bbc1 9pm In pursuit of love.

DH and I watched it and really enjoyed it. I loved the energy of the production, the music,the costumes and the humour.
I feel that anyone expecting it to be "played straight" would find it difficult to enjoy.
BTW why was the word "mantelpiece" considered to be Non-U and what should one have called it?

It’s refreshing to see how different we all are! Life would be boring if we all liked the same things. I enjoyed this drama. I had read the book, but one always has to accept that films and TV programmes based on books are “adaptations”. Over the years we have seen many Shakespeare plays at Stratford - several versions of Midsummer Nights Dream, for example, with each one being very different. I always think it’s a good idea to be open to new ideas, new artworks, new writing. I found this adaptation to be lively, colourful and interesting.

I watched it, but wasn't 'hooked'. I might watch further episodes but won't regret it if I miss some. I think Lily James is a fine actor but wasted on the feather-brained Linda.

mrswoo

DH and I watched it and really enjoyed it. I loved the energy of the production, the music,the costumes and the humour.
I feel that anyone expecting it to be "played straight" would find it difficult to enjoy.
BTW why was the word "mantelpiece" considered to be Non-U and what should one have called it?

I believe the U version of ‘mantelpiece’ is ‘chimneypiece’. I have never heard anyone say it.

I believe the U version of ‘mantelpiece’ is ‘chimneypiece’. I have never heard anyone say it
No, me neither - we obviously don’t move in the right circles!

Does a mantelpiece have a drape over it (like a bird of prey mantling it’s prey) and a chimney piece not have a drape?

Isn’t a mantel the wood or stone piece spanning the fireplace, to support the wall above?

I just read that it’s decorative and surrounds the fireplace.

I think you had to be in the right mood for it.

I wasn't.

Four people in my circle watched and hated it, none of us are going to watch the rest
Yes we re all different and it’s certainly divided us on here no half measures we ve either hated it or loved it Good job we don’t all go to the cinema together ???

Lillie

To me it was exagerated and shallow.

That's the point though. Plus it's based on real people who actually did a lot of the thi gs NM wrote about!
There really was 'a bolter'!!
I'm reading about her now.
Loved Freddie fox, the blond fop.
The biggest problem for me was LJ had very little expression on her face. A pouty bottom lip to show childish ness. Or an open mouth to express e erythi g from surprise to annoyance, and other emotions to many to mention.
No narrowing of the eyes, raising of the eyebrows etc.
Rendered it necessary for her to try other ways, which were less effective.

Jessica Mitford’s book ‘Hons and Rebels’ shows that the family were quite bonkers and very much as portrayed, their father behaved just as Uncle Matthew in this production.

I can’t watch LJ without shouting trollop or DW without something more colourful! His poor wife must have felt sick last night

Does anyone remember the adaptation of I Capture the Castle from a few years ago. And( my favourite) Cold Comfort Farm?

The Cold Comfort farm adaptation was brilliant. We have it on DVD and also the Judi Dench / Michael Aldridge Pursuit of Love from 1980.
I thought the one last night was an absolute travesty. It completely lost the subtlety and nuances of the book and contributed nothing in terms of insight into the characters. Brash, vulgar and distasteful. ?

I've only just read a bit about it.
Are they together now, or did it bite the dust?

Sorry that was for mimipoppetnanna

Cold Comfort Farm. Rufus Sewell, Kate Beckinsale, Freddie Jones, Joanna Lumley and Stephen Fry all in one adaptation. I had it on video but, not surprisingly, I never got it back. It was superb!

How many hands up for bringing "The Glittering Prizes " back another iconic series in my view.

MayBee70 the DVD of Cold Comfort Farm is £8.99 on Amazon.
Yes, I would love the see The Glittering Prizes again. (Just seen that is on Amazon too).

The chimney piece is apparently the hood which sticks out and draws the smoke up the chimney. The mantel is the shelf over the fire place. Presumably stately homes had chimney pieces but not necessarily mantels - they were a more middle class housing development, so mantelpiece was non-u.

Loved the book and the 1980s adaptation with Judi Dench. They drew you in to the quirky strange world of the Radlett.

This production seems to be determined to keep the audience at arms length. There's something patronising about it.

And beautiful and talented as she is, I'm tired of seeing Lily James in everything. She really has become over exposed.

Just catching up on my mantelpiece query. Thanks to everyone who responded for their interesting answers.

I am definitely from a lower class - not only have I got a mantelpiece it is above the most useless coal effect gas fire. In my defence we acquired it when we moved here and it looks nice even if it fails to give out any warmth.

I just remembered The Overmantles from The Borrowers so I googled them. ‘They lived on the drawing room mantlepiece. They were snobbish and given to airs but Homily pitied them because they were forced to live on breakfast food and often went hungry’. The impoverished rich by the sound of it!

I am definitely from a lower class - not only have I got a mantelpiece it is above the most useless coal effect gas fire. In my defence we acquired it when we moved here and it looks nice even if it fails to give out any warmth.

We have the same - a mantelpiece and a coal effect fire. We have no defence at all as we installed the fire (not the mantelpiece) so we are most definitely non-U and common as muck.