By the end of the first episode of BBC One’s new adaptation of EF Benson’s Mapp and Lucia, I found myself expressing to my partner in no uncertain terms my gratitude that we live in a midsize city where we don’t know any of our neighbours.
Anna Chancellor is Mrs. Lucas – known to her friends as Lucia – an adventurous (and painfully pretentious) widow seeking a change of scenery in the characteristically charming (read: utterly ridiculous) little town of Tilling, with best friend Georgie (an exceptionally ginger, camp as Christmas Steve Pemberton) in tow.
Miranda Richardson is perfectly cringeworthy as the insufferable Miss Elizabeth Mapp and her many teeth, owner of Mallards, the home where Lucia becomes tenant for the summer.
It is evident from the outset that the two are never likely to get on, but watching Lucia assert herself – albeit as politely and smiling as humanly possible – against Elizabeth’s overbearing presumptions (and watching the various townsfolk witnessing it) makes for far more entertaining viewing, even when I find myself torn between wishing I could look as fabulous in the kinds of clothes many of the characters are wearing, and wanting to smack at least a few of them upside the head for being really rather nasty and underhanded indeed.
If the riotously underhanded handling of the garden fête is any indication of things to come, I’m sure we can expect even more ridiculous one-upmanships and toothsome phony smiles in the next two episodes.
Aired at 9.05pm on Monday 29 December 2014 on BBC One.
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