# Wives and Daughters (1999)

> A doctor's daughter in a Victorian English village navigates her father's remarriage, a flirtatious stepsister, and an unexpected romance.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/9016

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 4
- Episode runtime: 75 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, romance
- Created by: Andrew Davies
- Network: BBC One
- Cast: Justine Waddell, Keeley Hawes, Michael Gambon, Tom Hollander, Anthony Howell, Bill Paterson, Francesca Annis, Iain Glen
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0215364/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: gentle, wistful, witty, warm, patient

## Synopsis

Wives and Daughters (1999) is a British period drama miniseries created by Andrew Davies for BBC One, adapted from the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell. Set in a provincial English country town in the Victorian era, the four-episode story follows Molly Gibson (Justine Waddell), the quiet and devoted daughter of a country doctor, whose settled life changes gradually when her widowed father Mr Gibson (Bill Paterson) remarries. His new wife, the ever-proper Hyacinth (Francesca Annis), brings with her a flirtatious daughter, Cynthia (Keeley Hawes), whose charm unsettles the household. Meanwhile Molly's friendship with the local squire's family, including the sensitive Roger Hamley (Anthony Howell) and the squire himself (Michael Gambon), opens into an unexpected romance. The engine of the story is the slow negotiation of affection, obligation and social standing, carried out through dinners, calls, gossip and the small rituals of a close community. Its tone is warm, wry and wistful, with a patient rhythm that rewards viewers who enjoy character-driven storytelling. Fans of Pride and Prejudice, Cranford and North and South will find resonance in its blend of domestic comedy, class consciousness and tender romance.

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