Love for Lydia (1977– )

This thirteen-part series explores just how painful love can be for young people. Would-be writer Edward Richardson is in love with heiress Lydia Aspen and wants her all to himself. Lydia ... See full summary »

Stars:

Mel Martin, Christopher Blake, Beatrix Lehmann

6 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Mel Martin	...	Lydia Aspen (13 episodes, 1977)
Christopher Blake	...	Richardson (10 episodes, 1977)
Beatrix Lehmann	...	Aunt Bertie (7 episodes, 1977)
Ralph Arliss	...	Blackie Johnson (7 episodes, 1977)
Peter Davison	...	Tom Holland (7 episodes, 1977)
Michael Aldridge	...	Captain Rollo Aspen (7 episodes, 1977)
Christopher Hancock	...	Mr. Richardson (7 episodes, 1977)
Sherrie Hewson	...	Nancy Holland (7 episodes, 1977)
Patricia Leach	...	Mrs. Richardson (7 episodes, 1977)
Jeremy Irons	...	Alex Sanderson (6 episodes, 1977)
Rachel Kempson	...	Aunt Juliana (6 episodes, 1977)
Wendy Gifford	...	Mrs. Sanderson (6 episodes, 1977)
Ruby Head	...	Lily the Maid (6 episodes, 1977)

Storyline

This thirteen-part series explores just how painful love can be for young people. Would-be writer Edward Richardson is in love with heiress Lydia Aspen and wants her all to himself. Lydia professes to be in love with him, but her first love is excitement. There are several other young men who vie with Richardson for Lydia's affection, and she sends mixed signals to them all, playing them off against each other, sometimes with dire results. At least that's the way Richardson sees things, but it's not the whole story.

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Plot Keywords:

heiress | period piece | 1920s | wealth | costume drama | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 September 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ik hou van Lydia

Filming Locations:

Carew Manor School, Church Road, Beddington, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

London Weekend Television (LWT)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

780 min 780 min (13 parts)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Bates, the son of H.E. Bates, was replaced as producer by Tony Wharmby

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Connections

Referenced in The Kidnappers (1999)

User Reviews

A miniseries that captures the book perfectly

This excellent series was brought to American TV audiences on PBS' "Masterpiece Theatre" in 1979, two years after it first was aired in Great Britain. I saw it then, bought the book by H.E. Bates, and later purchased the DVD set. This is a superb adaptation of a subtle literary work on British pastoral life, the many segments of the series giving adequate time to fully bring out the nuance of the book. It has encouraged me to visit England many times to savor the beauty of the countryside and small town charm. I think the author would have been very pleased to see how well his book had been adapted for television, and sadly he died just a few years before the project was completed.

Mel Martin and Christopher Blake give touching performances, and it is sad to see that Christopher Blake has died in 2004 while only in his mid-50's. You get to see Jeremy Irons do some fine work long before he earned his Oscar. Peter Davison is also excellent, before he became famous in "All Creatures Great and Small" and "Dr. Who." The distinguished older actors and actresses in this production remind us of the enormous pool of talent that can be found in Great Britain, where noted stage stars frequently appear in television dramas. I highly recommend this DVD set.