Stars: Francesca Annis, Ian Carmichael, Michael Gambon, Bill Paterson, Penelope Wilton, Barbara Flynn, Iain Glen, Justine Waddell

Director: Nicholas Renton

Summary: The novel by Elizabeth Gaskell which tells the story of Molly Gibson, the daughter of a small town doctor, and her life after her father remarries... Molly and her new stepsister become close friends until they become love rivals...

The BBC presents Elizabeth Gaskell's timeless tale of romance in 19th-century England. WIVES AND DAUGHTERS is the humorous and often heart-wrenching story of two single women, one sweet and one sexy, searching for love and finding nothing but trouble when the man destined for one falls for her sultry best friend instead. Return to a time when such events were the talk of the town and nothing but scandal. The production features an excellent cast that includes Justine Waddell, Keely Hawes, Bill Paterson, Francesca Annis, Michael Gambon, and Ian Carmichael.

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Andrew Davies' 1999 adaptation of Mrs Gaskell's Wives and Daughterswas hailed as the rediscovery of a "forgotten" classic novel and found the BBC on the crest of a wave with costume dramas--led by Pride and Prejudice. Handsome and beautifully filmed, if anything, it surpassed the quality of even that highly praised landmark production.

"We should all look pretty strange under a microscope," botanist Robert Hamley tells our heroine Molly Gibson and of course Mrs Gaskell places all her characters under intense scrutiny, with affection but without judgement. Davies' screenplay peals back the layers, giving full vent to the comedy, tragedy and satire that drive this tale of provincial life to its highly satisfactory conclusion. Justine Waddell imbues Molly with an increasingly exasperated but remarkably forbearing intelligence, while Francesca Annis, as the outrageously self-absorbed step-mother Hyacinth, paints a wonderful portrait of affectation without ever totally alienating our sympathy. Michael Gambon's immensely touching Squire Hamley won him a Best Actor BAFTA, but all the performances are uniformly excellent, contributing immeasurably to five hours of television drama of the highest calibre.

On the DVD:Presented in 16:9 format with a Dolby Digital stereo soundtrack, this two-disc presentation retains all the hallmarks of the original BBC viewing experience. The picture quality is lush--the production lighting is excellent--and the sound quality sharp. The only gripe is with the extras: the Omnibusdocumentary "Who the Dickens is Mrs Gaskell?" is brutally truncated, cutting off talking heads like novelists Fay Weldon and Margaret Drabble in their prime and giving limited insight into how the production was made. As an audio bonus, there is also 30 minutes of John Keane's music.--Piers Ford

Aspect Ratio:	16:9 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 0
Special Features:	Documentary, The Making Of, Music Edit
Subtitles:	Dutch
Year:	1999
Release Date:	August 20, 2001
Runtime:	301 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	B B C D V D 1079
Keywords:	Wives, Two, General, Wide, Screen, Daughters, Romantic, Drama, Period, Discs
Genre:	Drama