PERIOD DRAMA NEWS: OLD FRIENDS AND NEW ACQUAINTANCES COMING SOON

1. GENTLEMAN JACK: SURANNE JONES + SALLY WAINWRIGHT + VICTORIAN ENGLAND

Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster, Save Me, Scott & Bailey)  and  Sally Wainwright (To Walk Invisible, Last Tango In Halifax, Happy Valley) are due on set together again to shoot Gentleman Jack, a coproduction BBC/HBO. Of course, Suranne Jones will lead the cast as the protagonist while Sally Wainwright will sign the screenplay and will direct the 8-part series.

If you love good TV drama you should at least be as excited as me. But if, like me,  you are also a period drama lover, you should be on seventh heaven since this new series is set in 1832.

It’s the story of Anne Lister (Suranne Jones), a remarkable landowner who - after years of exotic travel and social climbing - returns to Halifax, West Yorkshire, determined to transform the fate of her faded ancestral home, Shibden Hall.

OCTOBER WATCHING, READING, TEACHING, LIVING

1. WATCHING - Don't you love Sunday nights?

Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark

Most people hate Sunday nights since the weekend is over and the idea of starting a new working week is not easy to tackle. But I'm lucky enough to have found not one but two perfect antidotes in the recent weeks and I don't mind sharing them with you. This is how I face the ugly truth: Monday you do not scare me!  I prepare all my lesson plans and do my paperwork in advance, which I usually do at night, so that I can sit as comfortably as I can, turn the TV on and 1) enjoy Poldark's 18th century Cornish adventures on BBC 1 then 2) swoon on Victoria and Albert's 19th century royal romance on ITV +1. The result is I head to bed something like this  ...

... mesmerized! And who cares it'll be Monday in few hours!

Why are these series such safe havens? Too long to explain, but I'm sure you can understand. I am so grateful to UK TV for giving us such great period drama series.

PERIOD & MORE PERIOD: POLDARK IS BACK - ARE YOU IN FOR SOME MORE CORNISH DELIGHTS AND BITTERSWEET DRAMA?

Autumn usually brings new series and new shows on TV.  Summer is going to end soon, this means we must get ready to some excitement. Are you waiting for anything in particular? Excited for any of the coming-soon shows? 

I'm writing about mine, ok? What about sharing yours in the comments section? Too many question marks here! To the point! 

What about Poldark series two? Isn't that something worth some enthusiasm? After the cliffhanger we were left with at the end of series one, I can't wait? Have you read the books meanwhile? Or re-watched the episodes of the first season? 

Too many question marks again! Time for real news, now. Here is some info from the BBC Press Media Center website. Beware of some spoilers!

Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark and Eleanor Tomlinson as his wife Demelza are back on BBC One this September 4 at 9pm . The debut series peaked with 9.4 million viewers across TV and iPlayer, generating phenomenal media interest and devotion from viewers which culminated in it winning the Radio Times Audience Award at this year’s Baftas.

BACK FROM HELL - ROOM & THIRTEEN

I happened to watch the film Room and start watching the BBC 3 drama series Thirteen on the same day and the similarity of the topic they dealt with inevitably struck me. Both stories tell of young women coming back from hell. The hell of being abducted and taken captives  by manipulating, devious bastards. 

In both stories the focus is on the psychological aspect of being back to an ordinary life, the stress and the distress of being unable to fit or cope any longer. In both cases viewers delve into the protagonists' traumatic homecoming learning how difficult it is to victims to go back to normality. Very little or nothing is actually revealed of the horrors of their respective periods of captivity as victims of sexual abuse so, don't expect a claustrophobic, haunting experience while watching, if you decide to. It could be much more an occasion to see our ordinary lives in a boundless world and in total control with different eyes. 

PERIOD & MORE PERIOD - WAR, PEACE AND A RESTLESS PRINCE

Are you watching War and Peace? 

I am and I like it so much!  I knew I had to wait on a bit to understand if I could love or hate this adaptation of Tolstoj's masterpiece, because I was not particularly enthusiastic at the end of  its premiere. But episode after episode,  I started appreciating the cast, the locations, the performances and the rendition of a story I already knew quite a lot about.  I read the book (war scenes included!) a few years ago, what about you? Have you succeeded in going through the whole thick volume?

The Russian Darcy

Have you got a favourite character? I have and I guess he is a favourite of many. Andrew Davies, who adapted and sexed-up the novel for the small  screen, defined Prince Bolkonsky as the Russian Darcy, and who better than Mr Davies would recognize a Darcy-like hero? Brooding and restless, reckelss and complicated he is perfect new addition to our gallery of romantic, charming heroes, isn't he? 

PERIOD & MORE PERIOD - A VERY PERIOD CHRISTMAS TIME

I'm so happy this holiday season will be pretty special.  It'll be a very period Christmas time, you know? Period as in period drama, great costume series, unforgettable emotions. Here's my holiday period calendar, which I'm glad to share with all of you. Are you ready? Bookmark this post or take notes, if you are a period drama freak like me! (for more info about the shows, click on the links below the pictures)

25th December 2015 - Call the Midwife Christmas Special 7.30 p.m. on BBC1

25th December  2015 - Downton Abbey Christmas Special and final episode ... for good! Tissues ready. ITV 1 9 p.m.

PERIOD & MORE PERIOD - SCANDALOUS LIVES FROM THE PAST

BBC spicies up and bets on period drama after their huge hit show,   Poldark, set on a popular literary saga set in 18th century Cornwall and starring Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson.  Their unbeatable recipe seems to include sex, great literature, awesome costumes, stunning locations and, last but not least, brilliant casting, I mean,  handsome, talented, popular, familiar faces. 

The three BBC productions showcased in this post - two upcoming ones and one just broadcast - focus on very unconventional lives and openly deal with sex: The Scandalous Lady, Lady Chatterley's Lover and Life in Squares.

PERIOD & MORE PERIOD - WHO'S THE ROMANTIC HERO OF YOUR HEART? JAMIE FRASER OR ROSS POLDARK?

Sighs and swooning out there? Yes, I know. I've seen polls spring up all over the Net and wasn't surprised at all.  Ross or Jamie? Aidan or Sam? Poldark or Outlander? Cornwall or Scotland?
Starz Outlander and BBC One Poldark are the two hit period drama series of the moment. Blending adventure and romance, historical fiction and stunning locations, talent and beauty they have got legions of passionate fans all over the world. These fans are quite vocal and convey their enthusiasm in their tweets, facebook pages and their blogs, they read or re-read the books on which the series are based, they discuss them in groups, they create fan-fiction and gadgets, they make friends and have fun gathering together. They love the stories and all the characters in them, they are fond of the locations and costumes, they are intrigued by the twists and turns, watch and re-watch their favourite scenes, learn by heart their favourite lines but ... let's be honest ... the main reason of their passionate interest is their fondness for the two gorgeous, fascinating, dashing heroes: James Alexander Malcom MacKenzie Fraser and Captain Ross Poldark.

HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY, NORTH AND SOUTH!

Can a TV series touch your heart and change your life? Nooo? You can only say that if  you haven't seen this one. I would have answered "no" myself before watching  it  by chance  a  few years ago. Unbelievable but true, this is what this miniseries did to thousands of viewers all over the world. If I had only suspected what a turning point   BBC NORTH AND SOUTH, would be in my life... I would have watched it earlier! Instead, I discovered  it only in the summer 2008 and it , incredibly, actually changed my life.
Exaggerating? Not a bit. I know the same happened to so many! Which other costume series had such an extraordinary response? Pride and Prejudice 1995, of course. But not many others.

Enthusiastic fans, hundreds of them, overwhelmed the BBC Drama message boards with messages about the series and,  in particular, its hero. Soon the BBC had to set up a separate message board for the discussions. The phenomenon of so many women taking to an Internet message board for the first time because of their love for this programme became the subject of an article by Anne Ashworth in The Times. She wrote: 

The BBC Drama website contains the outpourings of hundreds of thirty and fortysomething women for this year’s romantic hero. He is John Thornton, the northern millowner in Mrs Gaskell’s North & South, recently serialised on BBC One. Thornton was played smoulderingly by the previously little-known Richard Armitage as a blue-eyed, dark-haired stunner, the Darcy de nos jours. On the messageboard, character and actor merge into one object of desire: RA/JT (from http://www.richardarmitageonline.com/) 

THE CRIMSON FIELD. A REVIEW BY R .L. BARTRAM, AUTHOR OF 'DANCE THE MOON DOWN'

The Crimson Field  - BBC1 drama

Have you seen The Crimson Field on BBC1? I have and I liked it a lot. Anyhow it is not my review  you are going to read but Robert L. Bartram's , author of Dance the Moon Down, who is an expert of WW1 and historical fiction.  Robert doesn't agree at all with my enthusiasm,  but this doesn't mean I can't appreciate his point of view and his analysis. Read his guest post and, please, feel free to share your opinion on the show in the comment section. 

As a writer of historical fiction who has spent the last five years immersed in the facts of the Great War, I’m always interested when anything new appears in this genre and curious to see if anyone has discovered a different way of approaching it.

The latest offering is the BBC’s production of The Crimson Field written by Sarah Phelps. It’s a story of the nurses in the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VADS) serving at a frontline field hospital in France during WW1. Nothing new so far, nevertheless a worthy subject and a golden opportunity to celebrate one of the many roles women performed during the Great War, most especially as this is its centenary year.

PERIOD & MORE PERIOD: REIGN, JAMAICA INN AND NEW WORLDS

Reign: when history becomes a fairy-tale

This series recently wrapped at its 22nd episode after being on US CW Network for months . Though far from being historically accurate, Reign kept faith to the gist of the true history of Queen Mary Stuart and her life at the French court,  as the betrothed of Prince Francis, Dauphin of France. The two royals  were actually married for one year, until he died very young of an infection.

It is a smart series that winkles at teenage  and young audiences with   captivating photography, a somewhat-anachronistic soundtrack, doll-faced actors and actresses, intriguing love stories and a bit of sex, supernatural events and magic, wicked villains and gorgeous costumes. I am definitely not intended demographic, but I liked it,  anyhow. Well acted and well written, the show caught me at first sight.

ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL, THE MUSKETEERS CHARMED US ALL

Luke Pasqualino & Howard Charles on set for series 2

Sorry for the silly rhyme but isn't that true? Those four charming guys with their swords, leather-clad looks, stilish beards and moustache have conquered us all: women and men, children and grown up. BBC The Musketeers series 1 has recently wrapped up with a very positive outcome, both high viewing figures and enthusiastic acknowledgements rewarded production, cast and crew for their good job. 

Luke Pasqualino (D'Artagnan), Santiago Cabrera (Aramis), Tom Burke (Athos) and Howard Charles (Porthos) are back on set in Prague these days , shooting series two, with Tamla Kari (Constance),  Maimie McCoy (Milady), Alexandra Dowling (Queen Ann), Ryan Gage (King Louis) and Hugo Speer (Captain Treville). We won't see Cardinal Richelieu back at court apparently, since Peter Capaldi has started shooting Doctor Who new adventures.

READY FOR THE DUEL? THE MUSKETEERS VS MR SELFRIDGE

Dear classic and period drama lovers,

Have you enjoyed Downton Abbey latest season? And what about Death Comes to Pemberley? I really loved them both. Don't you feel a little bit orphaned after the smartest  Sherlock series ever on screen ended last Sunday?  Brilliant,  wasn't it?

Well, this is a blessed time for us. I don't know if we are allowed to hope it'll last long, since period and costume drama series cost quite a lot and even brilliant productions have been cut off  recently. Anyhow, let's seize the moment and stop worrying for what may come.

Just today a new costume series set in 17th century premieres on BBC One. D'Artagnan and his dashing musketteers are back, ready to refresh their roguish fame in the memory of old nostalgic fans as well as to capture the enthusiasm of young new adventure lovers. BBC One's  The Musketeers has been planned as a 10-episode series, was shot in Prague and is co-produced by BBC America.

Fancy a closer look to the new, charming, Sunday night heroes?

HAPPY (PERIOD) CHRISTMAS! DOWNTON ABBEY SPECIAL & DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY

Happy Christmas Time, everyone and all! It'll be a happy time, I'm sure, especially for  my fellow period drama fan friends. 

Aren't you as excited as I am to know we'll find these very precious gifts under our Christmas trees?

I'm thinking of Downton Abbey Christmas Special which airs on ITV 1 tonight, 25 December,  in the U.K.  (season 4 premieres in the U.S. Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014). Are you ready for the  two- hour special episode? 

Shirley MacLaine will be back as Cora's mother and Paul Giamatti will join the cast as her brother. The episode will also feature James Fox as Lord Aysgarth, Guy Williams as King George V (the grandfather to reigning Queen Elizabeth II) and Oliver Dimsdale as the Prince of Wales (Edward VIII, Queen Elizabeth's uncle).

MAURIZIO MALAGNINI, AN ITALIAN IN PARADISE - INTERVIEW WITH THE COMPOSER OF "THE PARADISE" SOUNDTRACK

Are you enjoying The Paradise on BBC One or Masterpiece PBS? Have you noticed how beautiful its soundtrack is? My guest today is the composer of the wonderful music accompanying Denise and Moray's story. His name is Maurizio Malagnini. He  is an Italian composer based in London whose work spans drama, animation, documentaries. His music has been broadcast internationally on the main European networks BBC1, BBC2, ITV, MTV, SKY, RAI. He has produced his scores for the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, L'Ensemble dell'Opera di Roma and his own ensemble, Cinema Paradiso. 

Maurizio has composed scores for popular BBC Series such as "The Body Farm" and The Paradise (Series 1 and 2). Could this lovely costume series be the same without his brilliant score?  I’m sure you have noticed how good the soundtrack for Denise and Moray’slove story is! Are you ready to meet its composer? Welcome Maurizio Malagnini at Fly High and enjoy our little chat below. By the way, don't forget that The Paradise series 2 goes on BBC1 every Sunday night and, if you live in the US,  season 1 is going to end soon on PBS Masterpiece. 

Maurizio Malagnini rehearsing with the BBC Concert Orchestra

What’s the life of an Italian living in London like? Hard? Very hard? Not hard at all? I mean, are there things you miss terribly or can you easily cope with the differences ?

THE PARADISE: WHAT'S IN STORE FOR DENISE AND MORAY IN THE UPCOMING NEW SERIES?

Emun Elliot as John Moray

US costume drama fans will finally have the chance to make their acquaintance with the charming protagonists of BBC series The Paradise tonight, October 6,  thanks to PBS Masterpiece. Episode 1 will introduce them into the world of Mr Moray, the alluring department store he manages in Durham, a town in the North of England,  where strong-willed and ambitious Denise Lovett starts working as a shop girl. The story is loosely based  on Emile Zola's   Au Bonheur des Dames.

BBC 1 viewers,  instead, were left at the end of series 1 in November 2012 with a romantic cliffhanger and are eagerly waiting for season 2, which premiers on 20th October! (watch trailer) . And they wonder: What's in store for Denise and Moray in the new episodes? What about the Glendennings, Katherine and her father? I've tried to guess what series 2 could be like in one of my posts about this series but, apparently, I was wrong ... well,  not completely though. Now I must warn you: don't read on ,  if you mind spoilers!

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PARADISE SERIES 2? HERE'S SOMETHING TO FILL IN THE WAITING: THE CD OF THE OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK!

While watching and loving The Paradise back in autumn 2012, I immediately noticed that it had perfect music, beautiful soundtrack, didn't you? I particularly liked it and thought it was just brilliant match to the gorgeous locations, perfect costumes and gripping story-line. 

Silva Screen Records release the soundtrack for the BBC series The Paradise just today! The set includes a beautiful booklet with images from the BBC drama.

Series 1 of The Paradise was broadcast on BBC 1 from 25 September to 13 November 2012 and is now going to premiere on American PBS on  October 6th.  

No dates yet for series two on BBC1. They are still shooting it in the North of England and promised their fans series 2 for next autumn.

THE WHITE QUEEN AND A GREAT KING, RICHARD III.

The Three York Brothers: Richard, George and Edward

Regular readers of FLY HIGH! know how much I've come to love King Richard III and that I have started a personal quest in search for the real man and ruler - as opposed to Shakespeare's villain - in the latest years. After several readings and trips and journeys to England, I've become a convinced Ricardian. 

For instance, my interest in the last Plantagenet king has taken me to Leicester last month, to visit the place where his remains had been found few months earlier and even made me watch BBC The White Queen. 

THE PARADISE 2: BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTOS

Chronicle Live UK published a gallery of pictures from the set of the Paradise 2. 

THE WAR OF THE ROSES IN A MAJOR BBC DRAMA SERIES: THE WHITE QUEEN

I'm really excited for this new BBC drama series based on Philippa Gregory's novels  set during what she calls The Cousins' War , that is The War of the Roses.  THE WHITE QUEEN debuts tomorrow Sunday 16 June at 9 p.m. on BBC1 and will go on for 10 episodes. 

The 10-hour production blends in one series three of the novels by Ms Gregory: The Red Queen, The White Queen and The Kingmakers' Daughter. 

I've actually read only two of the three books and only liked the last one telling the story from Anne Neville's point of view. I'm a Ricardian, you know, and I'm really looking forward to my first Richard III in a TV series after a glimpse of him in an very old period drama I saw on Italian TV when I was a child, "La freccia nera", which was an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Black Arrow." I really hope they do him justice. We need to see him differently from what the Tudor propaganda made up and Shakespeare portrayed in his  eternal lines.