BBC DECODED: THE 'B'RILLIANT 'B'EST OF 'C'LASSICS

Hello Friends,

All those of you ardent fans of Sonyaa's Random Musings would by now well know about my love and fascination for films across all genres and how I enjoy studying and writing my observations on story structures, narrative, dialogues, the casting, direction and the process that goes behind the making of a film. And all this might well stem from the fact that since I aspire to be a film-maker/ story-teller some day, I'm living each day with the hope that an opportunity comes knocking my door and I am the chosen one! And while I am already taking my baby steps in that direction, it's time to get started with this month's post! :)

Jane Eyre: Makes you cry!

Well, lately I realized that my horizon towards film-making just broadened after I lately began watching some dramas by BBC that left me in awe and spell bound as I gradually came to a conclusion that serials in the West were no less than films!! 

With powerful story-telling, good narrative, perfect casting, excellent production values and of course rich literature...I felt they were at par with films! And they too deserved an Oscar (that is if the Academy ever started a segment on awards for television)!! To begin with, I was never really fond of telly serials especially having watched the ones dished out in my country (here's a candid confession about our sketchy plots and stereotyped characters in the daily soaps made here!); but I'm glad that this perception changed for the best!

Pride & Prejudice: Opposites attract!

Take Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice - I felt the televised series of these novels were far better than their film counterparts! And coming to the casting, take the lead characters in Jane Eyre i.e. Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester played by Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens; they were so apt and perfect for their parts that I couldn't imagine anyone else who could slip into their shoes! You just come to feel the pain, pathos and pangs of separation that is inflicted on these characters. Ditto for Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice - the love-hate chemistry between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy was so evident that when they finally kept their pride and prejudices aside and walked down the aisle, you are elated at their union!

North & South: Love happens!

Likewise take Elizabeth Gaskell's novel, North and South; I could never have imagined a beautiful love story blossom in the midst of an industrial revolution. Thanks to the literary genius of Ms. Gaskell, but to adapt it for television, it takes the sheer brilliance of a director to ensure that he strikes the right balance. For those of you who have watched North and South would have observed that  there was a sense of proportion all through as the director deftly handled the social divide where on one hand was the brewing tension between the mill workers and the owners, the sufferings and death at Milton as a result of the strike and within this grim scenario there was a silent undercurrent of romance gradually developing between John Thornton and Margaret Hale who battle their fair share of pride and prejudices against one another before they eventually fall in love. Talking of the casting, what a commendable job of having Daniela Denby-Ashe and Richard Armitage play the parts of Margaret Hale and John Thornton respectively!! Need I add more here?

My casting call if Bridget Jones's was made for television!

Pssst...I felt North and South was a modern day take on Pride and Prejudice, the same I'd say for Bridget Jones's Diary and You've Got Mail! Does anyone think that way? 

In fact, here are my inner thoughts - that if ever BBC were to adapt Bridget Jones's Diary for television then I could well imagine Daniela Denby-Ashe play Bridget, Richard Armitage as Mark Darcy and Toby Stephens as Daniel Cleaver. Howzzat? Would I make a good casting director? ;)

BBC's awesome dramas!

Overall, in all of the BBC dramas that I've watched, I strongly felt that the characters begin to grow on you as you watch their lives unfold before you i.e. when they smile, you smile; when they laugh, you laugh and when they cry, you cry your heart out! 

Kudos to the casting! The bottom line here is that if you didn't have the right actors who looked and portrayed their parts with such ease and finesse, there would be no chemistry and if there's no chemistry especially where the story demands it,there'd be a total disconnect with the audience on the perception they have about these characters since they are based on literary works and the drama would fall flat! 

But that's the hallmark of BBC, they always get it right each time! They have mastered the art of perfecting their casting each time with their productions like Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, North and South, Little Dorrit, Wives and Daughters and many others. Sometimes it feels like as if they are mind-reading these authors since they get every front right be it the period, costume, casting, drama, story and the narrative!

Though these wonderful television series are adapted from novels, but I believe that there is immense scope for developing the finer nuances of the characters, the drama and establishing time and space which is more possible on television rather than in a 90-120 minutes film. I feel that television might well be the right medium to adapt more of such literary works if it has to make the right impact and do justice to the novel. 

I think whenever a study is made in the future on the literary works adapted to the audio-visual medium vis-a vis the performances, casting, treatment and the narrative- BBC dramas would well be the yardstick of many adaptations to come! It would have to take the genius of some brilliant directors and casting directors to take up this formidable challenge to make us believe and convince us otherwise! :)

Hope you enjoyed reading this month's post! Next month I hope to discuss some more of it! Till then, I look forward to reading your comments! :)

Love,

Sonyaa