The Making of a Lady

THE MAKING OF A LADY is a 2012 ITV adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel, THE MAKING OF A MARCHIONESS. Being entirely unfamiliar with the story, I sat down to check it out, and ended up watching a television film of two parts.

The first half is an entirely conventional romance between ANY HUMAN HEART's Lydia Wilson (keeping her clothes on this time around) and Linus Roache, playing almost exactly the same role as the one in ITV'S TITANIC shown earlier this year. The look, the feel, the script, everything is familiar and safe.

The second half moves into unfamiliar territory as the plot gradually develops into a mystery/thriller, somewhere along the lines of a Wilkie Collins novel. I don't mind a bit of melodrama, but this ends up just as clichéd and predictable as the first half, albeit in a different genre. The would-be villains aren't menacing in the least and there's a pantomime feel to the whole production.

In the end, I didn't buy it. I appreciate the thought and effort that went into this, and I always like new productions of the more unfamiliar classics, but THE MARKING OF A LADY has zero style and not much else to recommend it.