Customer Reviews

The Elizabeth Gaskell Collection (Wives and Daughters / Cranford / North and South)

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"North & South" alone is reason enough to buy this dvd collection. This coupled with two other period drama powerhouses "Wives & Daughters" and "Cranford" makes this a collection that any period drama/classics/romance fan should be without. These dramas by author Elizabeth Gaskell represent the finest that BBC drama has to offer.

** "North & South" is the spectacular adaptation of the novel that centers on John Thornton (who represents the industrial north) and Margaret Hale (who represents the idyllic, agricultural south). Theirs is a war of words, cultures and personalities as Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby Ashe) and her family struggle to adapt to life in the dirty, noisy, mill town of Milton after a carefree, comfortable life in the southern town of Helstone. There her family meets manufacturer John Thornton (played by the unforgettable Richard Armitage) and his family and it is dislike-at-first-sight for Margaret. She finds Mr. Thornton a rough, proud and haughty man who treats his employees with disdain. Mr. Thornton, however, is instantly smitten with the outspoken and fearless Margaret. But as Margaret gradually learns to appreciate Mr. Thornton, events take place that threaten to divide them from each other forever.

** "Wives and Daughters" is the story of young Molly Gibson (Justine Waddell) and her widowed father (Bill Paterson). Molly lives a carefree life, until her father remarries and brings home his new wife, Hyacinth (Francesca Annis). She and her lovely daughter Cynthia (Keeley Hawes) bring change and sometimes chaos to the Gibson's lives and Molly finds herself in competition with Cynthia for the affections of Roger Hamley (Anthony Howell), the son of the local squire (Michael Gambon). We soon find that all is not as it seems and long-kept secrets are unearthed which threaten the love lives and reputations of both Molly and Cynthia.

** The splendid "Cranford" starring a bevy of British acting greats led by Judi Dench, Michael Gambon, Eileen Atkins, Francesca Annis and Imelda Staunton. The story centers around the locals in the sleepy town of Cranford, where everyone makes it their business to know everything about their neighbors. Their lives are turned topsy turvy when a handsome young doctor (Simon Woods) with new ideas arrives and rumors of the railroad threaten to destroy their idyllic town. This is truly an ensemble cast, as all stories intermingle and each character makes an impact of the lives of others in the town. Judi Dench and Eileen Atkins play the Jenkyns sisters; Lisa Dillon play their cousin Mary Smith; Deborah Findlay and Selena Griffiths play the Tomkinson sisters; Imelda Staunton is the quirky and nosy Miss Pole; Barbara Flynn is the elegant Mrs. Jamieson; Julia Sawalha is the quiet spinster Jessie Brown and Jim Carter is her outspoken father; Francesca Annis plays the haughty and aristocratic Lady Ludlow; Greg Wise plays her cousin Sir Charles Maulver; Phillip Glenister plays Lady Ludlow's land agent, Mr. Carter; and Alex Etel is a young man that Mr. Carter takes on.

What sets these apart from other costume dramas is the consistency of the acting, the high production values, the compelling stories, and memorable characters. I dare you not to feel John Thornton's pain as he says "Look back at me" as he watches Margaret climb up the carriage on her way back to London, or Harry Gregson's pain as he says goodbye to a beloved mentor, or the thrill as Roger Hamley sees Molly's transformation at the Cumnor's ball. These are wonderful stories that you will want to watch over and over, which make this dvd collection an absolute gem.

All three of these shows are so good, you'll be glad to have them on hand to watch again and again. (And in such a compact package that saves shelf space!) North and South gets my nod as the best, but the other two are fantastic as well. Each contains several performances that are marvels of acting--Michael Gambon and Francesca Annis in Wives and Daughters; practically the whole cast of Cranford; and Richard Armitage and Sinead Cusack in North and South. There is also a nice bio of Elizabeth Gaskell included, which was interesting.

A warning to Gaskell fans: The screenwriters are not always faithful to the stories of North and South and Cranford; the results, though, are so entertaining that it's hard to quibble.

I had heard a little about Elizabeth Gaskell before. I knew that she had written the biography of Charlotte Bronte but that is all I knew about her. I had never read any of Mrs. Gaskell's books myself. Recently, I saw Cranford on PBS and decided to purchase the DVD of it. When I saw that Amazon offered a collection of three of Mrs. Gaskell's stories, I decided to buy the whole collection. I must say, I LOVE all three of these stories and I have come to appreciate Mrs. Gaskell as a writer, even more. If you are a Jane Austen fan, you will enjoy Cranford, Wives & Daughters and North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell, too.


The Elizabeth Gaskell Collection (Wives and Daughters / Cranford / North and South)

Cranford

Cranford aka the Cranford Chronicles, based on Elizabeth Gaskell's story is a stellar production. It is a lush period drama and is very authentic in its portrayal of people living in a little hamlet called Cranford. The sets are beautiful as are the costumes, and of course the production is elevated to a level of excellence by its impeccable casting.

Writer Heidi Thomas does a wonderful job of adapting Elizabeth Gaskell's story [purportedly based on Gaskell's own hometown] and though liberties are taken, the stellar cast more than makes up for whatever deficiencies there may be in the faithfulness of the adaptation. Dame Eileen Atkins [Miss Deborah Jenkins] and Dame Judi Dench [Miss Matty Jenkins] portray two spinster sisters in 1842 who live in the little town of Cranford. Far from being a quiet little hamlet, this little town hums with activity and village gossips, especially a Miss Pole [Imelda Staunton]who flits around from one hearsay to another, avidly passing on any little nuggets of gossip to the other inhabitants.

Cranford is set aflutter by the arrival of a new doctor, Dr Harrison [Simon Woods] who is young, handsome, single and very much into trying new methods of treatment, to the initial consternation of the townspeople. Dr Harrison finds himself attracted to a beautiful local lass, Sophy [Kimberly Nixon] though he inadvertently attracts the romantic affections of other single women in Cranford.

But the story does not merely focus on romance, as there are other more serious themes underlying the series. For one, there is talk of a railroad being built that would go through Cranford, and disrupt the idyllic life in the village, giving rise to the inevitable battle between modernization and the desire for things to remain unchanged. The local rich lady, Lady Ludlow portrayed by Francesca Annis is very much opposed to change, and not only opposes the railroad but also any form of societal change, such as literacy amongst the lower classes [she refuses to hire a maid who is literate, saying the girl's parents did her a disservice by teaching her to read].

There is also the theme of lost love, death and grief. Miss Matty Jenkins[ Judi Dench] finds herself recounting the tale of her lost love [played by Michael Gambon]. This is what makes Cranford such an engaging viewing experience - the absurd [the story of the cat swallowing an anitque lace and how the lace is retrieved] is interlaced with tales of poignancy and everything unfolds leisurely. It is a tale that we wish will never end, and hope to revisit again and again.

North and South

This production of North and South stays faithful to the novel and has a superior cast - Daniela Denby Ashe plays Margaret Hale who symbolises the 'south' [rural, agricultural] whilst Richard Armitage plays John Thornton who epitomises the industrial north. When Margaret's family moves to the gritty mill town of Millstone, the two leads' paths cross and they engage in a war of words. Margaret initially dislikes the brusque John Thornton, and John in turn is attracted to Margaret's outspoken manner. Though Margaret comes to form a liking for John, both find that there may be insurmountable obstacles barring their path to happiness.


Wives and Daughters

BBC's adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters beautifully captures the nuances of family and personal relationships, amidst a Victorian setting. The writing by Andrew Davies [who also gave us Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth] is excellent as is the casting. Added to this are the gorgeous period authentic costumes, the lush landscape of the English countryside and a beautiful score.

The story centers around young Molly [played to perfection by the talented Justine Waddell] who is the daughter of local doctor Dr Gibson [Bill Patterson]. Both father and daughter are very close but the dynamics of their relationship changes with Dr Gibson's remarriage to the self-absorbed and ludicruous Hyacinth [Francesca Annis]. Molly finds herself chafing under the Victorian strictures imposed by her stepmother, and finds some relief with the arrival of her glamorous step-sister, Cynthia [Keeley Hawes]. Both Molly and Cynthia form a friendship though their personalities are polar opposites. Cynthia is vivacious and a social butterfly, and very aware of her charms and effects on the opposite sex whereas Molly is unassuming and possesses a more natural sort of beauty.

The Hamley brothers, Osborne[Tom Hollander] and Roger [Anthony Howell] add romantic interest and Molly is dismayed by Roger's infatuation with Cynthia, as she herself harbors romantic feelings for him. Meanwhile Squire Hamley [Michael Gambon] plays an ambitious man who wishes to see his sons married into the 'right' family, i.e. with proper connections and wealth. The rest of the story deals with what happens to these young people with some revelations to spice things up!

This is one of my favorite BBC period dramas and Andrew Davies' screenplay is fantastic, bringing to life the intricacies of human relationships set within a Victorian setting.


Conclusion - this DVD set is a value buy for fans of period dramas. I have worn out my older DVDs of North and South and Wives and Daughters and this set is an excellent choice to replace my worn-out discs. Also, fans of period dramas and Elizabeth Gaskell will truly delight in the superior quality of these productions, with great attention to period details, authentic and beautiful costumes, great casting, excellent score for each of the productions and the beautiful depictions of the lush English countrysde.

I bought this set because I had heard high praises for it.. if you like period pieces. I like the A & E version of Pride and Prejudice so I thought I would treat myself. The costumes and set design was wonderful; I was delightfully wisked away from reality as I watched these wonderful movies. These are slower stories and I had to watch Wives and Daughters a second time to catch everything. North and South has an industrial era setting. I don't think I'd ever seen a piece taking this setting and these challenges into the story. Wonderful acting, great story, however, it is a bit slow moving. Which is wonderful for me but some viewers might fall asleep with the pace. Judi Dench shines with the Cranford piece which is set in a small town in England. The dynamics, gossip, costumes and minds of the women of the time seem to come to light. Change is not something that they embrace. Along that same line Wives and Daughters also involves change and it's fascinating how new technology effects people differently. As a fan of historical fiction I look forward to reading Elizabeth Gaskell's novels from which these are based.

these 3 movies are worth buying for wayyyyy more money, i bought them all seperately, wish i had known they came in a set. These are 3 must have movies if ever you wanted nice english period pieces. I have watched them over and over and i think i'll go watch them over now. Definitely fantastic movies, best i've ever had.

Everything that you ever loved about BBC classic productions are included here but as they say in video game parlance, it is BBC's Best ".2". The actors are perfectly cast, the actors are a collection of knights and dames of the British realm, Judi Dench, Michael Gambon etc. The acting is amazing and the screenplays perfect.
I loved North and South the best merely because Richard Armitage is the handsomest, most tempting male lead since Colin Firth forever embodied Mr. Darcy. HUBBA, HUBBA, be still my heart!
Cranford was a completely surprising delight. Every character was fully developed and the story had everything you want, engaging characters, stories, drama, pathos and lots of humor.
Wives and Daughters was not as engaging as North and South and Cranford, but it was still a great story about how a doctor marries a second wife and how it almost wrecks his great relationship with his beloved daughter, but it all turns out great in the end.
Rush out and add this to your collection, next to all the BBC gems of Jane Austen novels. It deserves your appreciate and time.

I could barely put this collection down. The stories were wonderful. And, since I do not care for sexual content I was very pleased to have this series in my home. There is absolutely nothing objectionable.

This was my first time buying an Elizabeth Gaskell video. I was introduced to her writing from MasterPiece Theatre. They showed Cranford.
I was so taken with the story that I went to Amazon to see if they had any books from her. After purchasing her books, I then looked for a video. I found a triology and brought it. I was so pleased with all three stories. Even my family, and one of them was male, was interested, and enjoyed the videos. One of my sisters was going to get them for herself. It was a lovely way of spending the evening. I highly recommend these, whether you buy them separate or in a set, they are worth seeing! Especially if you enjoy this era.

Dearest Amazon Patron,

You can be assured that this lovely set of DVD's will entertain you for hours!

The beautifully adapted works of Elizabeth Gaskell come to life with all the perfection one expects from the BBC. My husband and I enjoyed every minute of viewing and where quite sorry when we came to the end!

The acting, sets, costumes, music...I could go on and on...is breathtaking. You feel as if you have stepped back in time yourself as you are drawn into worlds of yesteryear.

We plan to watch the entire series over again and take in all the delights we might have missed the first time around. You just catch your breath with each scene. It is entirely the most pleasurable way one can spend their leisure time.

I would highly advise this purchase!