Insufferable is the word I keep coming back to when I try to find new and novel ways of describing the two titular characters of BBC One’s Mapp and Lucia. Insufferable, insufferable, insufferable.
I’m not normally one to engage in schadenfreude; indeed, sometimes I do think my empathy for make believe characters extends far further than it ought to. But it’s hard for me to feel bad for Elizabeth and Lucia for having been taken in by the ridiculous Mr. Gupta: Elizabeth, in particular, for having poached him from Diva in the first place, in a pathetic bid to reinstate herself as The Coolest Person in Town.
I suppose the whole crux of the comedy in these sorts of tales hinges on the fact that there’s absolutely diddly squat to do or think about in a wee little town before the advent of joys like Netflix to keep us occupied and firmly out of one another’s beeswax. Saying that, it does feel a lot safer watching adults with far too much money and far too much spare time acting like babies when they’re only doing it to each other, and within the confines of fictional television. Have at it, you terrible people.
But on the other hand, I want what Anna Chancellor is wearing – goodness me, she does look fabulous – and the filming locations in and around the little town of Rye in East Sussex are every bit as charming as they are in real life, and used here to great effect.
The rest of the cast are also really quite adorable, notably Mark Gatiss’ affable, tipsily grumbling Major, and Katy Brand and Joanna Scanlan as Georgie’s robust, giggling sisters. I’d quite happily watch a show about those three, come to think of it. Too bad E.F. Benson hadn’t written them a spin-off.
Aired at 9pm on Tuesday 30 December 2014 on BBC One.
> Order Mapp and Lucia on DVD on Amazon.
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