kennprop Excellent photography and detailed realistic sets, dress, and etc. The bleak reality of farm life in a small isolated Yorkshire farm. When I think of England it is the England of the countryside , small villages and farms.This York. program is set earlier than Herriots era. It shows the brutal reality of life before social program s to aid in support. One could say this life was kind of glossed over in Herriots series and Downton Abbey dom. My wifes reaction was the series was depressing. I think it is a realistic one. A quality British TV program. I has it all. Ingrained idiot upper class, local folk in awe of these fools while carrying water and doing their scut work. Activist suffragette , innocent patriotic war fervor, WW1 and enlisting as a positive move up. Very limited prospects in the country - I think a mass movement to the cities had been happening during this period. Prospects n the UK had gotten worse as competition with other nations- Germany and the US intensified. Quality TV.

PippinInOz I have just been reading the other reviews here - and like so many other viewers clearly were, I too was moved deeply by this excellent and important piece of television. Important? Well yes, becauseThis is a piece of period drama which manages to somehow capture the pace of life in a small village during the time frame. Every character is richly realised, from the appalling (the 'shrink') to the ambiguous (the ex -Detective with the war injury). The central family, as are all of the working people here, are portrayed with respect and humanity, whilst not avoiding the weaknesses of individuals. The drunk husband and father for example. One of my favourite scenes was of the women of the village gossiping in the public baths - perfectly realised. If you want to see a fresh perspective on the commemorations for World War One - please see this. The final episode, for me, is a poignant reminder of just how much the commemoration of all the dead was not a 'given', but an emotionally powerful battle as to the nature of that commemoration. When Maxine Peake's character stands up and argues that the one moment every year to 'remember' is just another way for those in power to control the way we remember.......welling up just thinking of it actually. Similarly, as a response to Downton Abbey and the 'golden days before the first war', she also states it was not so golden for most people. I know there are many other reviewers here who felt as strongly affected by this as myself. Trust us - it might be a slower pace than other television, but sit down, switch off the phone and allow this programme to wash - first over you - and then right into you. It will steal your heart and make you reflect, not just on the past, but on the present.

Ian Clark First, I just love Maxine Peake. Her relationship with Peter Moffat is so reminiscent of that between Billie Whitelaw and Samuel Beckett. For me, she can do no wrong...but this series, about a working Derbyshire family with its sometimes unremitting grimness of life, has more... The entire cast portrays three-dimensional living, loving, flawed characters. No bland platitudes of Downton Abbey with its Karma Sutra of master-servant relationships, but an honest look at the exploitation of class and the difficulty of getting through it all. Even the Allinghams, the "toffs" in this masterpiece, are complex and edgy. The series is just wonderfuland the now final episode brought me to tears with a combination of beautiful, "can't see the wheels go round" acting, occasional music, and political passion.The message for today is underlined by Pikerty in his "Capital." The one-percent rich are still with us and the exploitation of the working man is almost complete (and that includes middle class professionals) as automation makes their labor irrelevant. The rich can at last reflect on their fortune, in both senses, and convince themselves they have done it all themselves. The Allinghams march on, as so do we, the Middletons, and Tolpuddle Martyrs of this world...remember, "they are few, but we are many."This gritty series is so relevant today, so much more than a nostalgic review of languid privilege. It points the way. Socialism is not dead, but is needed for the coming years - that and passion. This series has it all. It's the best of television since Dennis Potter.

ellenmeilee I am having withdrawal symptoms from this now having watched the whole series and revisited episode 1.Yes, it's pretty bleak at times - and it hardly breaks the stereotype of it being a tad grim up North - but then it probably was everywhere let alone Oop North when WW1 broke out- and as a massive John Simm fan, it's tough watching him play this unendearing character. But stick with it, and you are rewarded with seeing some amazing performances unfold. Maxine Peake deserves a special nod for her moving portrayal of Joe and Bert's mum. How much heartache can a woman take??? A lot, it seems.It's beautifully shot, beautifully acted, almost incessantly grim, but you do care about enough of the characters to want to keep on watching. I would recommend a second viewing as I am doing now, and enjoying it even more now I know what happens and can just focus on the performances and period detail done as only BBC can.This is a real winner for me, and I am really looking forward to Series 2.