If you love Judi Dench as much as we do, we’ve got some good news for you. One of her best-loved period dramas, Cranford, is now available to stream on the BBC – and when we say it’s the most addictive thing on TV, we mean it. The series, which has earned itself 7 stars (yes, it’s a special GH rating in honour of how brilliant it is), is set in a town where a group of formidable middle-class women rule the roost – and we’d highly recommend adding it to your watchlist immediately.
Set in the 1840s, the ladies of Cranford, including Miss Matty Jenkyns (Judi Dench), Miss Pole (Imelda Staunton) and Mrs Forrester (Julia McKenzie). live their lives somewhat rooted in the past. So far, so period drama. But the Industrial Revolution is about to change everything and these ladies are determined to put up a fight before it does. Having first aired in 2007, two decades later, it’s the perfect escapist watch.
Before you tune in, here’s everything you need to know about Cranford, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Cranford about?
The period drama, which first aired on the BBC in 2007, gives us a taste of life in a small Cheshire town on the cusp of change in the 1840s. Based on Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels, the story largely revolves around the women of Cranford, led by Miss Matty Jenkyns (Judi Dench), Miss Pole (Imelda Staunton), and Mrs Forrester (Julia McKenzie) who must confront looming social changes.
The series picks up in late summer 1844, two years on since Miss Matty Jenkyns lost her beloved sister, Deborah. Her home is, however, once again full of life and bustle. Her brother Peter (Nicholas Le Prevost) has stayed on in Cranford, and her dream of having a child in the house has been realised in the birth of Tilly, daughter of her maid Martha (Claudie Blakley) and her carpenter husband, Jem Hearne (Nicholas Le Prevost).
Over the course of five episodes, the residents of Cranford navigate gossip, romance, and pressures of the Industrial Revolution. In particular, the arrival of the railway looms over the town and while some believe modernisation is inevitable if the town is to survive, others certainly do not and see as a threat to the way of life they know and love.
After the drama, conflict – and even death – of series one, a two-part follow-up, Return to Cranford, aired in 2009, in which Judi Dench reprised her role as the compassionate and kind-hearted Miss Jenkyns. Is she still resisting the encroachment of the industrial revolution? Oh yes. But is she also still enjoying all the gossip along the way? Absolutely.
Who’s in the cast of Cranford?
The all-star cast of Cranford includes:
- Dame Judi Dench as Miss Matty Jenkyns
- Nicholas Le Prevost as Peter Jenkyns
- Dame Eileen Atkins as Miss Deborah Jenkyns
- Lisa Dillon as Mary Smith
- Claudie Blakley as Martha
- Andrew Buchan as Jem Hearne
- Imelda Staunton as Miss Pole
- Julia McKenzie as Mrs Forrester
- Barbara Flynn as Mrs Jamieson
- Deborah Findlay as Miss Tomkinson
- Francesca Annis as Lady Ludlow
- Rory Kinnear as Lord Septimus Hanbury
- Greg Wise as Sir Charles Maulver
- Alex Etel as Harry Gregson
- Emma Fielding as Miss Galindo
- Alex Jennings as Rev Hutton
- Jim Carter as Captain Brown
- Adrian Scarborough as Mr Johnson
- Debra Gillett as Mrs Johnson
- Jonathan Pryce as Mr Buxton
- Tom Hiddleston as William Buxton
- Michelle Dockery as Erminia
- Jodie Whittaker as Peggy Bell
- Lesley Sharp as Mrs Bell
- Matthew McNulty as Edward Bell
Is there a trailer for Cranford?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for Cranford below.
Is Cranford any good?
Yes – it’s a charming series featuring outstanding performances from the likes of Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton and (a much younger!) Tom Hiddleston. The first series alone garnered 35 national and international nominations attracting Emmy and Golden Globe recognition, plus 10 BAFTA television and craft nominations. If you’re a fan of period dramas like Downton Abbey and The Gilded Age, Cranford is well worth a watch.
How can I watch Cranford?
You can watch both series of Cranford – which are available under the titles Cranford and Cranford: Return to Cranford – on U now.
What other Judi Dench dramas can I watch now?
For another brilliant period drama starring Judi, we’d recommend The Hollow Crown. Based on Shakespeare’s history plays, the series is split into two crucial bits of history, the ‘Henriad’ (that part of history where all the kings seemed to be called Henry) and the War of the Roses, a civil war period in Britain’s bloody history. Judi plays Cecily, Duchess of York and mother to Richard III, in the second brilliant instalment and her performance is unforgettable. You can watch The Hollow Crown on Prime Video. We’d also suggest checking out All is True, which chronicles the later years of playwright William Shakespeare as he comes to terms with the death of his son, Hamnet. Kenneth Branagh stars as Shakespeare, with Judi Dench as his wife Anne Hathaway, with whom he has a fraught relationship. You can watch All is True on Prime Video.
