Fans of period dramas are in for a treat with The Pursuit of Love, now streaming on BBC iPlayer and airing Sundays on BBC One. The series, starring Dominic West and Lily James, is an adaptation of Nancy Mitford's 1945 novel of the same name, the first in a trilogy about an upper-class English family during the interwar period.
While the storyline is fictional, the setting is historically accurate. The narrative spans from November 1918 to September 1939, concluding around the Blitz (7 September 1940 – 11 May 1941). Key events include the Spanish Civil War, where Linda Radlett and her husband Christian travel to Perpignan to aid Spanish refugees, and the London Blitz, which destroys Linda's home.
The Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) saw Nationalists, backed by Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, defeat Republicans supported by the Soviet Union and Mexico. The UK, France, and the US officially remained neutral. The Blitz, a German bombing campaign against the UK, killed approximately 41,500 civilians and damaged or destroyed two million houses.
Screenwriter, director, and star Emily Mortimer praised the novel's enduring relevance: 'The experience of reading the novel is just as exciting in this day and age, and the book still feels quite shocking and radical. It’s full of love and romance but it has an edge.' She added, 'It continues to feel like it’s got a bit of a punk rock soul.'
The Pursuit of Love premiered on BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday, 9 May at 9pm.
