North & South

The clash of cultures can make for uncomfortable situations and delightful viewing. This new BBC America hit series makes its DVD debut, " ... packed with passion, tension, class warfare and smoldering sexual energy" (Hollywood Reporter). Margaret Hale leaves behind a privileged upbringing in rural southern England when her family relocates to industrial northern town filled with people who epitomize everything Margaret dislikes about the North. But one man may change her opinion. Perhaps location is everything. A skillful adaptation that brings Elizabeth Gaskell's (Wives and Daughters) masterful, multi-layered love story to life.

Politics meets passion in a classic tale of love across the social divide .

A powerful adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's feisty and passionate love story, set in the changing world of Victorian industrial society. Margaret Hale is one of literature's most original heroines: a southerner from a country vicarage newly settled in the industrial northern town of Milton. In the shock of her move, she misjudges charismatic cotton mill-owner John Thornton, whose strength of purpose and passion are a match for her own pride and wilfulness. When the workers of Milton call a strike, Margaret takes their side, and the two are brought into deeper conflict. As events spiral out of control, Margaret - to her surprise - begins to fall in love with Thornton.

Episode 1 - As the story opens, Margaret Hale is staying with her aunt Shaw in London, where she attends her cousin Edith’s smart society wedding. At the ball, she attracts potential suitors herself and prompts an unwelcome proposal when she confesses that she too dreams of a fairytale wedding. So she is quite happy to return to her comfortable life at her father’s parsonage in rural Hampshire.

But her privileged lifestyle is shattered when her father decides to leave the Church on a matter of conscience, and move to the grim industrial northern town of Milton.

On arrival in Milton, the social cost of the industrial revolution is apparent and Margaret and her family are exposed to a severe cultural shock. Margaret takes instant offence at the town and its people. She is terribly lonely and hates the dirt, noise and lack of civilisation, blaming their new way of life for her mother’s failing health.

The family are financially hard up, but proud. Mr Hale takes a position as a private tutor, teaching classics to the nouveaux-riches of the industrialised towns – the mill-owning classes. One of his pupils is a Mr John Thornton.

Margaret is shocked and appalled when she first meets Thornton. He is savagely beating up one of his mill-workers for smoking. No matter that a previous mill fire killed 300 workers, Margaret thinks it inexcusable. She instantly takes a snobbish dislike to him and his family, and what she regards as their vulgar and uneducated ways.

Episode 2 - Margaret is beginning to settle in Milton. Her social consciousness is awakened and she befriends some of the local mill workers, learning about their poverty and workplace struggles.

Margaret’s mother’s health is deteriorating and she knows that she would love to see her son, Frederick, before she dies. She writes to him in Spain but Frederick has been involved in a mutiny at sea. After standing up to the overbearing captain, he was declared a traitor; if he returns to Britain, he will be court-martialled and killed.

Margaret takes it upon herself to try to help the workers in their struggle. Bessie and Margaret become close friends and Margaret starts to feel more at ease in Milton, though she’s still appalled at John Thornton’s treatment of his workers and wants to return to her beloved Helstone.

When she intervenes in an industrial dispute at Thornton’s mill, Margaret causes a stir in the town and, in particular, amongst Thornton’s family. His proud mother and precious sister believe she may be making advances on John’s heart as well as his wealth. Nothing could be further from Margaret’s mind, but Thornton is secretly holding a torch for her.

Episode 3 - When her friend Bessie dies from a work-related disease, Margaret’s feelings towards the mill-owning classes are reinforced. For her, John Thornton represents this loathsome group more than anyone, and Margaret takes it upon herself to try to help the workers with their struggle.

Gradually, however, Margaret and Thornton begin to learn and understand a little more about each other. Margaret begins to comprehend the benefits that the new industrialised society will bring, and starts to see Thornton’s caring and compassionate side, his zest for life and longing for the education he was denied as a child. Thornton admires Margaret’s fighting spirit and her charitable nature. With the help and advice of Margaret and some of her worker friends, he begins to make changes at his mill for the benefit of the workers and productivity alike. He becomes a model mill-owner.

In Milton, Maria has taken a turn for the worse and Margaret is shocked by her mother’s condition. However, one night, Frederick turns up at the door and the family is temporarily reunited. But when Margaret sees her brother off at the train station,Thornton passes by and, seeing her embrace an unknown man, jumps to the wrong conclusion...

Episode 4 - As events spiral out of her control, Margaret begins to fall for Thornton. Thornton finds himself in serious financial difficulty, but he has not lost his compassion. When Margaret bumps into him in Milton, she tries to explain that all was not as it seemed when he saw her last at the railway station.

Meanwhile, devastated by the death of his wife, Richard Hale goes to Oxford to stay with his old friend, Mr Bell (Brian Protheroe). But soon, he too is dead. Mr Bell breaks the news to Margaret and promises that, as her godfather, he will look after her. Margaret prepares to leave Milton and says her farewells; she is genuinely sad to leave the North.

When Bell tries to cheer her up by taking her to Helstone, Margaret realises she has romanticised the South and that she cannot go back in time – life has changed. But her fortunes are transformed when Bell signs over his wealth to her, so that she can enjoy it and he can live out his last years in South America, something he has long dreamt of.

Margaret becomes a rich woman – and Thornton’s landlord. Back in Milton, Thornton’s finances are in severe trouble and he is forced to leave the mill. Higgins lets slip that Margaret was not with another admirer at the station that night – but that it was her brother.Thornton thinks deeply about Margaret and decides to take a pilgrimage to Helstone to see her beloved village for himself.

At the same time, Margaret travels to Milton to put a business proposition to Thornton in order to save the mill and give her a better return on her investment. By chance, the pair meet at a railway station in the Midlands...

Margaret Hale	---	Daniela Denby-Ashe
John Thornton	---	Richard Armitage
Richard Hale	---	Tim Pigott-Smith
Edith Shaw Lennox	---	Emma Ferguson
Captain Maxwell Lennox	---	Travis Oliver
Mrs. Shaw	---	Jane Booker
Maria Hale	---	Lesley Manville
Harry Lennox	---	John Light
Dixon	---	Pauline Quirke
John Boucher	---	William Houston
Williams	---	Tom Charnock
Bessy Higgins	---	Anna Maxwell Martin
Hannah Thornton	---	Sinead Cusack
Stone	---	Ian McHale
Nicholas Higgins	---	Brendan Coyle
Fannie Thornton	---	Jo Joyner
Mr. Slickson	---	David Crellan
Mr. Henderson	---	Shaun Hennessey
Mr. Hamper	---	Martin Walsh
Mr. Watson	---	Tim Faraday

Written by Elizabeth Gaskell, Sandy Welch
Directed by Brian Percival
Produced by Kate Bartlett
Executive Produced by Phillippa Giles, Laura Mackie
Original Music by Martin Phipps
Editing by Kristina Hetherington
Costume Design by Mike O’Neill

“Thanks to a sharp script, which just about shoehorns Mrs Gaskell’s expansive novel into four episodes, and convincing performances from all the leading characters ... North & South is an intelligent, moving, thought-provoking and visually striking adaptation, traditional TV drama at its best.” -The Times

“Compelling ... may well be the period drama hit of the year ... We often hear about the north/south divide. Here it is in its rawest form.” Sunday Express

“Handsomely filmed and full of compelling social issues, this four-part series should attract a large audience ... Daniela Denby-Ashe is fascinating to watch as the confused Margaret and she is surrounded by a strong cast.” -Observer

“...beautifully wrought ... The principle theme of North And South ... could have been ripped from today’s headlines.” -Sunday Express

“Class drama.”- Daily Star

“Mrs Gaskell’s North & South still packs a punch ... As Margaret, Daniela Denby-Ashe has the requisite freshness (and, as time goes on, perhaps the toughness), and this is a costumer that should live up to BBC standards.” -Financial Times

“Programme of the Week.The BBC does costume dramas exceptionally well ... Armitage is smouldering.”- Daily Mail