rural myths

Here we go the latest dewye eyed rendition of rural England (no doubt the Lark Ascending will creep in somehwere) showing working class life in early 20th century England. This article tells us:

Extending from 1912 to 1916 (with a final episode set in 1920), the first series of The Village stars John Simm and Maxine Peake as impoverished, alcoholic Peak District farmer John Middleton and his wife, Grace, and Juliet Stevenson as the lady of the local manor.

These names apart, the cast is largely unfamiliar, including two standout newcomers – 13-year-old Bill Jones as young Bert Middleton (whose long life will be central to Moffat’s project – the initiator of the series) and Irish actor Charlie Murphy as headstrong suffragette Martha – as well as dramatist Jim Cartwright (The Road) as the local publican. “I was very keen to have lots of faces we don’t know because you’re arguing ‘here is a slice of real life’, ” says Moffat.

This first – it is hoped – of many series covers roughly the same timespan as the opening series of Downton Abbey, but there the similarities end. This is working-class history, although aristocrats are necessarily involved (John’s oldest son works in the local big house), but without the anachronistic Downton-style fraternisation with the servants. Instead, these domestics are expected to face the walls when the master of the house passes by.

“I think we need to re-calibrate the way we look at history… particularly this period,” says Moffat – “It’s seen now as officer-class history. I don’t think there are enough of John Simm-type characters who, after all, make up most of the population. We’ve got lots of lovely Upstairs Downstairs stuff, so let’s have ‘how is it for a farm labourer?’

And just when I thought I had weened Mrs A off Downton Abbey……!