A BBC period drama hailed as the 'best ever made' is now available to watch for free on the UK streaming platform U. Lark Rise to Candleford, which first aired in 2008, has been added to the service, delighting fans who have long praised the series.
The show is adapted from Flora Thompson's semi-autobiographical novels about life in the English countryside, published between 1939 and 1943. Set in the Oxfordshire hamlet of Lark Rise and the neighbouring market town of Candleford at the end of the 19th century, it follows the daily lives of farm workers, craftsmen and gentry through the eyes of a teenage girl, Laura Timmins.
Played by Olivia Hallinan, Laura leaves Lark Rise to start a new life under the wing of her cousin Dorcas Lane, the Post Mistress in Candleford, portrayed by Julia Sawalha. The cast also includes Ben Miles, Claudia Blakley, Brendan Coyle, Dawn French, John Dagleish and Victoria Hamilton.
Fans have compared the series favourably to Downton Abbey, with one viewer saying: 'When Downton Abbey first aired, I really hoped it would be as brilliant as Lark Rise to Candleford. Of course it was, but I still think it lacks something the latter has.' Another described it as 'the best show of all time', while a third called it 'flawless'.
Speaking ahead of the series premiere, Julia Sawalha said: 'I hope audiences get a sense of contentment from the series. It's easy on the ear and on the eye. They can sit down with a box of chocolates and a cup of tea and be utterly entertained.'
