past. --Trinie Dalton

Product Description

Welcome to Cranford, where all changes and all remains the same. Miss Matty's house is full of life and bustle. Her dream of having a child in the house has been realised in the birth of Tilly, daughter of her maid Martha and carpenter Jem. The shadow of the railway still looms but, to the relief of Matty and the Amazons, the line has been halted five miles outside of Cranford because of Lady Ludlow's refusal to sell her land. Elsewhere Miss Matty’s friend Mr Buxton returns to town with his son, William, and his niece, Erminia. Miss Matty decides to introduce them to Peggy Bell, a young woman who lives in an isolated cottage with her mother and domineering brother, Edward, in the hope of building friendships. But, when tragedy strikes, she comes to believe that she has opened Pandora's box and fears Cranford will never recover.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

114 of 117 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comforting, enchanting, and magical!, January 2, 2010

By	z hayes (TX) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cranford: Return to Cranford (DVD)

I was able to watch this follow-up to Cranford thanks to a particular website and I promptly pre-ordered the DVD as I loved "Cranford" and its host of interesting and eccentric characters (and yes, I am a period drama fan, especially of BBC productions). This is actually a 2-part special that is not only inspired by the original Cranford, but also two other stories by author Elizabeth Gaskell, i.e. "The Moorland Cottage", and also "The Cage at Cranford", see Three Tales of Cranford: Cranford, The Cage at Cranford, and The Moorland Cottage. Besides the familiar and beloved cast of the original Cranford such as Miss Matty (Dame Judi Dench), Miss Pole (Imelda Staunton), Mrs Forrester (Julia McKenzie), Miss Tomkinson (Deborah Findlay), etc. several new characters are introduced, such as Lady Glenmire (played by Celia Imrie), and the conjuror Signor Brunoni(Tim Curry).

The first part is set in summer 1844 - it has been two years since dear Miss Matty (Dame Judi Dench in another luminous portrayal) lost her beloved sister Deborah, and a year since Sophy Hutton married Dr Harrison (these two characters are no longer in this show). Miss Matty seems content with the presence of her brother Peter (Nicholas Le Prevost) who is home from India, and helps look after Tilly, the baby of her maid Martha and carpenter Jem Hearne. The continuity from the original Cranford is seen in the railway project which still looms menacingly over the town. Things are also made more exciting with the arrival of Mr. Buxton, a wealthy widower who lives with his ward Erminia (Michelle Dockery) and his son William (Tom Hiddleston who is quite the eye candy). Life in Cranford is always full of surprises and when Lady Ludlow's long absent son Septimus (Rory Kinnear) arrives, things take unexpected turns, precipitated by a tragedy in the family. The old tensions are there - especially between those that are against the railroad project and those ,like Captain Brown and young William who feel that modernization is essential to Cranford's long-term survival. Miss Matty, in her usual subtle fashion, gets involved in some of these village proceedings, with some rather startling results.

The second part is set later in the year 1844, October up till Christmas - Miss Matty and her friends are predictably excited at the visit of Lady Glenmire (Celia Imrie) but when Mrs Jamieson (Barbara Flynn) feels no one amongst her peers is of suitably high rank to meet her, she and Lady Glenmire get snubbed by Matty and company and it is left to Lady Glenmire to set things right in a most memorable way. Matty also faces some challenges that involves a falling out amongst her circle of friends,a serious romance between William and a young woman deemed unsuitable by his father (which has Matty pondering the wisdom of her 'involvement' in bringing the pair together), and more tragedy on the horizon, affecting the citizens of Cranford.The magic of the original is still evident and this follow-up (of sorts - it's not strictly a sequel though some story arcs from the first Cranford get developed here) is still charming and engrossing. A fair note of warning, this particular installment in the Cranford franchise is much more subdued than the original and there's quite a fair bit of tragedy - there's death (involving a couple of familiar characters who were also in the original), grief, tension, family drama, imperiled friendships, the age-old battle between those opposed to change and those who embrace the challenges of modernization,etc., but there's also romance, lighthearted moments and even a bit of magic!The comic and the tragic are seamlessly blended into the story, resulting in an immensely satisfying viewing experience. I loved it though I can understand how this particular follow-up might disappoint purists who loved the original and how well it adhered to Gaskell's novel. As for the production qualities - they are excellent. The cinematography is gorgeous, capturing the beauty of the village surroundings as well as the period details, and the score complements the story perfectly. I wish I could be so lucky as to live in a place like Cranford!

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a sadder emptier Cranford, January 26, 2010

By	pjf "pjf" (MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cranford: Return to Cranford (DVD)

The original Cranford series was not devoid of painful moments, but there was a balance of joy and grief. The sequel seems to overbalance on the grief side, with two major losses. One seemed to sacrifice the storyline for excessive dramatic purpose, a loss from which I think the series could not easily recover.

There seemed to be many holes in this series compared to the former one. No explanation was given for why Cranford went from two doctors to none. And so much of what went on seemed to make little sense, or the characters indulged in excessive acts for no good reason except to furnish dramatic content -- Lady Ludlow's final stand, Jem Hearn's decision, and Harry's inexplicable comings and goings. Even the town, which should have been booming (even if the railroad was going to be a few miles rather than right at their doorstep) was supposedly in an economic tailspin. After all, Jem was run off his feet by his business even before the railroad came.

For those of us that paid attention and really took in the details of the first series, it's not so easy for us to swallow whole a hasty, ill conceived and ill justified second series.

OTOH, there's enough of Cranford in it to make it passable to good, if not the excellent rating the first series got. Imelda Stanton and her feathers alone is worth the watch.

I can only hope we get more Cranford in future, though I wish they would do the first series and its devoted viewers justice and take a little more care to make a more sensible storyline.

74 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful getaway, December 7, 2009

By	Rainy Day Reader (Pacific Northwest USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cranford: Return to Cranford (DVD)

This is my new favorite movie, displacing Wives and Daughters as number one. I really enjoyed every character and the wonderful way challenges of life were handled. When this ended it felt a little like my new dear friends had moved to another country, and I would miss them. I do love that I can always re-visit them. This is such a heartwarming story, and if you are sentimental and love victorian era sagas, you will love this.