'Best period drama' hailed 'alternative Austen' leaves fan vowing to 'watch series always'

A cherished BBC period drama based on a collection of timeless novels is now available to stream without charge. This lavish costume production follows closely behind a "sublime" series that audiences have relished and a series Pride and Prejudice fans will love, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Audiences have previously praised the show on IMDb, with one viewer headlining their 10/10 review: "Splendid, best of the best" and continuing to say: "This was Austen, Dickens and a bit of George Eliot all together and then some. The bad people not quite as cruel as Dickens. Class System naturally present but not as pronounced and little to none of who has how many thousand pounds and the need for dowries as in Jane Austen."

They continued: "There is laughter, joy, tragedy, misunderstanding, partings, reunions, love, gained, lost, unrequited.

"What makes this a tour de force is the Cast. Every performance exceptional beyond words, Jewels both from the women and the men. So many from the treasure chest of British thespians female and male."

Another viewer gushed in their 10/10 review: "What is so satisfying about British productions of 19th century authors is that there is inevitably an ensemble cast of outstanding actors."

"They all work together from minor to major roles without letting ego or grandstanding overwhelm the story."

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Meanwhile, a third person entitled their review: "Elizabeth Gaskill [sic]... The Alternative Austen."

They shared: "Actually, I was just grateful that anyone was paying attention to Elizabeth Gaskill [sic] in the first place.

"No doubt there are those of us who adore Jane Austen but she always gets all the attention in movies and TV, what with the oodles of remakes and re releases and her immense popularity. But Gaskill [sic] is just down right hilarious to read...so hurray for the old new comer!"

They added: "There's a wealth of material here and the BBC put a lot of effort and time into making this a worthwhile production."

Another viewer penned: "Absolutely Excellent - from buttermilk to boots. There is much to love about this series. I have watched it so many times!".

"I adore the entire cast, the sets, the little village of Cranford, all of the story arcs! I will continue to watch this series always! Imelda is AMAZING!".

Another smitten fan gave another 10/10 review and titled their review: "Please Mum, Could We Have More Cranford?".

The user said: "We just sat down with our (first of many, hopefully) annual viewing of the entire Cranford cycle, and it has won an honored [sic] place in our collection of powerful, and sweet, stories of strong and loving people, in communities of both tradition and change."

Cranford first aired on the BBC in 2007 as a five-part series with only one series.

The period drama was based on the celebrated works of author Elizabeth Gaskell, specifically her three novellas Cranford, My Lady Ludlow and Mr Harrison's Confessions, which were published between 1849 and 1858.

Gaskell, often likened to Jane Austen, is equally adored, with fans clamouring for more episodes of Cranford.

The series was brought to the small screen by Call The Midwife writer Heidi Thomas, who also took inspiration from Gaskell's non-fiction piece The Last Generation in England.

Cranford delved into the lives of the women living in a fictional village in Cheshire during the 1840s, documenting their triumphs and tribulations.

The programme boasted an impressive cast, featuring Dame Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Dame Eileen Atkins, Julia McKenzie, Barbara Flynn, and Deborah Findlay.

Additional cast members included Downton Abbey's Jim Carter, Father Brown's Claudie Blakley, Harry Potter's Sir Michael Gambon, Philip Glenister, Calendar Girls actress Celia Imrie, Alex Jennings of The Crown fame, Rory Kinnear from Years and Years, Alistair Petrie from Sex Education, Pride and Prejudice (2005) actor Simon Woods, and Sense and Sensibility star Greg Wise, among many others.

Indeed, the extensive cast assembled stars from a vast array of other period TV productions, serving as a veritable who's who of British costume drama.

Cranford is streaming for free on UKTV’s streaming platform U