BBC America presents Cranford and Return to Cranford #giveaway

February 1, 2010 by Momstart 229 Comments

Last week I spent the evenings with my husband watching Cranford and Return to Cranford. One night I started the DVD without him and he made me restart it so he didn’t miss anything. It was educational to him, because it was all about the lives of women he learned a little bit about the relationship and needed dynamics of women. They are the same today was they were in 19th-century. Women gossip, cry and laugh together. Cranford is based on the stories written by Elizabeth Gaskell.

Cranford Collection Synopsis: Oscar©-winner Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal, Casino Royale) heads a stellar cast including Michael Gambon (Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films), Eileen Atkins (Cold Mountain, Gosford Park), Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake) and more in this witty and poignant story which follows the small absurdities and major tragedies in the lives of the people of Cranford. Cranford in the 1840s is on the cusp of change. The railway is pushing its way relentlessly towards the town, bringing fears of migrant workers and the breakdown of law and order. The arrival of Frank Harrison, a handsome new doctor from London, causes a stir, not only because of his revolutionary medical methods, but also because of the effect he has on many female hearts in the town.

Return to Cranford Synopsis: Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Francesca Annis and Julia McKenzie star in this two-part sequel to the Emmy-winning BBC/PBS drama, Cranford. Miss Matty’s house is full of life and bustle. Her dream of having a child in the house has been realized in the birth of Tilly, daughter of her maid Martha and carpenter Jem. Elsewhere, the shadow of the railway still looms, but the line has been halted five miles outside of Cranford – a disaster as far as Captain Brown is concerned

My Opinion:

Cranford is a great TV series that brings tears of laughter and sadness. There are so many hardships in the time period of Cranford. People are poor, homeless, and un-educated. There are those that are educated but even women that are educated are seen as only a commodity and not useful except for trade. Cranford is made up mostly of older families so many or the women are either old spinsters or widows. They all follow the rules of etiquette that the times present them with, but they also abandon all society has taught them to support each other. In the first part of Cranford we are introduced to the two sisters that seem to be the center of the town, at least, everyone follows Miss Jenkyns. So when the news of the railroad sends her into a heart attack, (that’s my guess as to what happens) everyone is distraught and thus hates the railroad and it’s coming. No one wants to accept change in Cranford.

With the loss of her sister, Miss Matty goes though many different trials as she steps into the role of being the women in town to lead all the other women. Among those challenges are the loss of her housekeeper (she died trying to give birth to her second child) and the loss of all her money when her bank went under. She grows and becomes the strong women she always saw in her sister. As the town fights over the coming of the train, Miss Matty finally realizes how important and wonderful change can be. The town can grow and families can be reunited. You need to watch it to completely understand. I would say that this is completely a chick flick but, my husband watched every episode with me. He laughed a lot too, he found the women to be hilarious, well, the men were pretty funny too. The young doctor in town was very kind to all the women and apparently any attention from a man meant you were to be engaged. Oh, the poor doctor.

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The contest will run until Feb 22 nd 11:59 pm Pacific. The winner will be selected by www.random.org. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Warner Brothers is representing BBC America and have provided me with a copy to review and are providing the giveaway copies.