"Cranford" (2007) TV mini-series

Creators:

Sue Birtwistle
Susie Conklin

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

18 November 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | England | Doctor | Gossip | Small Town

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 12 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Judi Dench	...	Miss Matty Jenkyns (6 episodes, 2007-2009)
Imelda Staunton	...	Miss Pole (6 episodes, 2007-2009)
Julia McKenzie	...	Mrs. Forrester / ... (6 episodes, 2007-2009)
Alex Etel	...	Harry Gregson (6 episodes, 2007-2009)
Deborah Findlay	...	Miss Tomkinson (6 episodes, 2007-2009)
Barbara Flynn	...	Mrs. Jamieson / ... (6 episodes, 2007-2009)
Jim Carter	...	Captain Brown (6 episodes, 2007-2009)
Claudie Blakley	...	Martha (6 episodes, 2007-2009)
Francesca Annis	...	Lady Ludlow (6 episodes, 2007-2009)
Emma Fielding	...	Miss Galindo (6 episodes, 2007-2009)
Simon Woods	...	Dr. Harrison (5 episodes, 2007)
Lisa Dillon	...	Mary Smith (5 episodes, 2007)
Rosy Byrne	...	Lizzie Hutton (5 episodes, 2007)
Kimberley Nixon	...	Sophy Hutton (5 episodes, 2007)
John Bowe	...	Dr. Morgan (5 episodes, 2007)
Selina Griffiths	...	Caroline Tomkinson (5 episodes, 2007)
Philip Glenister	...	Mr. Carter (5 episodes, 2007)
Lesley Manville	...	Mrs. Rose (5 episodes, 2007)
Hester Odgers	...	Helen Hutton (5 episodes, 2007)
Julia Sawalha	...	Jessie Brown (5 episodes, 2007)
Alex Jennings	...	Reverend Hutton (5 episodes, 2007)
Adrian Scarborough	...	Mr. Johnson (5 episodes, 2007)
Andrew Buchan	...	Jem Hearne (4 episodes, 2007)
Debra Gillett	...	Mrs. Johnson (4 episodes, 2007)
Emma Lowndes	...	Bella Gregson (4 episodes, 2007)
Hannah Stokely	...	Bessie (4 episodes, 2007)
Dean Lennox Kelly	...	Job Gregson (3 episodes, 2007)
Andrew Byrne	...	Malachi Gregson (3 episodes, 2007)
Joe McFadden	...	Jack Marshland / ... (3 episodes, 2007)
Greg Wise	...	Sir Charles Maulver (3 episodes, 2007)
Hannah Hobley	...	Bertha (3 episodes, 2007-2009)
Eileen Atkins	...	Miss Deborah Jenkyns (2 episodes, 2007)
Haydon Downing	...	Walter Hutton (2 episodes, 2007)
Alistair Petrie	...	Major Gordon (2 episodes, 2007)
Michael Gambon	...	Mr. Holbrook / ... (2 episodes, 2007)
Adam Henderson Scott	...	Assistant Auctioneer (2 episodes, 2007)
Roger Ennals	...	Mulliner (2 episodes, 2007)
Patricia Leach	...	Gypsy Woman (2 episodes, 2007)
Andrew Westfield	...	Farmer Graves (2 episodes, 2007)
Finty Williams	...	Clara Smith (2 episodes, 2007)
Imogen Byron	...	Kate (2 episodes, 2007)
Philippa Burt	...	Villager (2 episodes, 2007)

Also Known As:

Cranford Chronicles (UK) (working title)
Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

60 min (5 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Netherlands:6 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Ashridge Park, Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Sue Birtwistle found out about the novel Cranford after finishing another project. Despite liking it immensely, she felt it wasn't enough to create a drama series, so she read a large portion of Gaskell's other material, and came up with the idea of adapting three of Elizabeth Gaskell novellas into a BBC Drama series; hence Cranford. The three novels were "Cranford", "Mr Harrison's Confessions" and "My Lady Ludlow." Birtwistle and her co-creator Susie Conklin spent several weeks in Birtwistle's apartment in New York using color coded cards to piece the stories together. When writer Heidi Thomas came on board, she mentioned that they had married off someone twice.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2009) (TV)

A female "who's who" of British acting!

Not a dry eye in the house as this came to a close last night. Absolute perfection. Never has a better cast been assembled for a t.v. drama. For me, Imelda Staunton shone, with her fantastic comic timing, but they were all excellent. A departure from the usual Dickens or Austen ( which I adore) in that the plot is more episodic and less dark. There are no obvious villains and few mysteries to unravel. More of a 19th century Archers. However, the insight into the people of the time and into social history is fascinating. Some hilarious lines mixed with occasional haunting tragedy which makes you empathise with its many characters regardless of their faults. Everyone I know has been watching this and all would rate this as the best thing on t.v this year.