DVD Reviews

Lark Rise to Candleford: Complete Collection – DVD Review

By June L. Apr 25, 2011, 14:46 GMT

Flora Thompson\'s charming love letter to a vanished corner of rural England is brought to life in this heartwarming, critically acclaimed BBC adaptation, now available in a complete series collection. Set in the late 19th century, this rich, funny and emotional series follows the relationship of two contrasting communities: Lark Rise, a small hamlet gently holding onto the past, and Candleford, a neighboring market town bustling into the future. When ...more

Lark Rise to Candleford is a treat!  This gentle yet realistic look at life in a hamlet and the market town close by takes viewers right in to the environment of the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. 

Life is changing from the “old ways” as new technologies and new ideas make their way into rural England.  Beautifully filmed with a cast of regular and guest stars, this will delight fans of dramas such as Little House on the Prarie and Avonlea as well as BBC’s beloved adaptations of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. 

There is a family feel to this series, with humor and strength of character as part of the lives of people in both places.  Based on the novels of Flora Thompson, viewers will get a truthful picture of how life was, and how it began to change.

Wonderful unforgettable characters are the strong point of this series.  Dorcas (Julia Sawala) postmistress of Candleford who owns the Post Office as well as the Foundry in the town is the epitome of modern.  She has a telegraph in the Post Office and is all for women owing businesses and getting ahead. 

That is why she contacts her cousin Emma Timmins (Claudie Blakley)in the tiny hamlet of Lark Rise to offer the eldest daughter of the family a position that will give her a step up in life.  Laura Timmons (Olivia Hallinan) can read and write, already a bonus for a Lark Rise child, and her parents are eager for her to make the most of this opportunity.  Viewers see both the hamlet and the town through Laura’s eyes as she journals about her new experiences. 

It is amazingly good television, as we first see Lark Rise as perhaps grimy and poverty stricken, but as the episodes continue we move inside the cottages to get to know the families that inhabit the place, and we become aware of the many good things. 

There is intelligence and humor in the Timmins household, Rober (Brendan Coyle) and Emma are hardworking people who also give their children more than just food on the table.  Love and ethics, character building instruction and advice flow around the Timmins table, and we see pictures on the wall as well as decorative bits on the mantle-piece. 

Even in the chaotic cottage of Mrs. Arless, (superbly performed by Dawn French) we see the positives in spite of the poverty, as she tries to be good humored to her brood of children and show them loving kindness.  Although they may not have the reading ability of the Timmins, they do love each other and try to be lawful. 

Lark Rise to Candleford: Complete Collection is a beautifully boxed set of the four seasons of the show.  Each season has its own keeper case and multiple discs. 

The cases are illustrated with stills from the production and synopsis of the season’s story line.  Each season has an extra feature of the Making of Lark Rise to Candleford which enhances the viewer’s enjoyment of the show. 

If you already know Lark Rise to Candleford, chances are you will want to own this set, if you have not seen it and are looking for a quality series with characters that will stay in your thoughts and hearts, this is for you.

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