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The BBC IS Tto repeat this wonderful series starting this week on BBC4, they have shown some fantastic gems over last year including THE ROADS TO FREEDOM, SUNSET SONG, HOTEL DU LAC , MOMETI MORI dare we hope for CAKES AND ALE with Michael Hordern and Judy Cornwall and THE BELL with Ian Holm and VILLETTE it is becoming increasingly obvious these still exist and have not been shredded as were told to believe! A bonus is an introduction to the series with Sian Phillips and two of the directors Moira Armstrong and Waris Hussein. Essentially these are six separate plays giving individual movements of key figures . It shows the internal squabbles within the Pankhurst family and how they would drop people who no longer agreed with their viewpoint. It's a fascinating warts and all intelligent series well worth this new viewingfifty years since first broadcast!

This is a lovely adaption of a little known Henry James novel and remarkably faithful to the novel. There are many plus points firstly the acting. As usual the BBC were very astute in casting and managed to get some of the biggest RSC actors and National theatre actors for their classic serials. Margaret Tyzack and Helen Mirren spring to mind for COUSIN BETTE , Ian Richardson and Michael Gambon for EYELESS IN GAZA to name a few. The SPOILS OF POYNTON is no different we are still enjoying Gemma Jones in GENTLEMAN JACK over 50 years ago since she appeared in this series and with Frank Finlay in the Bergman play THE LIE. Gemma does not disappoint and is stringently moving in the final episode. She is matched by PAULINE JAMESON as Mrs Gareth, there is one particular scene where she movingly talks of the works of art, the so called spoils of POYNTON, how they respond to her touch like living objects which is very moving. The costumes, script and sets are equally good if a little staged. Ian Ogilvey looking impossibly young makes a handsome young suitor as Owen. It is indeed well worth watching and very absorbing as a story. So where does it fail? Firstly I did not care for her name Fleyda Vetch a wretched name for an English girl. I also think it suffers terribly from its author's sensibilities that don't sit well at all in the twenty first century. The story starts at a party at Mona's house ( Owen's fiancée) and Mrs Gareth is very sneering of the house and it's decor which she finds vulgar. And we as the viewer are expected to share her views of the vulgar horror of their home whilst she tells Fleyda of the beauty of POYNTON. I also think modern girls of today would struggle to accept or understand Fleyda's rejection of Owen He is rich handsome and loves her what more could you ask for? He begs her and tells her he loves her and she only as to say the word and he will break off his engagement. But she will not, due to her high minded Victorian principles. What young girl today would behave like that? Indeed exasperated Mrs Gareth calls her.... YOU GOOSE YOU GOOSE and she is.

I remember this series vividly another one which the BBC made very cheaply and where it's strength lay in the solid screenplay and the wonderful acting of Peter Jeffrey ,Mona Bruce and Judy Parfitt in particular. In many ways like other classic productions of this era.it was liking watching a stage play with very few sets. There was the school classroom, the dormitories and the gardens and that was about it. So often with Hollywood productions the plain heroine is anything but yet with Judy Parfitt it was a lot more believable as indeed was Peter Jeffrey as the irascible Monsieur Paul Emmanuel. Based upon her own experiences as a student in Belgium this is a much more believable a d mature work than Jane Eyre shame it is not better known. So come on BBC you are now showing ROADS TO FREEDOM and shortly your terrific production of SUNSET SONG open your vaults and let us see MAN OF STRAW again with Derek Jacobi, CAKES AND ALE, SENTIMENTAL EDUCATION, FATHERS AND SONS, EYELESS IN GAZA and much, much, more.

The BBC are to start repeating this classic series on BBC4 from Wednesday July.27 2022! So folks set your recorders can hardly believe this is happening! A truly wonderful tv series that after 50 years I can still remember vividly. I was 15 years old at time and had never seen anything like this before. It starts with Mathieu ( Michael Bryant) being told by his mistress Marcelle ( Rosemary Leach) that she is pregnant. He is not happy feeling loosing control of his life. The music, is haunting and unforgettable as is Georgia Brown and Daniel Massey as a sadistic homosexual. The wait is over ENJOY.