20 thoughts on “Belgravia: Julian Fellowes Goes 1840s

  1. Will be interesting to see if there is a sequel as the story was based on Julian Fellowes novel of the same name and there is no sequel to it. Having read the book first, I wanted to see how he adapted it to the screen; how would he convey all those inner thoughts. Found it interesting that he made one fairly major adjustment to the story and it was a good one; made the plot point much more believable.

    Loved the acting, particularly from the women. There is a wonderful scene coming up for you involving Mrs Trenchard, Lady Brockenhurst, Lady Templemore and Maria Grey. Absolutely delicious interplay.

    Personally I love the 1840s styles. A favourite period for me for fifty plus years, so I guess I am hopeless.

  2. Looks interesting. But I’m going to have to play catch up when things open due to being unemployed. Of the cast listed, I am fan girling over Saruman’s niece, Harriet Walter. She can do everything.

  3. I tried reading the book and just couldn’t get in to the story. Unfortunately that means I’ll probably skip this.

    1. I first tried book when he released it installments, could not get into it. Tried again a few months ago and liked it a lot…wondering what plot he changed for series as it worked pretty well…

  4. I am not super into scandal stuff but it does look like a good costuming job. Is it salacious for the sake of? I guess what I can’t get a sense of is whether the story is the sort of one I’d be into. The twist which I’m guessing at is fine, but it does depend on how it’s done. (E.g. Bleak House has a similar twist, if I’m guessing right.)

    I actually like the 1840s! Maybe some of that is that I can’t take the crazy 1830s sleeves and hair, and I wouldn’t want to be in hoops all day, so it nabs me partly for practical reasons. Plus some of the fan-style bodice stuff I find really pretty. But then I’m not a flashy person so probably it suits my temperament even if it is a bit on the boring side. :-)

    1. I would not say it’s salacious at all. In fact, the twist is spelled out in the first episode, instead of the usual convention of having a secret be revealed a bit at a time through flashbacks. Knowing the twist, and knowing exactly how much each character knows about it, is a somewhat novel viewing experience. That said, the servants are bit too transparently mustache-twirly for my taste, but nothing’s perfect.

  5. Koshka’s shown you can do pretty 1840s wear. I guess this wasn’t in the cards for the show’s costume department.

  6. I love the 1840s, and these seem decent but not stunning to me. The peachy striped evening gown looks very similar to this one in the New Brunswick Museum, and I may remember something very similar from the V&A: https://pin.it/3ZlhJ3c
    I also rented a very similar stage costume from a costumier in NYC for a show last year, so I get the impression designers really like those peachy-coral stripes…

  7. I knew I recognized that dress from North and South! And didn’t Gillian Anderson wear it in Bleak House?

    I’m loving the series, probably in part out of my lasting pique over the awfulness of Sanditon. Anything would be better, basically.

  8. I didn’t read the book and enjoyed the show minus: the plot is predictable. And the music is Downtown alike, actually sounds weird.
    I appreciate Alice Eve’s character, more complicated I could imagine. Every other character could be resumed in one line but actors and actresses did a good job.
    Lucky me: I’ve got the same dog but long hair.
    Then: English lessons with frocks and flicks: dowdy ( démodé, ringard)- upper crust ( same in french: faire partie du gratin) dumpy(stupide, ridicule)- wealthy (I knew rich, aisé for wealthy) OTT !!

  9. I have mixed feelings about the 1840’s. On the one hand I love the slender bodices and the emergence of bell-shaped skirts, but brown was WAY too popular. I like simple style (I have no problem with pinstripes – although I dare anyone to find something set in the 1840-50’s where a middle class character doesnt wear that N&S number) but the colours and fabrics were Awfully drab.
    I will die defending the silhouette though.

  10. Liked the costuming and everything – such a relief after the total car crash that Sanditon was! Regarding the story, I found the first four episodes pretty predictable… somehow I was waiting for something to happen that wasn’t what I was seeing coming. And then it felt like EVERYTHING happened in episodes 5 and 6. So it’s worth waiting for those!

  11. I really liked the first episode a lot, with its focus on grief. The ‘breeding pair’ were incredibly dull. I like romance, but those two were like paper dolls. It was very Dickens, with the other characters having arcs and being more nuanced, but the young couple being perfect and sweet. The funniest moment for me is a 1840s girl being disenchanted because her fiance has no interest in traveling to India, and will only go as far as Madrid.
    I definitely wondered about the silly 1830s hairstyles- I think they’re often called ‘Biedermeier’ styles. They were on many of the ball guests as well. I know you like the lace panels and they’re accurate, but I think it makes the dresses look so dowdy.
    Brave choice to give the ‘heroine’ not just period accurate hair, but a style that made her look a little bit silly. I wonder why they didn’t choose something more relaxed. Interesting that this hairstyle made her look childish to the modern eye, whereas hair worn down would look childish to the Victorian eye. The other actress’s blonde hair didn’t bother me (I’m a little prejudiced as I have almost black eyebrows and light hair), but her obvious grown out highlights did. She was the most interesting character at first, but they did a poor job with her.
    I was very curious about the orange sorbet ‘fan-front’ style and I’m glad you addressed it. It looked very out of place, lacking structure or fit at the waist, so I wondered if it was period accurate. The top part looks like something I might own.

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