DVD Reviews

Cranford: Return to Cranford - DVD Review

By June L. Jan 28, 2010, 16:36 GMT

Welcome to Cranford, where all changes and all remains the same. Miss Matty\'s house is full of life and bustle. Her dream of having a child in the house has been realised in the birth of Tilly, daughter of her maid Martha and carpenter Jem. The shadow of the railway still looms but, to the relief of Matty and the Amazons, the line has been halted five miles outside of ...more

The Industrial Revolution and the Railroad are moving closer to the village of Cranford.  In this second series Miss Matty, Miss Pole and the other ladies of Cranford are not convinced that all this modernization is a good thing. 

In Return to Cranford there are many of the characters that viewers loved in the first series, as well as new people whose stories become part of the village’s daily fare of gossip. This superbly crafted production with a splendid cast belongs in the collections of those who enjoy period stories and quality viewing.

As Return to Cranford opens, Miss Matty’s (Dame Judi Dench) brother Peter (Nicholas Le Prevost) has returned home after having made his fortune in India.  With her finances more secure, Miss Matty closes her tea shop and spends time helping Martha (Claudie Blakley) and Jem (Andrew Buchan) raise baby Tillie. 

But all is not peaceful in Cranford, as the railroad construction is only five miles from the village. And if Sir Charles Maulver (Greg Wise) and others who support modernization have their way, Cranford will soon be a bustling stop on the new rail line.  Captain Brown (Jim Carter) wants Cranford to embrace the railroad and all the changes it will bring. 

In spite of the temptation of growth and amenities many citizens of the village are set against it.  Cranford stand firm until Miss Matty sees the advantages and boldly encourages her neighbors to do likewise. Like all villages, Cranford has its share of love, death, humor and mystery, and one suspects that Miss Pole (Imelda Staunton) has the latest gossip on it all. 

The period details in this series are meticulously researched and reproduced, from wall coverings to costumes, from hair styles to patterns of speech.  There is authenticity and artistry in the rendering that makes each scene a pleasure to watch multiple times, admiring the details and listening to the characters speak with such formality. 

It is as if one has stepped back to the 1840’s as an observer of the intricacies of daily life.  The characters are so real, one feels that they are personal acquaintances and as they are portrayed by a cast that has acclaimed acting talents and a loving understanding of the material, they live on in the mind after the program is finished. 

As a tribute to the strength and beauty of the original book by Elizabeth Gaskell, the producers and writers of the series have said that this is to be the last Cranford program. 

Return to Cranford is presented on a single disc, containing the two episodes with a running time of 177 minutes.  It has English subtitles available for the hearing impaired.  With Return to Cranford is a documentary “Cranford In Detail” which is a combination of production elements and interviews with cast and crew. 

Everyone involved with this production has such fondness for the story, appreciation for the time period and respect for each other, the viewer feels their pleasure at having been a part of Cranford.  If you have not “visited” Cranford, this is a wonderful opportunity to do so.  Both Cranford series are available on DVD, singly, each season attractively housed in a book-like keeper case. 

The series is also available in a boxed set “Cranford The Collection” containing Cranford and Returns to Cranford so that you can own and enjoy this quality production from start to finish.

Visit the DVD database for more information.