By Gazette Reporter

BBC TV cameras will return to Lacock to film a Christmas special of hit period drama Cranford.

Stars of the original series, including Dame Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton and Francesca Annis, have all joined the follow-up to the autumn series.

The special will pick up life in the small Cheshire market town in September 1844 – a year after the marriage of Sophy (Kimberley Nixon) and Dr Harrison (Simon Woods).

Kate Harwood, the BBC’s head of series and serials, and executive producer of Cranford, said she was pleased the ratings winner would be back.

“Cranford captured the hearts of the nation last year as every week, nearly 8m viewers tuned in to catch up with Miss Matty and her fellow villagers,” she said.

“I am delighted that we are able to bring these much-loved characters back to life for a Christmas special in 2009 and once again uniting an unprecedented pool of talent to thrill and entertain our audiences.”
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The serial is nominated for four BAFTA Television Awards this year including

* The Independent (Tom Sutcliffe): “Beautifully played, very funny and deftly directed, it’s a world I can’t wait to get back to.”

* The Sunday Times – Culture (AA Gill): “I was hooked, gaffed, netted and filleted.”

* The Observer – Review (Kathryn Flett): “Its luscious painterly tableaux vivants make its art direction and photography possibly the most beautiful in any costume drama ever.”

* The Mail On Sunday (Jaci Stephen): “It would be impossible to list all that is great about Cranford without writing out the script verbatim.”

* Sunday Express (David Stephenson): “Cranford is the period drama of the year, and probably the series of the year.”

* Daily Telegraph (James Walton): “Perfect isn’t an adjective that we nit-picking old critics like to use very often – but, in the case of Cranford, I really can’t think of a better one.”

* The Hollywood Reporter: “An instant classic.”

Nominations for Programme of the Year title were selected by a panel of television experts and the public can now choose their favourite and vote online.

Vote Here!

Drama adaptation Cranford has been nominated for the Programme of the Year title at the British Academy Television Awards.

It faces tough competition from Britain’s Got Talent, Strictly Come Dancing, The Apprentice, Andrew Marr’s History Of Modern Britain and comedy Gavin And Stacey.

Update: More Details

Actress

Eileen Atkins – Cranford
Judi Dench – Cranford
Gina McKee – The Street
Kierston Wareing – It’s A Free World

Sky+ Audience Award for the Programme of the Year

The Apprentice
Andrew Marr’s History of Modern Britain
Britain’s Got Talent
Cranford
Gavin & Stacey
Strictly Come Dancing

Drama Serial

Britz
Cranford
Five Days
Murphy’s Law

BBC1 drama Cranford has received six nominations for this year’s Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, with its stars Judi Dench and Eileen Atkins going head to head in the best actress category.

In the best actor category, Cranford stars Philip Glenister and Michael Gambon are both nominated. Cranford is nominated for best drama series. Heidi Thomas is nominated for best writer.

The winners of the awards, which are selected by journalists who write about television and radio, will be announced at a ceremony to be held at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Friday April 4.

According to This is Wiltshire;

There are also rumours that a second series of the BBC1 drama Cranford with Dame Judi Dench may also return for a second series.

The village is buzzing with excitement and extras from previous productions are hoping to reprise their roles.

Mary Little, 55, who lives just outside the village, was involved with the first series of Cranford.

She said: “It would be lovely to work with the cast and crew again – it was brilliant the first time around.

“Hopefully Dame Judi will come back, especially after she pledged her support to help save the post office.

“Everyone in the village quite enjoys the buzz of having stars coming here and us appearing in films and the TV.”

MASTERPIECE THEATRE “Cranford”

Sundays, May 4-11, 2008, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET; and May 18, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET

A major new five-part miniseries based on Elizabeth Gaskell’s (“Wives and Daughters”) witty and poignant novels about a village on the cusp of change stars Judi Dench (Casino Royale, Notes on a Scandal), with Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake), Eileen Atkins (Evening, Gosford Park), Michael Gambon (“The Lost Prince”), Francesca Annis (“Reckless”) and Greg Wise (“Madame Bovary”).

Katryn Hughes in The Guardian gives tips on what to read next

If your only knowledge of Cranford comes from the hit BBC production (which finished last night), you’re going to find reading Mrs Gaskell’s original text a bit of a shock. Miss Matty’s in there, of course, and Mary Smith and all the other gossipy old ladies, but Lady Ludlow (played by Francesca Annis) and Dr Harrison (scrummy Simon Woods) are nowhere to be seen. These last two belong to two other Gaskell stories, the seldom read My Lady Ludlow and Mr Harrison’s Confession. Read the rest of this entry »

COMPOSER and conductor Carl Davis is not one to be slowing down, even after more than 40 years at the top of the world of commercial music.

But even he must have got the shock of his life when the BBC decided that the Sunday night costume drama, Cranford (based on three novels by Manchester writer Elizabeth Gaskell), was to go out before Christmas, and not begin in February as originally planned.

Carl was responsible – as he had been Read the rest of this entry »