New 6 part drama
The TV adaptation of Madeleine St John's 1993 novel is coming to U and it's packed with drama, light-hearted mayhem and thought-provoking intrigue, with a killer cast.
If you're after a warm, character-driven drama with heart, heritage and a fabulous wardrobe to match, Ladies in Black might just be your perfect next binge - and it's better than Call the Midwife (https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/call-the-midwife).
The six-parter focuses on five very different women working at Sydney’s prestigious (fictional) Goodes Department Store who find themselves at the cutting edge of social change in 1961.
With a cast that includes Miranda Otto, Debi Mazar and Jessica de Gouw, custom-made sets and costumes, and a catalogue of storylines, covering everything from sexism to self-discovery, this is an easy-fit fashion show bursting at the seams with thrills, frills and dramatic flair.
The key characters are Magda Szombathelyi (Debi Mazar, Goodfellas, Kaos (https://www.whattowatch.com/features/kaos-cast-whos-who-guide)), Virginia Ambrose (Miranda Otto, Lord of the Rings, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/everything-you-need-to-know-about-chilling-adventures-of-sabrina-season-4)), Fay Janosi (Jessica de Gouw, The Survivors (https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/the-survivors-release-date-cast-plot-trailer-and-everything-we-know), The Couple Next Door (https://www.whattowatch.com/features/the-couple-next-door-cast-whos-who-in-the-tense-thriller)), Lisa Miles (Clare Hughes, Ten Pound Poms (https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/ten-pound-poms-season-2-heres-everything-we-know)) and Angela Mansour (Azizi Donnelly, The Student).
Set in the glittering world (https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/) of a 1960s Sydney department store, this glossy new series is based on Madeleine St John's 1993 novel,
With a fresh cocktail of fashion, friendship and female empowerment - all led by Goodfellas (https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/goodfellas)and Entourage (https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-previews/entourages-blitz-big-screen-hedonism-true-5907368) star Debi Mazar (https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/debi-mazar), it combines feel-good nostalgia and powerful, quietly political storytelling, tackling issues like women's rights, racism and class.
In this show, Debi plays Magda, the glamorous and fiercely intelligent head of model gowns at Goodes, a fictional version of Australia's legendary department store company David Jones.
But Magda's not draped in silks - she's wrapped in secrets and ambition.
“Her dream has always been to have her own boutique, her own business,” Debi says, “She is someone who sees the future of fashion.”
Alongside Debi is a cast of fresh and familiar faces - including rising star Clare Hughes (https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/harry-potter-frankenstein-dont-miss-35422593) as Lisa, a teenage shopgirl and aspiring writer. Lisa's story, full of hope and heartache, will resonate with anyone who has dared to want more.
“She wants to become a writer and she’s desperately trying to get her articles published in the student newspaper,” says Clare.
“She’s trying to balance all of that and work out who she is. She’s discovering boys and sex and drinking which is all very new to her.”
One of her first grown-up experiences? Heartbreak. “She’s very curious about boys and love and decides that Richard, the editor of Honi Soit, is the right one for her,” Clare says. “But she falls in love with the idea of him.”