Author: Rebecca Eaton, with Patricia Mulcahy
Year: 2013
Genre: Television/Memoir
Reading Level: Adult
Summary: Part memoir, part behind-the-scenes look at the origins, development and history of Masterpiece Theatre, as told by longtime executive producer Rebecca Eaton. Includes insights from such Masterpiece alums as Daniel Radcliffe, Gillian Anderson, Julian Fellowes and Kenneth Branagh.
Red Flags: Some occasional language
My Rating: B
As a history of Masterpiece, I think this succeeds quite well. Obviously Rebecca Eaton knows what she's talking about and she explains the business side of things clearly. She's conversational, praises various successes and owns up to mistakes as well. I do think it is rather silly that Downton Abbey gets the last three chapters. I know that it's a BIG deal and I'm sure they wanted to entice readers with plenty of Downton talk, but if your book is about Masterpiece as a whole, let's be a little bit more balanced, okay? She hardly even wrote anything in one of those chapters because it was all quotes from Downton people. But anyway, I learned a lot about Masterpiece so in that way I can't complain.
As a memoir, I think this works only about halfway, mostly because she stops talking about her personal life for the second half of the book. She did a fine job of interweaving the two branches up to that point so I'm not sure why she dropped it halfway. In the first half she talks about the conflict of working and missing her daughter's childhood--did this extend to her teenage years? What are her thoughts about it now that her daughter is grown? She throws out at the very end that she's getting divorced--what were the origins of that decision? It's not that I want to pry or be nosy (though I am nosy), but the autobiographical aspect felt incomplete. Maybe she became a workaholic and consequently had no personal life?
Memorable quotes:
"Watching mysteries on television provides a feeling that says all's right with the world; now at least one of life's unanswered questions is settled: that's who did it.
"Phyllis [P.D. James] says: 'The mystery is an affirmation of a moral law that murder is wrong but men are responsible for their own deeds; and however difficult the problem, there is a solution. All this, I think, is rather comforting in an age of pessimism and anxiety.'"--p. 72
"...a good idea is only the beginning of a very long haul..."--p. 177
"'With drama, all the time, you're trying to think of tension. I always say that one of the hardest things to dramatize is happiness. That's why, in the old days, Hollywood films ended with the marriage and the kiss--because the drama was over.'"--Julian Fellowes, p. 238
"'I don't have time for writer's block; I just have to get on, because I've made so many commitments. Sometimes you write stuff, and it doesn't seem any good, and you chuck it out; but you have to keep churning it out. If you want to be a writer for your living, and you're not just working on your book in the attic, you have to be grown up about it and not wait until you're in the mood. You can't afford that. Usually, if you go for a walk, you can come back with an idea of where you go next.'"--Julian Fellowes, p. 253
(Previously on By the Book: Austen, Dickens, Hardy)
I've never met a Brontë book I didn't like, and there are a lot of adaptations to pick from too. Some are excellent, some are okay and there are some really crummy ones as well. Diversity! Like Pride and Prejudice, there seems to be new versions of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre every few years, and I will readily watch them all. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Anne.
Anne Brontë:
The Tennant of Wildfell Hall: This is the only book of Anne's that I've read and the plot is, well, certainly not a cheery one. But like with her sisters' novels, things turn out okay after all the terrible things happen. Anyway, the miniseries from 1996 is appropriately dark and, funnily enough, features more than one actor from OTHER recent Brontë adaptations.
Cast cross overs: Toby Stephens, Tara Fitzgerald, Pam Ferris, James Purefoy
HP bonus: Pam Ferris
Emily Brontë:
Wuthering Heights: Oh, how I love this book. It's so bleak and full of overwrought emotions and terrible people. But it also has some decent characters as well and a satisfying ending--elements that are sometimes cut completely out of some adaptations. And really, WHAT is the point of doing only the first half of the book and leaving off all the nice things? Anyway. There are OODLES of movies to choose from and most of them are lame. HAH. Just kidding, sort of.
The earliest version is from 1939 with Laurence Olivier. Confession: I made it ten minutes into this one and then turned my nose up at it. I should probably go back and finish it sometime.
There's another black and white version from 1967 with Ian McShane. It is awful. Just awful. Bad acting, bad wigs, no music, constant wind and Ian McShane throws away the best lines too. While it does do the whole book, the same actress plays both Catherines and that never works for me. Skip it!
Timothy Dalton pops up in a version from 1970 and it is also not very good. Any version that stops at the end of the first generation gets a thumbs down from me.
The 1992 theatrical adaptation with Ralph Fiennes is one of the better ones. I think Ralph Fiennes is the best part, and again, I don't like that Juliette Binoche plays both Catherines. Still, it's a good shorter version that spans the whole novel.
The 1998 Masterpiece is my favorite by far! It is basically perfect. Okay, I may be biased since it's the first one I saw (and was my first exposure to the story), but I just love it and have watched it SO many times. The cast is spot on, the moors are desolate and it's all perfectly depressing dreary. I wish it were a little longer, just so it could include a bit more, but as it is, it's the best. (Plus it has my favorite movie kiss of all!)
If you can believe it, MTV made a modernized version in 2003. I actually remember it being not as bad as I expected, but even so...
Masterpiece made yet another version in 2009, and it is fine--I mean, it tells the whole story and it's pretty and what have you. My main issue is that I don't care for the cast--Catherine is too delicately pretty, younger Catherine is a whiner and, while I like Tom Hardy in some things, I don't buy him as Heathcliff.
The latest version, from 2011, is another theatrical one, and is probably the worst of all. Aside from some serious content issues, they chopped the story off halfway and made some really perplexing artistic decisions. For instance, why age-up the Heathcliff and Cathy actors but not Hindley? This one came off as hollow and passionless, despite the added, ahem, passion.
1939 cast cross over: Laurence Olivier
1970 cast cross over: Timothy Dalton
1992 cast cross over: Jeremy Northam, Jonathan Firth
HP Bonus: Ralph Fiennes
1998 cast cross over: Matthew MacFadyen, Crispin Bonham Carter
2009 cast cross over: Tom Hardy, Burn Gorman
Whew!
Charlotte Brontë:
Jane Eyre: Who doesn't love Jane Eyre? Again, lots of awful things happen but it all turns out well in the end. Those Brontës certainly loved their drama (I bet they would have loved Thomas Hardy). Like with Wuthering Heights, there are a number of Jane Eyre options and several are even good!
I grew up watching the 1983 version with Timothy Dalton, and honestly, aside from the soap opera effect, it holds up surprisingly well. Pretty much any fondness I have for Timothy Dalton stems from this.
The 1996 theatrical version is pretty good, though it's kind of forgettable for me. I say this because I've seen it several times but I still can't remember much about it. I don't think William Hurt was born to play Mr. Rochester, but he gets by. Also, Elle Macpherson? Zuh?
A&E made a version in 1997. Um, I made it fifteen minutes in. Sorry, Ciaran Hinds.
2006 brought a new Masterpiece version, and it is my favorite. Toby Stephens is probably a bit too young for the part, but he's very likable, in a grumpy Mr. Rochester kind of way. Also I think Ruth Wilson is fantastic and the best Jane by far. I think it's easy for Jane to come off as bland, but in this she's got some (well-mannered) fire in her.
And finally, there was another theatrical release in 2011. This is another one that did not leave much of an impression on me. The age difference here was a *bit* too much for me, and while I liked her in Alice in Wonderland, I didn't care for Mia Wasikowska as Jane. But hey, I never turn down a new Jane Eyre.
1983 cast cross over: Timothy Dalton
1996 cast cross overs: Amanda Root, Samuel West, Fiona Shaw (Persuasion reunion!)
HP Bonus: Fiona Shaw
1997 cast cross overs: Gemma Jones, Ciaran Hinds, Samantha Morton
HP Bonus: Ciaran Hinds, Gemma Jones
2006 cast cross overs: Toby Stephens, Tara Fitzgerald, Pam Ferris, Francesca Annis
HP Bonus: Pam Ferris
2011 cast cross over: Sally Hawkins
The moral(s) of this post: 1998 Wuthering Heights. 2006 Jane Eyre. Avoid Ian McShane at all costs.
(Previously on By the Book: Austen)
I love Charles Dickens. I haven't read all of his books (hah!) but I've loved each and every one I have read. He was a true master of the English language. Fortunately, he has been treated pretty well by the miniseries makers of the world.
Oliver Twist:
I love the 1995 version. It has a good cast all around, but Andy
Serkis as Bill Sikes is especially terrifying. Masterpiece did another
one in 2007, which is certainly worth a watch but not superior. What isn't worth watching is the 2005 theatrical version, which bored me to tears.
1995 cast cross over: Michael Kitchen, Keira Knightley, Alun Armstrong, Sophia Myles, Andy Serkis, Robert Lindsay
2007 cast cross over: Tom Hardy, Timothy Spall, Edward Fox
HP bonus: Timothy Spall
Nicholas Nickleby: The 2002 theatrical adaptation (brought to you by the same director of Gwyneth's Emma) is my favorite. It has the same liveliness of Emma and a fun cast. The miniseries version of 2001 is also a good one, but not as much fun. Frankly, I have trouble remembering it, but I've only seen it once.
2002
cast cross over: Romola Garai, Timothy Spall, Juliet Stevenson, Alan
Cumming, Edward Fox, Sophie Thompson, Jamie Bell, Tom Courtenay, Philip
Davis
2001 cast cross over: Sophia Myles, Charles Dance, Pam Ferris, Tom Hollander
HP Bonuses: Timothy Spall, Sophie Thompson, Pam Ferris
David Copperfield:
Masterpiece's 1999 version is all you need. A bonus is that it
features a wee Daniel Radcliffe in his pre-Harry Potter days. The downside is that the adult David is, um, well. Not cute. I admit I've always been
curious about the 2000 version that features Anthony Andrews and, I
hear, significant plot changes.
Cast cross over: Alun Armstrong, Emilia Fox, Pauline Quirke, Imelda Staunton, Cherie Lunghi, Ian McNeice, Oliver Milburn, Harry Lloyd
HP Bonus: Imelda Staunton, Maggie Smith, Zoë Wanamaker, Daniel Radcliffe, Dawn French
*Gandalf Bonus
Bleak House:
Bleak House!!!!!! The 2005 version is my favorite miniseries of all--it's
intricate, dramatic and rather gloomy, while still having its moments of
humor and, naturally, a vast array of interesting characters. Also, I
must say that Gillian Anderson is glorious in it. Glorious! Also, Guppy. (And seriously, how crazy is it that the cast features Dana Scully and Wedge Antilles??)
Cast cross over:
EVERYONE. Including: Anna Maxwell Martin, Denis Lawson, Carey Mulligan,
Charles Dance, Burn Gorman, Nathaniel Parker, Gillian Anderson, Philip
Davis, Alun Armstrong, Joanna David
HP Bonus: Richard Griffiths
Little Dorrit: I'm not super into Little Dorrit,
but I never turn down a good Dickens adaptation. The 2008 is a very
good one, even if the story doesn't hook me as much as his others.
Cast cross over: Matthew MacFadyen, Tom Courtenay, Alun Armstrong, Andy Serkis, Bill Patersen, Pam Ferris, Georgia King, Anton Lesser
HP Bonus: Pam Ferris
A Tale of Two Cities: The miniseries from 1989 is one of my favorites. Although, really, there's not many to choose from. Even though it's a little dated and Sydney and Charles really look nothing alike, it's still pretty much perfect. Of course it helps that the source material is excellent.
Great Expectations: I love the 1999 Masterpiece version. It has a great cast and I love the look of it--it's kind of sparse and lonely looking. The more recent Masterpiece version from 2011 is all right, but I think the only thing to really recommend it is Gillian Anderson as Ms. Havisham. Disney also did a version in 1989 that is worth watching also. I'm looking forward to the 2012 movie, which gets huge HP bonus points.
1989 cast cross over: Anthony Calf
1999 cast cross over: Ioan Gruffudd, Justine Waddell, Daniel Evans, Lesley Sharp, Clive Russell
*
Emperor Palpatine bonus
2011 cast cross over: Gillian Anderson, David Suchet, Harry Lloyd
Our Mutual Friend: The version from 1999 is kind of a lesser-known gem. It has a fantastic cast, as well as the web of a plot that Dickens does better than anyone. Plus you will learn so much about dust heaps! :D
Cast cross over: Paul McGann, Keeley Hawes, Peter Vaughn, Pam Ferris, Timothy Spall, Anthony Calf, Steven Mackintosh, David Morrissey*
HP Bonus: Pam Ferris, David Bradley
*His role is the reason I can never think well of him as Col. Brandon in Sense and Sensibility. *recoils*
Misc.: My preferred A Christmas Carol (the runner up is, um, Mickey's Christmas Carol), and there have been good adaptations of The Old Curiosity Shop and the unfinished Mystery of Edwin Drood recently as well.
Growing up, we watched a lot of miniseries--or at least a couple different ones many times, often while working on sewing projects. So maybe my return to sewing is to blame for my recent rewatching of a number of miniseries and, consequently, this post. Which is all about miniseries and which ones I think are best. And here my opinion is law!
Originally I thought I could somehow include all the titles in one blog post, but that soon went out of the window--there are so many! So I'm starting with Jane Austen. If we're being technical, not all of these are miniseries--some are theatrical--but I'm going to lump them all together. I also noted any cast members that reappear in the lists, just for fun (it's by no means exhaustive). What's the point of watching a British miniseries if you don't spend half the time recognizing the cast from other miniseries? There are also bonus points for featuring members of the Harry Potter cast. Just because.
Sense & Sensibility: I think Emma Thompson's 1995 adaptation is clearly the best version. It has such a wonderful cast and great wit. Naturally some things from the book were sacrificed for time, but this one gets the spirit of the thing. (Even if all the cast is totally too old.)
Cast cross over: Robert Hardy, Imelda Staunton, Elizabeth Spriggs, Gemma Jones
HP Bonus: Robert Hardy, Imelda Staunton, Emma Thompson, Elizabeth Spriggs, Alan Rickman, Gemma Jones
The 2008 PBS miniseries is, for me, kind of uninspired. But I do think it's worth watching at least once, if only because it includes some elements the other leaves out (like Miss Steele, who was one of my favorite parts of the book). And if you're one of those Downton people, there's plenty of Dan Stevens.
Pride & Prejudice: We all know the 1995 version is the king here (even though the cast is too old).
I grew up watching the 1980 version, and if the soap opera effect of that era weren't so distracting now, I would probably still find it pretty enjoyable. As for the 2005 movie, I think it's also a great adaptation, especially for a shortened version (and the cast is all the right age!). Each of these version offers something a little different, particularly in the interpretations of Mr. Darcy. Of course, if you're going for something less literary, there's always Bride and Prejudice and the Mormony version as well. I suppose I should mention the 1940 version, but only to say that I don't really care about it...hah.
1995 cast cross over: Anthony Calf, Crispin Bonham Carter, Emilia Fox, Joanna David
1980 cast cross over: David Rintoul
2005 cast cross over: Matthew MacFadyen, Rosamund Pike, Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, Tom Hollander
Mansfield Park: I have never really been into this story for some reason, and it's her only book I've never read. Of the two versions I've seen, I suppose I prefer the 1999 theatrical one, but I'm sure the 2007 miniseries is more complete.
1999 cast cross over: James Purefoy, Justine Waddell, Amelia Warner, Hugh Bonneville, Sophia Myles, Jonny Lee Miller
Emma: I love the 1996 Gwyneth Paltrow version best, by far. It's ever so pretty and funny and I want all of her dresses. The cast is so lively, and did I mention it's pretty?
The TV version with Kate Beckinsale (also 1996) is probably more accurate (ie, less pretty), but I've never loved it. The 2009 version with Romola Garai is a longer alternative I say, but really, all you need is Gwyneth.
1996 cast cross over: Sophie Thompson, Polly Walker, Juliet Stevenson, Alan Cumming, Jeremy Northam
1996 cast cross over: Samantha Morton
2009 cast cross over: Romola Garai, Michael Gambon, Jonny Lee Miller, Jodhi May
HP Bonus: Michael Gambon
Northanger Abbey: The latest version from 2007 is kind of the winner by default, but it's enjoyable. The one from 1987 is kind of a hoot though, if only for its soundtrack that features saxophones.
2007 cast cross over: Carey Mulligan
1987 cast cross over: Robert Hardy
HP Bonus: Robert Hardy
Persuasion: The 1995 version is pretty much perfect, I say. It's dim and quiet, which suits the book so well. I know the 2007 adaptation is pretty popular, but I just don't care for it that much. It's not bad by any means, but I don't love the cast.
1995 cast cross over: Ciaran Hinds, Samuel West, Sophie Thompson, Amanda Root
HP Bonus: Fiona Shaw, Sophie Thompson
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