I am in the middle of watching a series I only saw the end of years ago.
Love for Lydia moves at a snail's pace compared to the movies or Masterpiece Theatre selections we get now, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth watching. It's based on a story by
H.E. Bates, and is available at Netflix. Watching it is like eating hard, chewy taffy - you know you should stop, it's difficult to chew without ripping out your fillings, and yet you keep on with it because it's tasty and you want to get to the end. Love for Lydia is slow, frustrating, painful, beautifully acted, and ultimately engrossing.
The story follows dreamy middle class
Edward Richardson (Christopher Blake), a young writer-in-the-making who can't make a go of his job on the local newspaper, the Evensford Star, because he wants to write what HE wants, not the assignments his crusty but fairly understanding boss gives him. As all young people do, he thinks he knows best, and his parents are at a loss to understand, or help him find a career he can take seriously.
Richardson is handed an assignment to go and interview the Aspens, an elderly, wealthy family (all of Evensford seems to be elderly) on the edge of town.
The Aspen sisters (beautifully played by Beatrix Lehmann and the phenomenal Rachel Kempson) are eccentric, polite, and bewildered as to what to do with their young niece,
Lydia, whose father has recently died. He was the black sheep of the family, and there is a lot of mystery about Lydia's mother, who some say is dead, and others say is living in Paris under mysterious circumstances. The father also had a mistress, whom Lydia has seen kissing her father in a most indecorous way. The sisters have inherited Lydia, and are woefully ill-equipped to take care of the "sheltered" girl.
In an attempt to get Lydia out into what little society there is in Evensford, the sisters send her off with Richardson, who immediately becomes smitten with the shy seeming, but decidedly strong-minded young woman. She realizes his attraction, and demands his total fealty. He quits his job to be with her, then, takes another less demanding one at his parents request. He falls deeper and deeper under her spell, getting up parties of his friends in order to find more and more daring pursuits to win Lydia's heart. The girl is mad to find new and ever more dangerous recreations, testing his love for her by leading him literally onto thin ice. She insists on going into the poorer sections of town, blackmailing him emotionally into doing anything she wants. Finally, she seduces him in the house after sending the aunts and creepy uncle (
Michael Aldredge)off to church. One feels that she loves Edward, but in her own way, and that way is to constantly test him with worse and worse behavior.
Christopher Blake is super at playing the young, shy puppy, and makes you feel every slight, every pang of want or love that Richardson feels. When she is introduced to Edward's friends, Lydia takes advantage of her beauty and different-ness, and noting their obvious interest in her, makes a game of Edward's jealousy (which is written all over his face). Frankly, there are times when I want to shake Edward myself... but he is young and in love, and we have all done foolish things when we were young. It's painful to watch though. Edward himself begins to use his friends as a tool to shake up or win Lydia, and in the tussle, one feels instinctively that something bad is going to happen.
Standouts in the cast are the aforementioned
Rachel Kempson, who commands attention by her least utterance - her dry line readings are charmingly kind and alternately cutting. I'd like to grow up to be just like her in my later years.
Beatrix Lehmann is given the weaker role, but fills it admirably, floating in and out of scenes with a feeling of vague noblesse oblige.
Jeremy Irons is a pip in this one, full of sparkle and dash as Alex Sanderson, Edward's very modern, alcoholic friend. He seems impossibly young and a little too too, but he fits the bright-young-thing role perfectly. One can definitely see why he became a star.
Peter Davison has always been a favorite of mine, here he is relaxed, healthy and bland as Tom the farmer, out of his league with these cruel friends. His sister is played by
Sherrie Hewson and she breaks your heart as the foolish Nancy, who is awkwardly in love with Edward - she gives the role a little Shelley Winters spin, making you see how pathetic and ugly she is - she feels entitled to Edward, because he has come around to visit from time to time. You feel sorry for her anyway. She simply can't help her own nature.
Lydia is perfectly played by
Mel Martin, who said that after this series, she couldn't walk down the street without someone berating her for being such a callow young woman. I think that's a testament to her acting ability.
Probably my favorite performance is by
David Ryall as Bretherton, the bullying, caring newspaperman who berates Richardson for his own good. He gives a great performance, making the most of his role, there's a subtle sad sweetness underlying the brusque, nasty cynical exterior.
If you want to remember the pain of being young, this is the show for you. It isn't easy going, but I think it's going to be worth watching to the end. And there are always the great costumes, sets and cars to look at if you get bored.