Review: Wives and Daughters (novel)

Finally finished reading this novel, so I thought it was time to review it 😃

Wives and Daughters is Elizabeth Gaskell's last novel. She began writing it in 1864, and died before finishing it. It was published posthumously, still unfinished, which makes for an abrupt and unsatisfying ending.

The series sticks very close to the book, and the few changes it did make were mostly for the best. I made a bit of a game of spotting the differences. The final total is far lower than I expected. A few minor characters are removed from the series, a few scenes are missing, and some dialogue is changed, but otherwise the series is more or less an exact adaptation of the book. All the characters are exactly what I expected. Molly is as sweet and well-meaning as ever, Osborne as tragic, Squire Hamley as prejudiced against the French, Cynthia as exasperating, Dr. Gibson as sarcastic, and Mrs. Gibson as ridiculous. The one character who's slightly different is Roger, who's more awkward here, and whose infatuation with Cynthia and growing disillusionment with her receives some more attention.

The Cumnors get a bit more screentime (pagetime?) here than in the series. Lady Harriet is as awesome as her book counterpart, especially when she comes to Molly's rescue after the Mr. Preston business. Her father's attempts at match-making Dr. Gibson and Hyacinth were left out of the series, but they provide a comical scene that I wish had been included. I was surprised to learn Lady Harriet has sisters, but they have virtually no effect on the plot, so it makes sense they were left out.

Mr. Preston is as oily and Wickhamy as ever. (Is Wickhamy a word? Oh well, it is now.) I spent most of his scenes wishing I could reach into the book and slap his smug face. What a pity Mrs. Gaskell didn't give him some comeuppance for his behaviour.

The most disappointing part of the book is its ending. Roger is about to leave for Africa, he and Molly aren't engaged yet... and that's it. The reader is left to wonder what happened. Apparently Mrs. Gaskell said how the novel was supposed to end, but she sadly died before writing it, and no one finished it for her. It's a pity that a summary of her intended ending for the novel isn't included as an afterword or something. Charles Dickens died before finishing The Mystery of Edwin Drood, yet I've seen editions that include his notes for the rest of the novel at the end. Maybe some editions of Wives and Daughters do the same, but sadly mine isn't one of them.

Now, excuse me while I rant about something that's annoyed me since I saw another review call Mrs. Gibson "a clichéd wicked stepmother who abuses Molly". What? Did that reviewer even read the book? True, at first it looks like Mrs. Gibson will be a wicked stepmother, but as the story progresses it becomes clear that she really isn't. She goes to an awful lot of trouble to make sure she treats Molly the same way she treats Cynthia, and even Miss Browning acknowledges she does her best as stepmothers go. She's an idiot who never should have married Dr. Gibson, and her attempts at being fair are ill-advised and ignore what Molly actually wants, but she never abuses Molly! I can't stand her character, but the main problem with Mrs. Gibson is that she's foolish, cold and mercenary. She certainly isn't "a clichéd wicked stepmother".

...Yes, I did just finish a review with a rant in defence of a character I don't even like.

Overall the book is excellent, but I'd advise watching the series first. Then you'll be able to fill in the gaps of what happens after the sudden ending.

Is it available online?: Yes, on Gutenberg.

Rating: 8/10.

Review: North and South (novel)

Apparently I'm on a book-reviewing spree lately 🤷

North and South was Elizabeth Gaskell's fourth novel, published in 1855. It shares many themes with her first (but lesser-known) novel, Mary Barton.

The main plot revolves around Margaret Hale, a newcomer to the manufacturing town of Milton, her attempts to adjust to life in the north after growing up in the south, and how she meets (and initially dislikes) the mill-owner John Thornton.

I watched the 2004 miniseries before reading the book, so I already knew the plot. I was a bit disappointed, though, to find that the book moves much more slowly than the series. The first few chapters are devoted to Margaret's cousin's wedding and its aftermath, and the move to Milton comes later. But once the Hales arrive in Milton, the story moves faster.

Margaret meets a collection of fascinating characters -- Bessy Higgins, who's slowly dying of a lung disease caused by working in the mills; Nicholas Higgins, who organises a strike and sees it go badly wrong; and of course John Thornton, the apparently cold and arrogant owner of Marlborough Mills. All of the characters in this novel are incredibly well-written, and there are times when you could forget you're reading a novel instead of a book about real people.

The story starts out relatively cheerful, with the excitement about the wedding, but it very quickly becomes much more depressing, with events like the strike, the deaths of Margaret's parents, the danger Frederick is in, and Thornton losing his mill. But thankfully it has a happy ending that makes up for all the tragedy!

North and South is often compared to Pride and Prejudice. Both of them are about a romance between two people who initially hate each other, but North and South is decidedly less comical or light-hearted. It's an excellent novel, though, and well worth reading!

Is it available online? Yes, on Gutenberg.

Rating: 8/10.

Review: Wives and Daughters (1999) Episodes 3 & 4

Review of the first two episodes here.

Roger, newly-engaged to Cynthia, is on his way to Africa. Dr. Gibson and Squire Hamley aren't overjoyed about the match, but they have no real objections... yet. Mrs. Gibson, meanwhile, is delighted. She's been eavesdropping on her husband's conversations, and knows that Osborne is seriously ill. Money-obsessed brat that she is, she's hoping he'll die so Roger -- and Cynthia -- will get the Hamley estate. I'll let Squire Hamley describe Mrs. Gibson.

Cynthia goes off to visit her cousins in London. While there she gets a proposal from another man, Mr. Henderson, and -- for once -- is sensible enough to refuse him. Her mother isn't happy.

Osborne and his wife Aimee have a child now, and Osborne's health is rapidly deteriorating. His father still doesn't know he's married, Roger is in Africa, and Molly is the only person in England who knows of Aimee's existence. So Osborne gives her his wife's address.

Molly has her own problems. A rumour has been circulating about Cynthia and Mr. Preston, but a misunderstanding leads to Molly's friends believing she is engaged to Preston.

Cynthia returns and finally admits that thanks to her vanity, she borrowed money from Mr. Preston when she was fifteen(!) and agreed to marry him in return. (Yes, people could get engaged at fifteen back then. Doesn't make it any less creepy.) Now she wants to break off the engagement, but he won't let her.

Lydia and Wickham version 2 (with Molly dragged into this sorry mess).

So Cynthia sends Molly to ask Preston for some letters she wrote him. Naturally, someone sees Molly and Preston talking, alone, early in the morning, in a forest. Poor Molly's reputation is almost ruined.

Thanks to some intervention from Lady Harriett, Molly manages to avoid total disgrace.

Lady Harriett

Cynthia doesn't help at all, spoilt brat that she is. Preston disappears from the story (about time!), and Dr. Gibson finally hears the full story of what his step-daughter has been involved with. A terrible argument later, Cynthia decides to break off her engagement with Roger. Thank goodness!

Now comes the most heart-breaking part of the series. Osborne dies 😭

😭

Molly tells the Squire about Aimee, and sends word to her about Osborne. The Squire, after some reluctance, decides to let Aimee stay.

Aimee and Osborne Jr.

Roger comes home, and almost immediately falls in love with Molly. He doesn't think she could love him and she doesn't realise he loves her, but it works out in the end. Adorably.

One of the sweetest proposals in period drama 😍

Sadly we don't get to see the wedding (*gives the director an unamused look*), but we do get a nice scene of Molly and Roger, together, in Africa. Aww 😍

My overall opinion is "great series with some really obnoxious characters". I can't stand that airhead Cynthia, that even bigger airhead Hyacinth, or that creep Preston. Luckily the decent characters are good enough for me to ignore those brats.

The main drawback with this series is the length of the episodes. There are only four episodes, but a lot happens in them. As a result each episode is over an hour long, and there are times when it seems like they'll never end. I get the feeling the series would have benefited from having eight half-hour episodes instead of four long ones. But that's the only real complaint I have about it.

Is it available online?: Yes, on Dailymotion.

Rating: 8/10.

Review: Wives and Daughters (1999) Episode 1 & 2

Hope everyone's having a good 2019 so far! 😃

Today I'm going to review one of my favourite period dramas ever. Well, the first half of it.

Wives and Daughters is based on Elizabeth Gaskell's last novel. Mrs. Gaskell died before finishing it, so the writers had to create the ending themselves. Unlike most cases of writers adding things when adapting novels, the result isn't bad at all. But more about that later.

The cast is full of familiar faces.

Justine Waddell (Estella in Great Expectations 1999) as Molly

Francesca Annis (Lady Ludlow in Cranford) as Mrs. Gibson

Keely Hawes (Lizzie in Our Mutual Friend 1998) as Cynthia

Bill Paterson (Mr. Meagles in Little Dorrit 2008) as Dr. Gibson

Michael Gambon (Mr. Holbrook in Cranford) as Squire Hamley

Deborah Findlay (Miss Tomkinson in Cranford) as Miss Phoebe

Barbara Flynn (Mrs. Jamieson in Cranford) as Miss Browning

Tom Hollander (Cutler Beckett in Pirates of the Caribbean and Mr. Mantalini in Nicholas Nickleby 2001) as Osborne

Elizabeth Spriggs (Mrs. Jennings in Sense and Sensibility 1995) as Mrs. Goodenough

Barbara Leigh-Hunt (Lady Catherine in Pride and Prejudice 1995) as Lady Cumnor

Rosamund Pike (Jane in Pride and Prejudice 2005) as Lady Harriet

I'm sure I've forgotten someone, but I think that's a long enough list as it is 😃

The series begins with a rather odd, almost surreal sequence of young!Molly wandering around a party and meeting the woman who'll eventually become her stepmother. Then it jumps forward a few years. Molly, now a young woman, has gone to visit the Hamley family, and her widowed father Dr. Gibson decides to marry again.

Dr. Gibson

Mrs. Hamley and Molly

Squire Hamley

Hyacinth (yes, that really is her name!) Kirkpatrick, the future Mrs. Gibson

It's obvious from the start that he made a terrible choice. Mrs. Kirkpatrick is a selfish, mercenary brat who doesn't care about anyone else's thoughts or feelings. Molly is understandably unhappy to learn about her soon-to-be stepmother. And to make things worse, Mrs. Kirkpatrick has a daughter, Cynthia, who's just as spoilt and selfish as she is.

Cynthia

Molly's friends the Hamleys have their own troubles. Squire Hamley is forced to pay his son Osborne's debts, which leaves the family with very little money. Mrs. Hamley dies of what's implied to be tuberculosis. Roger is alternatively looked down on and praised to the skies by his father. And Osborne has a terrible secret that the Squire absolutely must not know: he's married to a Frenchwoman, and his father hates the French.

Osborne

Molly and Roger

Even more trouble starts when Roger -- who Molly is secretly in love with -- falls in love with Cynthia, and the mysterious, sinister Mr. Preston comes on the scene.

Mr. Preston, the closest equivalent Wives and Daughters has to Wickham.

Osborne and his wife are going to have a baby, which means Osborne needs money desperately. But the Squire refuses to give him any, and he doesn't dare tell him the truth. Things look pretty grim for everyone... but then Roger is given a place on a scientific expedition to Africa. He gives Osborne some of his money, gets engaged to Cynthia (terrible idea, Roger!), and goes to Africa for two years. Episode two ends with Molly watching him go. Ouch, poor Molly 😢

😢

The first time I watched this series, it was immediately after watching Pride and Prejudice (1995). That wasn't the smartest idea. I'm ashamed to admit that I was bored for half of the first episode. (You could say I was "Pride and Prejudiced" against it 😊) I thought "yawn, I know how this will go. Mrs. Gibson's going to be a wicked stepmother and Osborne's going to be a villainous brother" -- which was doing poor Osborne a terrible disservice.

But once Pride and Prejudice-induced criticism wore off (because everything looks bad when  compared to something really good), I fell in love with Wives and Daughters. I was especially impressed by the performances of Justine Waddell (Molly) and Tom Hollander (Osborne). Before this series, I'd only seen Justine Waddell in Great Expectations, playing a character that I've never liked, and Tom Hollander in Pirates of the Caribbean, playing a despicable villain. It was odd to see them in such different roles here, where their characters are two of the most sympathetic ones in the series.

Rating: 8/10.

Review of the next two episodes here.

Review: Return to Cranford (2009)

Cranford is amazing. Its sequel... isn't. Not that there's anything wrong with the sequel, as such. It's just not as good as the original.

Return to Cranford takes place two years after the first series. Most of the original characters reappear, but there are some conspicuous absences. Where on earth are Dr. Harrison and Sophy? And Dr. Morgan and Mrs. Rose (now Mrs. Morgan) are mentioned in the first few minutes and completely forgotten about afterwards. More irksome is the introduction of characters who are supposedly well-known to the village but have mysteriously never been heard of before.

Obviously, many of the original recognisable actors are still there, but they've been joined by a few new familiar faces.
Jonathan Pryce (Governor Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean, and Juan Perón in Evita 1996) as Mr. Buxton
Tom Hiddleston (Loki, and Thomas Sharpe in Crimson Peak) as William Buxton
Jodie Whittaker (the thirteenth Doctor in Doctor Who) as Peggy Bell

The story begins with the arrival of the Buxton family. Apparently they're from Cranford but have been away for a while. Strange no one ever spoke about them in the first series. And then we're introduced to the Bells. Ugh. That's all I can say about the Bells. Mrs. Bell is the least convincing character ever to appear in Cranford, Edward is one of the few characters as vile as Septimus, and Peggy is just... dull. Compared to Mary, Sophy, Miss Matty, Miss Pole, and the host of other comical and sympathetic characters in Cranford, Peggy is practically a non-entity.

Peggy

William

Peggy with her mother and brother

Mr. Buxton

Speaking of Septimus, we finally get to meet him in this series. He lives down to all expectations. But more about him later.

The railway is coming closer and closer to Cranford. But Lady Ludlow refuses to sell her land, so it looks like it won't reach the town itself.

Harry goes off to school. This is the start of a lot of trouble for Harry, Miss Galindo, and Rev. Hutton.

Miss Galindo. I like her new hairstyle much more than her hair in the first series.

Harry, looking much more grown-up than when we saw him last.

Meanwhile, Martha dies in childbirth, and Jem decides to leave Cranford with Tilly, the child he and Martha already had. At the same time, Lady Ludlow dies of an unnamed disease (implied to be a form of cancer). This is when Septimus finally -- ahem -- graces us with his presence 😏

Lady Ludlow and Miss Galindo

Martha's death

Septimus, the selfish spendthrift, who smirks and slithers onto the screen like a snake.
(Okay, I'll stop now.)

Septimus decides to cheat Harry out of his inheritance. Miss Galindo finds out in time and tells Septimus what she thinks of him.

Miss Galindo: "Your handshake had no meaning and never will have. Your handshake is a bastard thing, for you are not a gentleman!" Me: *cheers*

Mary returns to stay with Miss Matty. For some reason the writers decided to give her a fiancé who never appears and who she breaks up with before the end of the story, a decision that leaves me scratching my head. Why did they bother creating the fiancé at all when he serves no purpose in the story?

Anyway, Miss Matty convinces her friends, plus Mr. Buxton, William and Peggy to accompany her on a train journey. Cranford's ladies and Mr. Buxton agree that they were wrong to oppose the railway. And William suddenly declares his undying love for Peggy and asks to marry her. Even though they've barely spoken to each other. This is another decision that leaves me scratching my head. If the writers wanted the viewers to sympathise with William and Peggy, they should have included some scenes of them getting to know each other, learning what they have in common, anything that makes their romance seem genuine.

The not-very-romantic William and Peggy

Mary and Miss Matty on the train

Episode two begins with Mr. Buxton learning of his son's engagement and losing his temper. I disagree with his reasons for objecting, but I agree with his disapproval. Peggy and William barely know each other, but suddenly they're going to get married?

Mary has broken off her engagement, something that has no effect on the story and makes no sense. And Mrs. Jamieson's sister-in-law, Lady Glenmire, has come to stay in Cranford... and she marries Captain Brown, to Mrs. Jamieson's horror.

Lady Glenmire and Mrs. Jamieson

Meanwhile, Harry has run away from school. He goes to Miss Galindo, and then runs away from her too when she says he has to go back. At the same time Peggy's brother has stolen money from his employer and has to go on the run. Peggy decides to go with him to Canada. What an idiot! Your wretched brother doesn't deserve your help, Peggy!

Disaster strikes when Harry accidentally frees Bessie (who's still wearing her pyjamas!). She wanders onto the tracks and is hit by a train. Poor Bessie 😢 Harry, William and Peggy are injured, and Peggy's brother is killed. Good riddance!

Jem and Tilly return to Cranford in the middle of a magic show, a moment that made up for all the implausible plot twists earlier. And the story ends with everyone dancing a waltz. Aww! 😃

My overall opinion is "a typical sequel". It's a fairly good, if somewhat rushed, story on its own, but it's a sequel to Cranford. Nothing short of absolute perfection would have made it as good as the original. And sadly, it's far from perfect. It has some good moments, but the emphasis placed on the frankly dull William and Peggy, the absence of Dr. Harrison and Sophy, and the changes in some people's characters make it nothing better than average.

There's no moment I can point to and say "that's what makes this series so mediocre". Its flaws are woven all through its plot. But if you don't expect too much and accept it for what it is, you'll probably enjoy it just fine.

Is it available online?: Not as far as I know.

Rating: 6/10.

Review: Cranford (novel)

Cranford the series is perfection. Cranford the book is... not quite so perfect.

First things first. Cranford is a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, first published in 1853. Unlike Mrs. Gaskell's other novels -- North and South and Wives and Daughters in particular -- Cranford does not have an overarching plot. Instead it describes a few events in the village of Cranford over several years.

The narrator is Mary Smith, who frequently visits Cranford and observes its resident's amusing oddities. Several characters from the series -- Dr. Harrison, Lady Ludlow and the Huttons in particular -- don't appear in the book at all.

Attempting to explain all the incidents the book covers would take ages. Instead I'll just say what I thought of it.

I watched the series before reading the book, and so I kept comparing the book unfavourably to the series. (Yes, this is one of those rare cases where the adaptation is better than the source!) Captain Brown's astonishingly early death was a real shock. So was how little Jessie and Major Gordon appeared in the book. I was amused to discover that Lady Glenmire from Return to Cranford is a relatively important character in the book, complete with the drama about her marriage (though obviously she doesn't marry Captain Brown in the book).

There are no dramatic plot twists or adorable weddings in this book, unlike in the series. And it won't make readers roar with laughter or burst into tears the way the series does. But if you want to read something that's fairly short and certainly enjoyable, then Cranford is the book for you.

Is it available online? Yes, on Gutenberg.

Rating: 7/10.

Review: Cranford (2007) Episodes 4 & 5

(Review of the first three episodes here.)

Episode 3 ended with Miss Matty grieving Mr. Holbrook. Episode 4 starts a short time later.

Mr. Holbrook's belongings are being auctioned. At the auction Miss Pole buys a picture of him to give to Miss Matty (aww 😊), and Dr. Harrison buys a piece of furniture that turns out to be a lady's sewing box. He's embarrassed when his landlady Mrs. Rose tells him what it is, so he offers to let her use it. Bad idea, Dr. Harrison!

If he only knew the trouble that thing would cause...

Mr. Carter sends Harry to take a letter to Lady Ludlow. Harry opens the letter and reads it, and loses it shortly after. Lady Ludlow is not happy. She's even more unhappy to learn Harry can read, and that Mr. Carter taught him. So she gives Harry a job in the cowshed, and asks Miss Galindo to take Harry's job with Mr. Carter.

Miss Pole comes to visit Mrs. Rose, with the news that Queen Victoria has had a new baby: Princess Alice.

(I love interesting historical facts, so now I'll go on a brief tangent. Princess Alice (1843-1878) was the third of Victoria and Albert's nine children, and the first to die. She married a German prince and had seven children, two of whom died before her. One of Alice's daughters, Princess Alix, became Empress Alexandra of Russia. Yes, the last Empress of Russia. And another daughter, Princess Victoria, was the grandmother of Prince Philip.)

Now, enough history. Back to Cranford. Miss Pole sees the sewing box. She immediately recognises it as what Dr. Harrison bought at the auction, and jumps to the conclusion that Dr. Harrison gave it to Mrs. Rose because he's in love with her. Naturally, the first thing Miss Pole does is run and tell Mrs. Forrester. (It never ceases to amaze me that she didn't tell the whole town 😃)

Dr. Harrison hasn't a clue about this. He visits Sophy's father to ask permission to court her.

On his way back from the rectory, Dr. Harrison meets Miss Tomkinson. She still thinks he intends to marry her sister, so she tells him that she has set aside a dowry for Caroline. Poor Dr. Harrison doesn't know why she's telling him this.

Mary has been having headaches, so she goes to Dr. Harrison. He tells her that she has a problem with her eyes, and asks Dr. Marshland -- an expert on eyes (and on causing trouble for his friends) -- to see her. He diagnoses far-sightedness, and gets her a pair of glasses.

Miss Matty has shares in a bank that has just failed, leaving her with almost no money at all. With Mary's help she tries to conceal how bad her financial situation is from her friends. Poor Miss Matty 😢

Trouble is brewing for Lady Ludlow. Her wretched son demands more money to build his villa, but she's no money to spare. Rather than sell land to the railway, she decides to put a mortgage on her estate. Mr. Carter strongly advises against this.

Miss Pole and Mrs. Forrester tell Mrs. Rose about Dr. Harrison's supposed interest in her. They do their best to make the marriage happen, even dyeing Mrs. Rose's hair!

May Day arrives, and Martha has a scheme to get money for Miss Matty. She'll marry Jem Hearne and they'll become Miss Matty's lodgers. Jem is less enthusiastic about this plan.

Disaster strikes for Dr. Harrison. Miss Tomkinson tells Reverend Hutton that she expects the doctor to marry Caroline. Rev. Hutton immediately goes to confront Dr. Harrison. Mrs. Rose arrives in the middle of this scene, and says she is engaged to the doctor. Poor Dr. Harrison doesn't understand any of this.

The scene starts out hilarious, with so many misunderstandings all being revealed at once. But then it becomes sad when Dr. Harrison has to watch Sophy walk away, and knows she thinks he's been unfaithful to her. Ouch, poor guy 😢

Now take a deep breath and keep tissues handy, because the final episode has arrived.

Jem has gotten over his reluctance, and he and Martha have just married. Miss Matty and Mary are waiting to welcome them.

News of Miss Matty's financial troubles has spread. Her friends get together to give her money while not letting her know who it's from, and Captain Brown suggests she makes more money by setting up a tea shop. So she does, with Mary's help.

Dr. Harrison is in disgrace. Few people believe he's innocent, and Dr. Morgan tells him to leave Cranford. Mary comes to the rescue when she proves that the valentine sent to Caroline Tomkinson was in Dr. Marshland's handwriting. Dr. Marshland reappears to apologise for his actions. But poor Dr. Harrison is still forbidden from seeing Sophy, who's caught typhoid fever.

An explosion at the railway injures Captain Brown and Mr. Carter. Captain Brown isn't seriously injured (astonishing, that the character who was first to die in the book survives the series and the sequel!). Mr. Carter's injuries are much worse. Dr. Harrison decides to amputate his leg. This is one of those scenes that is incredibly hard to watch. Luckily we don't see the operation itself, but what we do see... And it's all for nothing in the end, because Mr. Carter dies 😭

Ow, my heart 😭

Sophy is dangerously ill, and Dr. Morgan's treatment has only been making things worse. So her sisters fetch Dr. Harrison against their father's wishes. And she recovers!

Before he died, Mr. Carter made a will leaving all his money to Harry, on condition that he gave Lady Ludlow enough to pay off the mortgage on her land. So now Harry's going off to school.

Earlier Mary sent a letter to Major Gordon. Now he returns, just in time to join Jessie in singing Loch Lomond again. Aww 😍

And Major Gordon isn't alone. He's found Miss Matty's long-lost brother Peter, and brought him home too!

Now there's only one thing left, and it's the most adorable moment of all.

😍

Cranford has one of the best weddings in period drama. The hardships the characters had to go through to get here, the material to make the dress (people who've seen the series will understand the significance of that), the cuteness of the wedding itself... It's all just perfect. The only thing that could make this ending better would be if we'd seen Jessie and Major Gordon's wedding.

So, my overall opinion of the series?

It. Is. Amazing. It's so funny (Miss Pole's antics come to mind), so sad (why did Mr. Carter die? He's my favourite character!), so adorable (Jessie. Major Gordon. Loch Lomond. Enough said.), and generally just so good.

As I mentioned in part one of this review, it doesn't adapt the book the way Little Dorrit or Bleak House. But for once that's a good thing. Cranford the book is... it's not dull, but nothing much happens in it. It's just about the villagers and their lives. That wouldn't translate too well to TV. And Miss Matty in the book has much less of a personality than Miss Matty in the series. Yet at the same time the series is remarkably faithful to the book in that many incidents and lines are lifted directly from it -- the oranges, the cow in its pyjamas, the cat and the lace...

Is it available online?: Not as far as I know, unfortunately 😔 But it can be bought on Amazon!

Rating of these episodes: 10/10.

Overall rating: I'd love to give it 20/10, or even 100/10. But that would be going too far, so instead I'll give it 10/10. Incidentally, Cranford is one of only two series (so far) I'd give 10/10. (The other is Bleak House, if you're wondering.)