From The BBC – Another novel adaptation is in the works, courtesy of BBC One. Based on the classic novel by Winifred Holtby, South Riding is a three part miniseries that tells the story of a Yorkshire community in the Thirties. Adapted by none other than the master of literary adaptations himself, Andrew Davies (Bleak House, Pride & Prejudice), the project stars David Morrissey (Downton Abbey) and Anna Maxwell Martin (Bleak House).
Davies said of the project: “What appealed to me most about South Riding is how fresh and relevant it feels, even though it was written and set in the Thirties. It’s a terrific love story but it’s also a portrait of a whole community in turmoil, with the country in recession, and bitter struggles between the advocates of change, like our heroine Sarah the new forward-thinking headmistress, and the forces of conservatism embodied in Robert Carne. It’s also full of rich comedy, with some wonderful minor characters, splendidly cast. I feel as if we’ve rediscovered a forgotten masterpiece.”
South Riding will air later this year in the U.K. – but I suspect us U.S. types will have to wait for next season of Masterpiece.
Book Jacket:
When Sarah Burton returns to her hometown as headmistress she is full of ambition, determined to create a great school and to inspire her girls to take all they can from life. But in the aftermath of the First World War, the country is in depression and ideals are hard won. Lydia Holly, the scholarship girl from the shacks, is the most brilliant student Sarah has ever taught, but when her mother’s health fails, her education must be sacrificed – there is nobody else to care for the children. Robert Carne of Maythorpe Hall stands for everything Sarah despises: his family has farmed the South Riding for generations, their position uncontested. Yet Sarah cannot help being drawn to this proud, haunted and almost ruined man. South Riding is a rich, panoramic novel, bringing vividly to life a rural community on the brink of change.
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