Wives and Daughters

BBC , COSTUME DRAMAS . 21:08 . Jonathan Phillips 1 comment

One would think that, judging on the reviews so far, that all I have watched this year have been period dramas. This is mostly correct. It has been a while since I have seen something that wasn't historical, although that latest Dardenne Bros film with Marion Cotillard was fantastic for me - not so great for Mom who fell asleep on the couch during it. See also "Force Majeure". Anyway, I have eluded to the "Wives and Daughters" program in earlier reviews and now, after watching the four episodes, I can make good on my promise of providing in depth coverage.

Wives and Daughters is about a Scottish doctor and his daughter. Her mother has passed away and they seem to be coping pretty well, she is friends with their neighbours who are asset rich, cash poor. They have two attractive sons, introduced as two distinctly different prospects. The poet and the scientist. We are set up for a love triangle and then it never eventuates. The daughter is a goer.

Every episode should have been whittled down to a half hour. The doctor gets married again to Nanny Doreen, which is probably the only reason to watch the programme. Oh and Michael Gambon is pretty good as the poet and scientist's father. But I am ignoring the real reason to enjoy the show is the main actress.

Mads asked me the other night in this weird night where I couldn't get to sleep, which is weird because I am basically clockwork at bed by 10.30pm, who my celebrity crush was. I don't really have any, not now I have the love of my life in my life all the time. But if I am honest to myself, it is this babe.

Here she is again, pouting.

He she is, this time in the rain. The thing ends with her in the rain with the scientist brother. (Spoiler alert) Actually the thing ends with them in Africa, her in trousers. The show isn't afraid to blow the budget on taking two main characters to Africa.

Here she is again.

There is a whole heap of gossip that goes down, a range of balls and Rosumund Pike turns up. I guess it is okay, I felt like it was definitely the sort of thing we would have all loved, or at least Sophie, Mom and I would have really loved in about 2001. The actress who plays the female lead didn't have too much of a career after costume dramas, tried to make the tricky transition to Hollywood and has not made a movie since 2006, which was directed by Tarsem Singh who has never made a good movie. I blame Tarsem for ruining her career. She seriously lights up the screen in this show.