Dream, Believe, Achieve: Shall We Take A Turn?

I've always had a big love for the period drama. No particular era, although I do have a penchant for Georgian and Victorian times. But I just adore watching a well-written drama from a bygone age. Perhaps it's the manners people expressed in those times, the curtsey and bows that strangers used to say hello & goodbye. Perhaps it's because back then, gentlemen were gentlemen and behaved as such. Perhaps it's because people lived out their days more leisurely (I do, of course, refer to those who had money). Perhaps it's the costumes, the ladies had some glorious dresses to wear, and the men, well, who could resist a handsome gentleman in a cravat and waistcoat?

I have enclosed a few of my favourite period dramas which I've enjoyed watching (some of them lots of times) over the years.

North & South, a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, starring the lovely Richard Armitage, Brendan Coyle and Daniela Denby-Ashe. I saw this years ago and have been smitten with Mr Armitage ever since.

Jane Eyre, starring Timothy Dalton & Zelah Clarke. Still my absolute favourite version of this story. No matter how many other ones I've watched over the years (and I've seen them all) this one is still the best. It manages to make me feel every emotion there can be in a period drama. I think Dalton is superb as Edward Rochester and, for me, no one has come close to his portrayal of the character.

Pride & Prejudice, whether it be the BBC version or the (latest) film version. I wasn't a fan of the 'filmed' one first of all but it has grown on me, and I suppose it's quite nice seeing the story played out in a refreshingly short time. Although, the TV version is probably the most definitive version there has ever been. Played beautifully by the cast involved, it'll always be the one which other Pride & Prejudice dramatisations will be compared to.

Hornblower was based on the seafaring stories by C S Forester, and starred the lovely Ioan Gruffudd. A drama I watched by chance and was completely hooked on from thereon in. Yes ok, the rather dashing Mr Gruffudd was an added incentive, but the hugely popular mini-films with its mixture of heroism and swashbuckling action sequences were a joy to watch. I loved them.

Anne Of Green Gables, and I mean the Canadian version which was made in the 80's starring Megan Follows and Colleen Dewhurst. Again, watched this purely by accident, catching it half-way through the series when channel-hopping. I was instantly drawn first of all to the unrequited love which Gilbert Blythe held for Anne (Gilbert played by Jonathan Crombie who I ended up having a huge crush on back then) and then the other characters, and that was it. I ended up watching the rest of it and then bought the video so I could see it from the very start. I wasn't a fan of the 'continuing story' they made in the 90's. Don't think that was necessary. But the original is a drama which I still love, made me read the books, and is something which I still quote lines from even now. A beautiful story of belief, hope, passion and love.

Well, that's a few to be going on with. No doubt I shall think of lots more which I've forgotten about, but those mentioned here are the period dramas I can think of that I know I've watched countless times.

Now onto Catherine Cookson dramas...

Sadly they're not made for TV anymore, but back in the late 80's/90's, these dramatisations were on TV almost every week, with some of Cookson's books being made into a 3-part drama. They starred actors/actresses who have since become big stars and I loved them and watched every single one. Some I enjoyed more than others.

Here are a few of my favourites...

The Glass Virgin, which starred Brendan Coyle, Emily Mortimer & Nigel Havers.