Series Review ~ Larkrise to Candleford

I am sure you will enjoy this beautiful and inspiring series about life in rural England in the days before progress and war changed everything...

  

Larkriseto Candleford is a gem of a series – I was thoroughly impressed and entertained by each episode and would highly recommend it.

There are four seasons of Larkrise to Candleford, based on the semi-autobiographal works of Flora Thompson.

 Set in the years before progress really began to gain momentum (somewhere in the1890's), Larkrise to Candleford tells the stories of a great many different people from the poor, yet happy hamlet of Larkrise, and the bustling little town of Candleford and its surrounding areas... 

The lives of these folk are strangely intertwined, although neither Larkrise nor Candleford would readily admit it...

The costumes were wonderful in this series – they were neither too frivolous or too plain, and I appreciated the fact that the characters often wore their costumes over again instead of constantly donning a new wardrobe! 

I think this helped to show that the people in both Larkrise and Candleford were actually simple people and perhaps not that wealthy, which I enjoyed.

As for the scenery and sets – well, they were perfection!  I loved the area in which this series was filmed and I think the filmmakers really captured the unique essence of life in those days through the various sets they used throughout the feature.

With such a cast as Julia Sawalha (remember her from Pride and Prejudice and Cranford?), Brendan Coyle (North and South), Dawn French, Claudie Blakley (Cranford and Pride and Prejudice 2005) and others, there was just no likelihood of failure!  The actors and actresses were splendid and really appeared to live their different characters!

One of the main reasons I would so highly recommend this series to you, is because I feel there are valuable life lessons in it which are good and decent and definitely well-worth seeing...

And for those of you whose hearts are nestled somewhere in the country, you will definitely enjoy the Larkrise scenes of the series!

A word of caution, though – personally, I would not recommend certain episodes for children  under the age of 10...  There are a few which deal with issues that are not entirely appropriate for children. 

I would recommend parents or guardians view each episode first, as there are more than enough good ones which are 'light' enough for children to enjoy!  My younger sisters thoroughly enjoyed the episodes they were allowed to watch!

 

Another word of caution – there is a smattering of superstition in this series which was unfortunately so common during those times. 

But I'm certain you will love the simplicity of life portrayed in this series... 

I love the long gone and now, quite old-fashioned neighborliness and hospitality and how everyone worked together in order to achieve a goal... 

You will love how, although each character experienced many difficulties and made more than their fair share of mistakes, they always made amends and there was always forgiveness. 

There were plenty of disagreements between friends and family members, just like the disagreements we have today, yet they were sorted out and people moved on...

This is really clean, wholesome entertainment which can be enjoyed by a large audience!

~ Blessings ~