This production goes down as one of the worst adaptations I have ever seen. I would urge all those who have given it positive reviews to read E. F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia books, and ask themselves which is the more potent and skilfully crafted version, Benson's original, or the current BBC version. I think it would also help to compare the current version with the one produced by LWT in 1985.
The 1985 adaptation of the final three books kept faith, on the whole, with the original masterpieces, although some of the material - and subtlety - had to be left out, presumably due to dramatic and time constraints.
The 2014 offering consisted of a mishmash of threads drawn not only from the later novels set in Tilling, but also from the first one, set in Riseholme. I really can't see the point of transplanting the guru/curry cook from an earlier Riseholme story into a much later one, set in a completely different location, with different characters (apart from Lucia and Georgie). Sadly it seems to be all too fashionable these days to distort the original material to such an extent that the result becomes almost meaningless.
However, I also take issue with the quality of acting in the 2014 version. I usually admire Anna Chancellor's work, but her 'take' on Lucia I found unconvincing; it was rather two-dimensional, and paled in comparison with Geraldine McEwan's and Benson's creations. Steve Pemberton's portrayal of Georgie I found quite insipid and shallow - a charge I would level at nearly all the cast. The worst disappointment, though, was Miranda Richardson. Her representation of Elizabeth Mapp I found to be quite ridiculous, and often embarrassingly over-acted to the point of farce. I am puzzled as to how she could possibly interpret such a skilfully drawn character in this clownish way? All in all, here was a missed opportunity, and, dare I say, a waste of money. To my mind, this is a classic example of 'dumb-down TV'.
The 1985 adaptation of the final three books kept faith, on the whole, with the original masterpieces, although some of the material - and subtlety - had to be left out, presumably due to dramatic and time constraints.
The 2014 offering consisted of a mishmash of threads drawn not only from the later novels set in Tilling, but also from the first one, set in Riseholme. I really can't see the point of transplanting the guru/curry cook from an earlier Riseholme story into a much later one, set in a completely different location, with different characters (apart from Lucia and Georgie). Sadly it seems to be all too fashionable these days to distort the original material to such an extent that the result becomes almost meaningless.
However, I also take issue with the quality of acting in the 2014 version. I usually admire Anna Chancellor's work, but her 'take' on Lucia I found unconvincing; it was rather two-dimensional, and paled in comparison with Geraldine McEwan's and Benson's creations. Steve Pemberton's portrayal of Georgie I found quite insipid and shallow - a charge I would level at nearly all the cast. The worst disappointment, though, was Miranda Richardson. Her representation of Elizabeth Mapp I found to be quite ridiculous, and often embarrassingly over-acted to the point of farce. I am puzzled as to how she could possibly interpret such a skilfully drawn character in this clownish way? All in all, here was a missed opportunity, and, dare I say, a waste of money. To my mind, this is a classic example of 'dumb-down TV'.