A soundtrack that is eerily similar to that in Downton Abbey brings us into a world just as lovingly recreated and with an equally wonderful ensemble of actors. But it just doesn't hold up. Most characters are more akin to flat cardboard cutouts than real people and the main plot is pure romance novel more reminiscent of Barbara Cartland or a penny dreadful than Julian Fellows... but I would still recommend watching it for all it's flaws.
The first episode takes us through the final days of the Napoleonic wars and then we are transported nearly 30 years to London at the start of the Victorian era for the rest of the series.
Most characters may be 2-dimensional, but the acting is still very good. The women are definitely the stars of the show: the scenes with Tamsin Greig and Harriet Walter are superb, Alice Eve as Tamsin's daughter in law at first seems a bit cliché but gets better as we go along. The one woman I felt a bit sorry for was Ella Purnell who was entirely charming but had a very predictable and boring character to play. The men do well enough but get little chance to develop any depth.
If you enjoy these types of drama then I think you will find it worth watching, but if you haven't watched much in the genre then I would recommend starting with an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and then seeing all of Downton Abbey before you even consider watching this.
