Connie's Corner

Masterpiece Classics

Being a fan of period dramas, last night I watched the second of three episodes of Winifred Holtby's South Riding on PBS. Next Sunday, the last show will air, much too quickly for me. It is the story of a fictional seaside town in Yorkshire facing a changing world in 1934. Poignant scenes of poverty, male chauvinism, town council corruption, small-town pettiness and narrow-mindedness are vividly displayed.

Sarah, an outspoken fiery redhead, is portrayed by Anna Maxwell Martin, who starred in a adaptation of Bleak House in 2005. She brings Sarah to life as the new headmistress of Kiplington Girls High. Authentic costumes, beautiful scenery, and, of course, a love interest with a Mr. Rochester-type brought me back to watch the second episode.

The only thing I have to complain about is the pace of the television portrayal, which seems to rush through some of the plot points. M.C. used to be 90 minutes long, but since the first of this year, it has been snipped to 60...much too short for me.

Holtby's book was published after her death from kidney disease in 1936. She was only 37 years old...sad for us and her. She knew how to tell a story....

until next time....c