In message , Sacha
writes
On 2009-07-13 16:21:59 +0100, June Hughes
said:

In message , Sacha
writes
I loved Mapp & Lucia, saw it first time around and watched it again
on DVD, then re-read the books, just for good measure. My men like
Top Gear but it makes cringe, though I do find Jeremy Clarkson's
books funny. But their behaviour on tv is just too much of the
overgrown schoolboy having fun and us paying for it. Loved Cranford
and always enjoy the Jane Austen adaptations.
Lucia is such an arch snob but I like her for all that. A very dear
friend lives near Rye, where many of the stories are set, and I love
going there. I had forgotten about the Jane Austin series' (can't
think of the plural of series atm). I rather like period drama but
after watching the Cranford DVD, I read Mrs Gaskell's book and was
surprised to find several characters and stories that were on the DVD
but not in the book.

If Lucia wasn't like that with her "un po di musica" etc. it would lose
half its fun, IMO. She was the Mrs Buckett of her time but more finely
drawn. It's their pretensions that make them both so funny and so
endearing.

Yes indeed. I have just returned from a meeting and am supposed to be
watching a DVD Barry bought called Black Books, which is the whole
series by that name. I had never heard of it before but Barry thinks it
is terrific and has watched episode one. He's expecting me to watch it
whilst he is out this evening so that we can watch the rest of the
series together. I feel like putting Lucia on now, so when he asks
whether or not I have watched Black Books, I shall blame you
--
June Hughes