There is nothing like a pair of Dames

Olga Danes-Volkov

No, I cannot agree about Dame Judi Dench as Miss Matty. Her acting is always faultless but I cannot see her as the sweetm timorous Miss Matty under the thumb of her sister

dearieme

I did wonder why no attempt at all was made at Cheshire accents.

Cheshire Cat

Cutting and pasting three Gaskell works and calling the result 'Cranford'just didn't work. And not even filming it in Cheshire was unforgivable.

B. W.

I thought this was a rather disappointing adaptation, reducing the subtlety of Gaskell's often subversive humour to mere farce.

G Jarman

The Cat was tops

B.A.-Knutsford

The adaption was brilliant, the actors brilliant-what more can one say!!

Mrs. Sarah Millward

Super production but also very disappointed to be forced to hunt for Carl Davies'name almost at the bottom of the credits.Why is music so often given such low priority when it is an integral part of the whole production and so important in the delineation of character and the creation of mood?

Martin Davidson

Readers may be interested to know that the house in which Mrs Gaskell lived and wrote almost all of her literary output still stands in Manchester and the Manchester Building Preservation Trust is making a heroic effort to restore it as a centre for the promotion of Mrs Gaskell's legacy. Support for their efforts would be very welcome!

Sue Oakley

Really enjoying Cranford - as a Cheshire girl myself - but surely the cows in the cartoon should be black and white? I don't care that the town has been recreated elsewhere... but the drawings could have had that little touch of authenticity? Or am I being waspish?

S. Jennings

I agree with Cheshire Cat. Too much cut and paste. Looks beautiful, but best for people who have not read the books!

Jenny Mayhew

sad about the all-purpose "period" scenery I agree - a white chalk track for the hero to gallop down is another cliche of period drama -and I did hope this would be free of neighing noises every time a horse appears.

Miriam and Peter Gilbert

My wife and I live in a small village and Cranford really does make for excellent viewing. 160 years on, various characters are still identifiable.

LJG

Wonder why they bothered to do it at all if they were going to make such a mangled mess of it.

oldtimer

Cranford began brilliantly but with the removal of the amazing actress Eileen Atkins, now I fear it will become the Miss Matty (Judi Dench) show, with supporting cast.

Terry Brown

What stately home was the setting for the garden party in the second episode of Cranford

matchmade

I disagree that the production is all Judi Dench - it's strong acting all the way through, beautifully paced, and they've kept plenty of typical Gaskell touches. For me Lisa Dillon really stands out - subtle, thoughtful acting.

LSG

I love every minute of it but it says that it is taken from three books. Does anyone know which three books? One is Cranford itself.

Lucindah

The other two stories are My Lady Ludlow and Mr Harrison's Confessions.

edarlingb

And all brought together under one uber-title 'Cranford', published by Bloomsbury. I really cannot understand how anyone can criticise this production, in its own terms. AA Gill's review is spot on - absolutely superb TV.

Cairine

does anyone know the tennyson poem read by holebrook in last nights screening?

ros wood

as a bronte woman I tended to ignore mre gaskell cranford has made me thirsty for her books

Joyce Robinson

I haven't read Mrs. Gaskell and cannot wait to do so. I was cut to the quick at the early demise of Eileen Atkins. I cannot help feeling a longer serial containing more of the books would have been better.

John Munns.

Where can one obtain the Cranford,My Lady Ludlow and Mr Harrisons's Confessions Books or the Cranford "all three in one" volume BEFORE XMAS please.

Sheila Allan

Just watched tonight's Cranford and just loved it - as I have every week so far! Whats wrong with all the wingers - the residents are so wonderfully brought to life, the actors are of the highest calibre and the costumes and scenery just amazing! So what, some have "odd" accents, but don't we all (personally I'm from Scotland with a 25 year Darlington twang]. For all those sad people out there who sit infront of the TV with a paper and pen noting accent/continuity errors, just try and get a life and enjoy quality when you see it - there's not much about!!!

Nick Ricketts

In answer to Cairinne, the poem read by Holbrooke may have been 'Locksley Hall'. But what was the poem read by Miss Matty at the end of episode 3? As for the series so far, I don't know how true to the books it is, but we are riveted!

Rosemary Eustace 17/12/007

I thoroughly enjoyed the series for what it was a wonderful piece from history and the acting was superb. NJo-one would have known it was taken from three of the Gaskell books. More of the same please. I looked for a linen handkerchief to dry my tears!

Elaine

totally staggered at the nit picking from commentators above. I am writing this after the final episode and I thought it was superb and Judi Dench, well what can one say?

janet

What a shame the adaptors did not bother to read the original book - it was as if they had used a bad set of exam crib notes! I was horrified by the 'soap opera' that was unrolled by the BBC, it bore absolutely no resemblance to the REAL story!