Favourite costume drama ?

[herethereeverywhere]

I watched Pride & Prejudice today ( the film version, I know most people hate Keira knightly but I love it) and I have now got North & South lined up for tonight once DS goes to sleep.

What are your favourites?

Poldark and Shine on Harvey Moon (if that counts)

Never seen either of those. Must add to my list !

tv adaptation of vanity fayre from about 10 years ago

North and South!

North and South is great - I envy you watching it for the first time

I enjoyed the BBC adaptations of Bleak House, and Jane Eyre too.

And I will watch any adaptation of Emma, because I love the story so much.

The Tudors.
It's hilarious, and Jonathan Rhys Myers is hot, well until the last few episodes, when they purvey him being old by making him talk in a funny voice.
Honestly, him wanking into a pot for no apparent reason, him getting cross, and they show this by him throwing apples, and the afore mentioned funny voice.
Brilliant, just brilliant.

I liked Lost in Austen

They're old :) I don't do modern tv

Moll Flanders for some delicious scenes of Daniel Craig

I loved The Tudors! Only watched up until Anne Bolyen got her head chopped of though. It was pure soap drama - fabulous!

Have just finished episode 1 of North & South - mmm how did I not know about this earlier?! It's brilliant!

I have the box set, I watch it to cheer me up!
Someone on here described it as Hollyoaks does history

Upstairs Downstairs (original series), Penmarric, The Onedin Line...

North and South - less mimsy than Austen.

Or Brideshead Revisited.

I loved The Tudors too.

Struggling to think of any others that have really grabbed me, although I do tend to watch them ...

Oh I know! The Crimson Petal and the White. Looked different and beautiful, great cast, fab story.

Yes! I liked Crimson Petal. I didn't get on with the book at all. Think it was a rare case of prefer the tv version

It's been a while since there was a good costume drama out. I don't count Downtown Abbey as that is a bit too soapy!

My mum used to tell me fond stories of trying to read the Poldark books when bf me in the night to keep up with the tv series in the 70s :) I don't think sadly its been repeated in my memory.

I did like the series Desperate Romantics (the one about the painters about 2yrs ago) but I was v hormonal then!

All time favourite is probably Pride and prejudice, the Colin Firth one. Other than that I love Brideshead Revisited, Our mutual friend, bleak house, and sense and sensibility, the Emma Thompson one. Also liked both persuasion's, the BBC and ITV ones. I really liked North and south, although I had problems with the casting of the lead girl in it, think she was miscast but Richard Armitage made up for it!

Agree that Dniella Westbrook is miscast in North and South but Richard Armitage is perfect! Would second watching desperate Romantics and the BBC Andrew davies adaptation of vanity fair is excellent.

The ITV adaptation of Forsythe Saga is very good too -Damien lewis is great as Soames alhtough Irene is miscast. BBC3 adapted twnety Thousand Streets under the SKy by Patrick hamilton a few years back (set in the late 1920's) - its superb and utterly heartbreaking.

Not a drama but a very old film - Gone with the wind (especially the first half) is still hard to beat when I'm feeling under the weather.

Oh where to start I LOVE costume dramas well I love anything done really well and where the producers\S.W.s treat their audience like adults.

I liked P&P with K.K. Brenda Blethyn was a brilliant Mrs Bennett and the tweaks in the storyline they made were good; IMO K. K. was almost alright; too much drippy make up but the right age; I didn't like Jennifer Ehle much either she can act better than K.K. but too much bust and make up also Julia Sawalha was far too old for the part of a 14 yr old Lydia, I luurve Colin Firth as Darcy though yum!!!

I also love Emma but really blankfaced Holllywood stars are not right for the main part!

I won't go on but lastly let me recommend one of the very best costume films I've ever seen; Its called "Brightstar" by Jane Campion it is absolutely jaw droppingly gorgeous to look at and the acting and period feel is faultless it SUCKS you into it ;It's the story of Keats played by Ben Wishaw and Fanny Brawne's love story. I HAD to get the DVD and i just love it. I Promise you won't be disappointed if you get hold of it.

janesnowdon, I hadn't heard of Twenty Thousand Streets under the Sky but have just looked it up and it looks fab! Is it worth buying on DVD?

LadyC we cross posted !

ppeatfruit, did we? I've read and reread your post and I can't see how ... Sorry!!

I (partially) agree about Bright Star. I think it's one of the most visually beautiful films I've ever seen. I found the performances and the story a bit wet though, tbh, but yes, visually it is simply ravishing.

LadyC - Twenty Thousand Streets is only £2.79 on amazon atm and I think it is well worth buying.

Good to hear Brightstar is worth seeing - was ill when it was on at the cinema and had forgotten I meant to get it when on dvd release - thanks

Well if you look at the times, I posted in the same second as you!

By a" bit wet" do you mean not enough S & V? if that's the case it's one of the reasons I love it so much; a modern film with hardly any sex and violence now that IS unusual

If I have one teeny problem with it I guessed the female lead wasn't English she is Aussie but her acting and accent are so good I forgave her. (I couldn't forgive Gweneth Paltrow for effing up Emma though !!)

Am I just REALLY ? If you mean your post from 13:08 (the same time as mine), mine was about Twenty Thousand Streets under the Sky and yours was about P&P and Emma ...

Re Bright Star, I don't mean that I wanted loads of violence, but I do think that their relationship was portrayed as a bit too squeaky clean. I do get that they were attracted to one another on all levels ? romantic and spiritual as well as sexual/physical ? but I felt that there was a total lack in the film of any sense of sexual attraction, and I found that a bit unbelievable.