North & South (a miniseries in four parts) is a historical drama which premiered on British television (BBC) in 2004.
The story is set in the north and the south of England in the middle of the 19th century, more precisely in the years before and after the Great Exhibition held in London in 1851. Here is some basic information about this drama:
** Director: Brian Percival
** Writer: Sandy Welch
** Based on a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell
** Released on DVD in 2005
** Run time: 4 x ca 58 minutes = ca 232 minutes
The cast includes the following:
The first group
** Daniela Denby-Ashe as Margaret Hale
** Rupert Evans as Frederick Hale – Margaret’s brother
** Tim Pigott-Smith (1946-2017) as Richard Hale – Margaret’s father
** Lesley Manville as Maria Hale – Margaret’s mother
** Brian Protheroe as Mr Bell – Margaret’s godfather
** Pauline Quirke as Dixon – a maid who works for the Hale family
The second group
** Richard Armitage as John Thornton – factory owner
** Jo Joyner as Fanny Thornton – John’s sister
** Sinead Cusack as Hannah Thornton – John’s mother
The third group
** Brendal Coyle as Nicholas Higgins – a worker
** Anna Maxwell Martin as Bessy Higgins – daughter of Nicholas
** Kay Lyon as Mary Higgins – daughter of Nicholas
BACKGROUND
Elisabeth Gaskell (1810-1865) is the author of many books, mostly fictional novels. North and South which was published in 1855 has been adapted for television three times: 1966, 1975 and 2004. The version under review here is the third and most recent adaptation.
North & South is a historical drama: a fictional story which is placed in a historical context. In this case, the context is England in the middle of the 19th century at the beginning of the industrial revolution.
I do not wish to spoil the viewing for anyone, so I am not going to reveal too much about what happens in this drama, but I have to mention a few details in order to explain and justify my rating.
In addition, I will tell you how the story begins:
The Hale family moves from the south of England to the north of England. Southern England is rural and peaceful, while northern England is a noisy town.
In the fictional town of Milton, members of the Hale family meet new people: first and foremost, the Thornton family and the Higgins family.
** The Thornton family is rich; they own a local mill where cotton is turned into fabric
** The Higgins family is poor; they work in the local mills
This is how the story begins and right now I will not say more than this. But later I will add a few more details. You can stop reading now if you do not wish to know these details.
REVIEWS AND RATINGS
What do reviewers say about this historical drama?
On IMDb it has a rating of 86 per cent, which corresponds to a rating of 4.3 stars on Amazon.
On Amazon UK there are at the moment more than 3,300 ratings of this product, more than 1,800 with reviews. The average rating is 4.7 stars, which corresponds to a rating of 94 percent.
As you can see, the ratings are very good. And it does not stop there: three years ago, Nat Wassell posted a glowing review of this drama in Cultured Vultures (29 July 2019).
According to Nat Wassell, this is one of the best period dramas ever made. The headline says:
“North & South at 15: The best period drama you’ve probably never seen.”
Why does she think it is so good?
She offers three reasons:
(1) The cinematography is excellent.
(2) The story is excellent.
(3) The casting is excellent.
Having read the glowing
review of this drama, I decided that I had to see it for myself. Having watched
all four episodes, I have to say I cannot agree. If you ask me, this drama is
highly overrated. Why?
** The cinematography seems old (which it is)
** The story is not good (see more below)
** The casting of the two main characters is not good, either (see more below)
THE STORY
Regarding the story, I have to say this: the beginning and the end do not match each other.
In the beginning of the first episode Margaret and John meet each other for the first time. We are inside the mill. John has just spotted a worker who is smoking a pipe. This is dangerous!
He calls out and chases after him. When he catches him, he yells at him. Then he starts to beat him up. The beating is so hard that the worker falls down on the floor. While the worker is lying on the floor, John kicks him, not once but several times.
Margaret is there, watching the scene and she is horrified. She cannot believe what is happening. How can John Thornton treat a worker like this?
Apparently, this horrible scene is not in the book, but it is in the television drama, and this review is about the television drama, not the book. That is why it is appropriate to focus on it.
When we get to the end of the final episode, John and Margaret embrace and kiss each other. But this happy ending is not realistic.
After four episodes, we know Margaret. We know she is a good person. We know she would never fall for a man who can beat up another man and kick him when he is down on the ground.
The happy ending is unbelievable. It does not fit the beginning. It does not make any sense.
THE CASTING
Regarding the casting, I have to say this: there is no chemistry between the two main characters, Margaret and John. It is hard to understand why he is so attracted to her, and even harder to understand why she is attracted to him.
CONCLUSION
To sum up: I cannot understand the numerous positive reviews of this drama.
In my opinion, it is fatally flawed and therefore it cannot get more than two stars (40 percent).
PS. Elizabeth Gaskell is the author of a biography about Charlotte Brontë, which was published in 1857. Charlotte’s father Patrick contacted Elizabeth in 1855 and asked her to write a biography about his oldest daughter who died in that year (aged 38).
*****
North & South
A historical drama in four parts
(2004)
*****
North and South
A historical drama
by Elizabeth gaskell
(1855)
*****
Elizabeth Gaskell
(1810-1865)
*****
The Life of Charlotte Brontë
A biography
by Elizabeth Gaskell
(1857)
*****
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