Lark Rise to Candleford: Season Four Review

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(More customer reviews)English country life could never have been as poetic, pictorial, and enchanting as this dramatization of the lives of those living in and around the two 1880's towns of Lark Rise and Candleford. Even the DVD's music puts a sanguine sugarcoating on the period. All of this is to the delight of the viewer of this masterfully done TV series sure to endear any North American who has a tender video heart toward Victorian Britain. Perhaps, consider it a British mutation of "Little House on the Prairie" or "The Waltons." A more earthy twist to "Upstairs Downstairs," another Brit historical period series not to be missed.
This set has 6 episodes of the commoner Lark Rise village and the more sophisticated Candleford. The short 8-mile separation allows for much intermingling, bigotry, conflict, forbidden love, political and economic interaction. It is not a family saga, not a nobility bloodline dramatization, but a saga of struggles and lifestyles of different kinds of personalities, each caught in their own born-into world, and interacting with another different, and not always understood, class of folk.
Darling Laura Timmins (Olivia Hallinan), Lark Rise born, was sent to Candleford to learn the trade of postmistress. She is the spark caught between the two towns (sometimes world's different.) Her mentor is Dorcas (Julia Sawalha.) Plenty of past characters returning to make it a continuation in cast and story from the previous season.
The cast is an assortment of either the die-hard, disheveled, working class or the Candleford higher class, shy of nobility range. Cast individuals make this memorable.
One episode travels into the next with carryover from earlier material. If you have the time, watch all 6 back to back. TV viewers must have waited impatiently for the next installment. Episodes has multiple plots so it is hard to break down the 6 episodes into short summaries. And with carryover from one episode to another, it's more like moving to Lark Rise or Candleford and living with the good people (and the bad). A delightful scenic experience even Disney has never matched.
Ah, Queenie (Linda Bassett), an old bee keeper, a favorite of mine, will make you laugh and cry, perhaps in the same scene. She can only be upstaged by her hubby, Twister (Karl Johnson.) Love that pair. Ruby (Victoria Hamilton) is back without her man, oops. Thomas (Mark Heap) is a postal delivery man who yet helps keep Christianity alive and aloud. Laura's ma, Emma (Claudie Blakley) is here, but pa, Robert is off working elsewhere. Well, the list could go on.
Locations and sets to dream of as a vacation spot. Costumes to dazzle, delight, and disgust, depending upon the event. Every emotion you have ever felt in your past will be repeated sometime throughout this English town saga. The adapted books by Flora Thompson have never been read by this reviewer, but I can't imagine them being as fine as this TV series (and I'm a book lover). A superb British cast has perfected this story.
Subtitles? Yes!
Downside? Only 6 episodes, you'll want more.
Recommendation? BUY NOW! It's that good.
If you have not seen Series 1, 2, & 3, get those first. Watch them in order. It's worth every wee farthing.


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The residents of Lark Rise and Candleford return for a fourth season of this warm-hearted, award-winning adaptation of Flora Thompson's novels. Set at the end of the 19th century, this visually stunning hit BBC/PBS drama sees newcomer Gabriel Cochrane arrive in Candleford with a vendetta against the evil banker Steerforth, who he feels has tricked him into losing his business. Elsewhere, Dorcas makes an ill-judged intervention, Minnie becomes worried that Alfie might fall out of love with her and Emma is left in a precarious financial position.

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