74 Responses for "BBC One confirms third series of Lark Rise To Candleford"

1. Lexy March 6th, 2009 at 12:58 pm 1

   Woop Woop – fantastic news and great comments from the press.
   Although doesn’t 2010 sound an absolute age away?!

2. Nadine March 6th, 2009 at 1:59 pm 2

   YEEEEEEHAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!
   Now I can really relax lean back and ENJOY the last 2 episodes this year

3. Miss_Rose March 6th, 2009 at 2:32 pm 3

   Yay!!!!!!

   *Does a silly little dance and hugs nearest person…!*

4. trevor March 6th, 2009 at 10:04 pm 4

   Great news about series 3

5. Elizabeth Bennet March 6th, 2009 at 10:36 pm 5

   Great news! Shame we have to wait until 2010 to see it though!

6. mystic March 8th, 2009 at 11:47 am 6

   I am so thrilled at this news as I’m already bereft at the thought of this series ending. it may be reported as a Sunday evening ‘feel good’ drama but I find that every single episode touches me in places I had long forgotten and almost always reduces me to tears. I now know that it is the community spirit in which young and old, manipulative and genuine all respect and invest in each other’s well being. Something that is sadly missing in our society today and from somewhere in the past, I desperately miss.

7. DAES March 8th, 2009 at 3:51 pm 7

   FANTASTIC NEWS, I REALLY LIKED THE REPLY BY MYSTIC AS I FEEL THE SAME WAY, IF ONLY OUR SOCIETY WAS HALF AS GOOD, I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THIS SHOW, WELL DONE BBC FOR THE THIRD SERIES {=0} {=0}

8. lynda March 8th, 2009 at 6:12 pm 8

   Screaming very loud with joy!!! i am so happy!

9. DAES March 8th, 2009 at 6:26 pm 9

   ALSO AS A SATELLITE SUBSCRIBER I HAVE OFTEN RESENTED PAYING £140 FOR THE BBC CHANNELS IN THE FORM OF A TV LICENCE BUT IF THEY CONTINUE MAKING THE BEST PERIOD DRAMA IVE EVER SEEN AND THE BEST PROGRAM ON ALL MY 300+ CHANNELS THEN MY £140 IS VERY WELL SPENT. {=0}

10. Lexy March 16th, 2009 at 6:39 pm 10

    I do hope that JD returns. That’s all I’m asking for – not much really, is it?!

11. misslane March 16th, 2009 at 8:49 pm 11

    I’m so happy! Lark Rise to return! I agree – Lark Rise makes you think – theres so many layers to it and hidden meanings – it’s just a beautifully made and written series that deserves its third slot. Only wish Mr Dowland hadn’t disappeared into the sunset …

12. Diva March 16th, 2009 at 9:15 pm 12

    What wonderful news that this wonderful drama is continuing. Long may the BBC continue to make the best costume dramas in the world. Lots of long-forgotten, homespun wisdom which helps us to remember what really matters in this world… First-class entertainment and a real heartwarmer for a Sunday night – roll on 2010. In the meantime I shall be reading the books.

13. Jen March 16th, 2009 at 11:08 pm 13

    I have only just discovered lark rise to candleford and catching up on iplayer. I love period dramas, but this has to be the most endearing, heart warming, watchable programme on tv that I have ever had the pleasure to view. High praise, but not enough for this show. I’m just so glad there’s another series, I feel like I’m saying good bye to friends!

14. LOVE Laurence Oliver! (And Lark Rise to Candleford) March 17th, 2009 at 6:07 pm 14

    YAYAYYAYYAYAYYAYAYAYYAYYAY! CAN’T WAIT!!!!! I love my Sunday evenings when Lark Rise to Candleford is on! So heart-warming and fun! Hopefully the Squire will come back from his VERY long stay in London! (Grrrrr!) But if Dorcus and James HAD got together (WHY!?!??!?!?!?) I wouldn’t need Sir Tim! Honestly…you know you love him Dorcus! And is it me…or does anyone want Laura and Alf to somehow get together!? Damn that Nan girl! Come on 2010…you can never come too soon!

15. LOVE Laurence Olivier! (And Lark Rise to Candleford) March 17th, 2009 at 6:08 pm 15

    Sorry….spelling mistake in ‘Olivier’ in my last comment!!! Totally ashamed of myself! It’s OLIVIER not Oliver! Not that anyone really cares!

16. Debx March 20th, 2009 at 6:11 pm 16

    hey this is a bit random but i was wondering what order you would put the eps in from worst to best mine would be (though this is not completely certain a few i mite change but o well !!):

    1 – 2
    2 – 8
    3 – 3
    4 – 5
    5 – 7
    6 – 12
    7 – 11
    8 – 1
    9 – 9
    10 – 6
    11 – 10
    12 – 4

    i was really stuck where to put ep12 cuz it was v. good but james left and dorcas kinda annoyed me. So i put it in the middle. what order would you put the eps in??

17. Debx March 21st, 2009 at 11:08 am 17

    ^^ o wait i said from best to worst but i put it from best to worst soz!

    ep2 is my fave ep of all time! it has james cum bak and mini come in and the dress! and the bible! it was v.v.v.v.v.v. gd!! loool

18. Mimmi March 21st, 2009 at 1:59 pm 18

    Well my fave wouild be Ep 10 – Pearls 90degree dive in to the hedge was just classic, a fab mix of comedy and sadness in this Episode and the Victoriam Hamilton and Mathilda Ziegler at theri best.

    Next faves:-

    Ep 2, yes hopeless mini, James and Dorcas spark off each other in their night time chat outside the hotel when he tells her to spruce up the hotel.The final scene when Dorcas scolds mini but shows her caring side.

    Ep 8 – wonderful acting all round and bolstered by Sam Bond guest appearance. Dorcas is all giddy with happines to start then she is gripped by shock when she learns that James has a ‘relationship’ with Celestia, the proposal, the refusal and James’ utter devastation as he rides off to LR. The glimmer of hope at the end when D says she may have been hasty and the steely gaze she gives him as she rides off. Have to say JD looked very D’Arcy esque in his unbottoned white shirt – phwoar, we could have had more of that!

    Ep 5 – Ruby and Dorcas address their pent up maternal feeling, superbly played by both.

    Ep 6 – the romantic in me here, just seeing James gazing at at Dorcas as she composes the letter fro Minnies dad – he really loves her..and then we hahve the soft scene on the stairs (one of the few beteeen them) he tells her she is maginificent and she gazes back slighly coyly but also very pleased.

    After that my least favourite was Ep 9 – awful story line re feud between Fordlow and LR and the ending of JDs hope re Dorcas…the writers could have kept us warm and fuzzy for a little longer.

    The series finale was predictable, in as much we knew T & M would get there in the end, but there is always something with those two. I hated the Dorcas, Sydney and James tug of war, it was played out too quickly..and they sent James away!!!! Mind you the scene with James/Queenie was very touching and made me well up.

    I enjoyed the series very much, there is a big hole in my Sunday nights now. For sereis 3 I want Dorcas to lighten up a bit and get back her sparkle, not be as posh as she was in series 2, she wasn’t like that in series 1. I’d hate a new love interest for her, and would dearly love Sidney to be the uniting force between her and James and that he can return at some stage in the series a new man and Dorcas finally lets herself go.

19. sandijay March 21st, 2009 at 5:12 pm 19

    have to agree ep 2 the best. after that hard to choose. i expected ep 10 to just be a filler episode, but actually turned out to be a wonderful heart tugging story. It is so difficult to choose because the whole cast gives a performance to die for every week. Worth the TV licence fee on its own. Have to agree also about Dorcas getting her sparkle back, and with Sidney there I think there is still a long way to run with the JD storyline.

20. Anastasia March 24th, 2009 at 11:38 pm 20

    I seriously can’t wait for series 3, 2010 is way to far….. i loved every episode except when it goes wrong for JD and Dorcas, i’m still getting over it! Hopefully love will mend it and they can get together properly…..i loved how dramatic it was though, props to the actors! I would hate another love interest for Dorcas, JD is perfect, AND his son loves Dorcas- a family ready and waiting I think.

21. Debx March 25th, 2009 at 7:38 pm 21

    ^^ couldn’t agree more!!! loool!
    some ppl want sir timothy 2 cum bak and ive watched series1 first 5 eps (i missed series 1 but will get it on DVD!!) and i would feel really guilty if he came back without Adelaide – she didn’t do anything wrong except marry a guy who we all wanted to get with Dorcas! and you can see she knows Timothy loves/loved Dorcas! i would feel way too guilty to be happy!
    i also think that JD and Dorcas are better suited as they wind each other up and are not afraid to say what they think about each other to the other persons face! also like you sed Sydney likes Dorcas!!! and Dorcas loves Sydney!

    its destined!! xx

    JD AND DORCAS!!

22. Mimmi March 26th, 2009 at 10:04 am 22

    Agree JD and Dorcas are a better match, she is the daughter of a self-made man who started with nothing and JD has brought himself up from nothing (OK with some help) to being a successful/go ahead businessman. I too enjoyed their banter – quite believable…I hate you/dislike you, but no I really fancy you subtext.

    I guess the only thing is that JD lost Dorcas’ trust and he also humiliated her, so is the situation redeemable? Have they sent him away for him to come back a better person, or has his character in the series served a purpose?…seems such a waste of an investment of 11 episodes to get rid of him so callously as they did in ep12

23. Vicky March 26th, 2009 at 5:02 pm 23

    JD and Dorcus!!!!! And Alf and Laura!!!!!!!!

24. Debx March 26th, 2009 at 8:05 pm 24

    Yeah i agree! much too soon to get rid of a favourite character so quickly! and surely they can’t think that Dorcas would love just any man so James mus be special! he HAS to come back! or else!!

25. Mimmi March 27th, 2009 at 10:39 am 25

    But Debx, I dont think Dorcas does love James now..well as of Ep 12, there was no evidence of that what so ever….maybe she just got carried away with the idea of loving again, but his lies were the tin hat…and now she has Sidney.

    Sad to say, but I do think that JD as a character may well be dead and buried re LRtC……….unless they create a very believable and worthy storyline to bring him back I doubt JM would be interested..he may have other telly projects in the pipeline.

26. Debx March 29th, 2009 at 8:16 pm 26

    I get where your coming from Mimmi but i disagree i think she did love him but now that he’s hurt her she can’t trust him anymore. I agree that james’ character does need to have a massive storyline to bring him back (i was thinking maybe everyone thinks he’s dead but he’s not – making dorcas realise she loves him!! or something to do with the letter that james sent dorcas with the flowers that she never opened cause we didn’t see her throw them away did we?).

    I have just watched all of series 1 on you tube (it was amazing!!) and im supprised no-one has mentioned Mr Delafield as a possible person to come back and marry dorcas, though this is unlikely.

    I just wanted to say i may have referred to sir tim as a prat b4 but now i think dorcas was a prat not to marry him because of status! (i just watched ep10 today was v. good!)

    i think maybe sir timothy was the love of dorcas’ life but that can’t mean we won’t get our happy ending surely! i mean she loved/loves james – maybe not as much as timothy but she does love him.

    though timothy would be perfect for Dorcas i would feel guilty if he left adelaide!

    series 1 has really made me rethink dorcas’ and james’ relationship but i think its stupid that they’ve had 3 different lovers for dorcas – none of which she has married!! :@ so James and Dorcas should get together!

    btw soz if ive made no sense (saying 1 minute sir timothy is the best, then mr delafield b4 saying she should be with james, but im have mixed emotions at the moment on her relationships! sorry!)

27. Mimmi March 30th, 2009 at 8:58 am 27

    Debx – Sir T was Dorcas’ first love – always have memories, but she has to get over him as most of us do. At the end of series 1 she realsied that when Lady A was pregnant, she knew it was not right for her and Sir T to be fanning the embers of their feelings for wach other.

    Mr D was a quick, exciting, flash in the pan rebound from Sir Tim……it’s hard to know if he’d have caused Dorcas more troube, but she sure did let herself go with him.

    JD in my book is still on the right level for D and it would be a union where they’d each benefit from the other – JDs forward thinking and eagerness to embrace change and Dorcas’ love of people and the arts could widen his horizons. The writers started with a slow burn with these two but really didn’t allow us to see the relationship develop any depth before D was giddy and contemplating a proposal from JD. If the writers save us from a new realtionship for D in series 3, the one way forward would be for JD to return a ‘new man’ and re-kindle his relationship with D, sharing the common bond of a love for Sydney.

28. Debx March 30th, 2009 at 4:27 pm 28

    i totally agree with you mimmi! its just that i watched series1 and all they way through i was thinking ‘i hate you timothy!’ because i didn’t want dorcas to love him instead of james (ok she hadn’t met him yet but still!!) and thought he wouldn’t marry her because of status!!! (which made me call hima prat!) but when i heard in ep10 that dorcas refused timothy i was completely messed up! i mean i thought bad of timothy because i thought he wouldn’t marry her! then i find out its the other way round!!

    i think it could have worked between sir timothy and dorcas, but not with dorcas and mr delafield. he was, as you say, a quick exciting flash in the pan after the rebound with tim.

    I have realised that, despite finding out about dorcas’ stupidty with thinking her marrying timothy would be the ‘ruin’ of him, james is probably more suited.

    but who knows? maybe next series they’ll bring in a irresistable man (even better then james) and we’ll think their destined and forget about james?? (though i hope not! im sure there is still a storyline! right!)

    btw agen im sorry if im saying one thing one minute and the opposite the next! i just do that – its my one weakness! lol!

29. MsGee April 1st, 2009 at 12:08 am 29

    Its good to see the fans keeping the LRTC fires burning. I too was thinking (like Debx) that perhaps Dorcas will find the letter that came with the flowers and it will spark something. I wonder if Sidney will have something to do with bringing JD and DL together. Surely JD is going to visit his son? The writers can’t have devoted nearly all of Series 2 to JD/DL with such an unsatisfactory ending? They’ve got to bring JD back – make JM a fantastic offer that he can’t refuse; and for goodness sake, don’t introduce another suitor for DL.

30. Mimmi April 4th, 2009 at 12:26 pm 30

    Hmm, well the poster on DS who said she was Julia Sawahla said that they filmed a scene where Dorcas throws the note into the fire, but they didn’t use it – that may have been an editing issue I guess, no time or maybe it didn’t fit with the storyline of ep9. I dont think the letter will re-surface, we have to accept that the writing team for series 3 may start with a blank page and not follow through minute detail from series 2, especialy when the writers for series 2 seemed to gloss over key facts e.g. Dorcas knowing her mother, then not knowing her as she was a baby when she died.

    I think Sydney could well be the bridge between Dorcas and JD, I like the idea of letters written to Sydney talking about his time away and the new things he is learning and appreciatingabout life – Dorcas will of course read these too…if JD were to come back, he’s have to be slightly re-invented. Maybe Sydney will come down with a deadly feaver and JD will have to be called for…there are loads of ways to bring him back and like you MsGee it seems daft to have Sydney in Candleford and for JD to not be mentioned when he was a significant character in series 2 and where there was really no reason for him to leave.

31. x-Edward Cullen stole my heart -x April 8th, 2009 at 6:36 pm 31

    firstly —
    YAHAY!!! more larkrise!!
    secondly — it has potential to be boring without JD in it, and has anyone noticed that JM is on the cast list ON the announcement for the third series on the BBC website?
    WHY WHY WHY did Dorcus turn him down?? It made my heart wrench =(

32. Debx April 8th, 2009 at 8:48 pm 32

    OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG i didn’t notice that (i kinda went into a frenzy when it sed there was a third series loool didn’t read the rest) but he’s in the cast!!!!
    x-Edward Cullen stole my heart -x by you saying that you have made my day

33. Mimmi April 8th, 2009 at 10:22 pm 33

    They still mention Olivia Grant (Lady A) on the BBC listings….sorry to burst your bubble, but JD coming back is by no means certain..no matter how much we wish it to happen.The fact that he has a son in Candleford who he’ll never get to know if the PO people become dominant in his life, seems to be a fact the writers want to brush over.

    Note to Bill Gallagher – viewers are not stupid, would you really bugger off and leave your only blood relative, a son, in the way JD did at the end of ep 12…come on…put it right, bring back JD a few eps into series 3…and give us the endiong we are hoping for.

34. Lily June 1st, 2009 at 2:56 am 34

    Well i am pleased to know 2nd & 3rd series will be made for our enjoyment. I would be pleased for James to come back and a new boyfriend for Laura i do not see her marrying her old friend as sweet as he is. As for Dorcas i thought she should have kept James and i she ends up alone it is her fault or the producers for not finding her a suitable beau. i found her character nice but a little annoying. No way would she have ended up with Sir Tim too much water has gone under the bridge.

35. Mimmi June 1st, 2009 at 4:53 pm 35

    Well I think filming has just started for S3, and I hear reports that it’s for 6 months and 12 episodes again…hopefully plenty of time for JD to ‘find a life worth living’ or sort his head out and go back to see his son…and maybe Dorcas will start to see him in a different light.

    I agree Lily, Dorcas was a tad irritating in S2 – self-richeous and ‘I always know best’, I hope we see her lighter side again in S3.

    I’d like a romance for Ruby or at least a nice story for her and ofcourse I am sure Minnie will cause some trouble..god knows what problems Thomas & Margaret will make for themselves….but Dorcas will be on hand to sort them out, no doubt.

36. Daes265 June 2nd, 2009 at 2:38 pm 36

    If you go to dailymotion.com you can see an interview with Bill Gallagher and Olivia Hallinan and Bill is saying that he has been commisioned for 12 new episodes to be aired in early 2010, stll seems ages away. Great to hear that filming has started though. I think Dorcus’s change in mood in series 2 is due to the fact that its more Bill Gallagher in s2 and less Flora Thompson if you know what i mean. Still the best program on telly though. {=0}

37. Mimmi June 4th, 2009 at 7:34 am 37

    Actually Bill Gallagher only wrote 5 of the 12 eps in series 2, he wrote all 10 in series 1.

    I do hope he dips into forums like this one, not that we want to dictate story arcs, but he can gauge how we feel things are dealt with. For me, Dorcas was way to mumsy in S2, that PO family thing they have going on takes away from that impishness so many of us prefer. The last episode seemed very rushed and actions of certain characters seemed very odd – Dorcas about turn with Sidney outside the hotel was quite shocking and then JD just giving up after a few days and leaving – ‘you accept life, I fight it’..erm, really…leave you only son.

    Anyway, maybe as fans we notice too much of the detail but I do hope the writing and directing in S3 is more consistent.

38. Sherry June 5th, 2009 at 12:36 am 38

    I’m afraid I much preferred Sir Timothy to James. I thought Timothy and Dorcus had much better chemistry. I think James is too inconsistent for Dorcus to spend the rest of her life with. I wouldn’t trust him. My hope for S. 3 is for Timothy’s wife to go bye-bye in some way leaving him with the baby to raise and bringing him back to Dorcus. Series 1 seemed richer than series 2 (although I still enjoyed S.2 very much). Can’t wait for S. 3 to begin!

39. Mimmi June 5th, 2009 at 3:36 pm 39

    Yes, but Bill Gallagher took years to write series 1 – he’ll not have that luxury again. Sir T wanted his bread buttered on both sides and it was right for him to eventually realise he needed to make his marriage work. Poor Lady A, people either want her dead or to give Sir T the old heave ho..that wont happen, it’s late Victorian England.

    I’d hate Dorcas to become a surrogate mother for every waif and stray…she needs to be loved..she needs a man to satisfy her needs!

    I think Series 3 will be interesting because Dorcas has to develop in some way, she’s in danger of becoming too one-dimensional.

40. Daes265 June 9th, 2009 at 7:43 pm 40

    I AM CURRENTLY READING THE BOOKS AND AM AMAZED AT THE DIFFERENCES, I CANT HELP BUT THINK THAT FLORA THOMPSON WOULD LIKE IT TOLD IN A MUCH MORE GRITTY WAY THAN ITS BEING PORTRAYED. VEGITARIAN’S AND PEOPLE OF A NERVOUS NATURE DONT READ THE CHAPTER ON WHAT THEY DID TO PIGS BACK THEN. BUT MAYBE TELEVISION TODAY CAN ONLY SHOW SO MUCH, AND ITS STILL A GREAT SHOW.

41. Sherry June 10th, 2009 at 12:29 am 41

    Mimmi: I agree, I don’t want poor Dorcus to become a foster mom to every kid. It’s unfortunate that they saddled her with Sydney for next season. Not sure if you ever watched The Brady Bunch, but they killed the show when they brought in a young, precocious kid named Oliver (who looked like a miniature John Denver). It was awful! I also don’t want Dorcus turned into a sappy, teary-eyed mama with this child. Let her stay edgy! And, yes, she needs a man who is worthy of her.
    Daes265: I just bought the books but haven’t started them yet. Something to look forward to!

42. Mimmi June 10th, 2009 at 8:29 pm 42

    Yuck, Brady Bunch avoided that show like the plague. Dont get me started on Sydney..what was the point of introducung him?….maybe all will be clear in the next series, but I worry he was just part of driving the plot – instigating the exit of JD and satisfying Dorcas’ maternal yearnings without the need for her to find man…hate it hate it.

43. Sherry June 11th, 2009 at 12:59 am 43

    I don’t get the whole Syndney plot device either. I’m hoping they’ll realize their mistake and have daddy come take him away at the beginning of next series. Let’s hope enough fans are complaining about him to get rid of him!

44. Daes265 June 11th, 2009 at 12:11 pm 44

    I thought i was a big fan of this show, but ive just been reading some of mimmi’s comments, and i reckon she must be the no.1 fan of the show. {=0} In fact ive come to the conclusion that she is olivia hallinans mum. Mimmi are you Mrs.Hallinan {laugh out loud} {=0}

45. Mimmi June 13th, 2009 at 1:57 pm 45

    LOL, why Mrs Hallinan?….Laura isn’t even one of my fave female characters.

    Sherry – maybe Sydney will become gravely ill in S3 or starts to embezzle funds from the PO, in either case JD will have to come back and exercise his fatherly duties.

46. Daes265 June 13th, 2009 at 4:11 pm 46

    Well you can’t be Mrs.Sawalha, although no doubt she is a proud mum Julia has been in the game too long. Sydney the embezzler lol, id be well up for some of that lol. {=0}

47. Daes265 June 13th, 2009 at 4:45 pm 47

    Ok Bill Gallagher, top tips for series 3 lol {=0}, Sydney the embezzler and Frank Timmins {dodgy poacher} start a crime wave in candleford, they enlist the Arless kids into a Oliver Twist type gang. Meanwhile Thomas Brown is devastated after his beloved new wife runs off with Cabbage Patterson, Thomas throws away his bible and becomes a Fagin type character. {=0} maybe not.

48. Mimmi June 26th, 2009 at 7:51 pm 48

    A wee bit of news on S3

    http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/4461976.Corsham_dead_tree_is__ideal__for_BBC_period_drama_scene/

49. Sherry June 28th, 2009 at 4:27 pm 49

    Oooh, finally some news!! Thanks, Mimmi!

50. Daes265 July 2nd, 2009 at 8:05 am 50

    great stuff mimmi well done {=0}

51. Princess Peach July 3rd, 2009 at 3:50 pm 51

    Ooooh how exciting. A tree! Wonder what it means… Hope no-one is underneath….. Nooooo not JD!

52. MiaLove August 16th, 2009 at 12:41 am 52

    Hello fellow fan’s , realise I’m a little late in this discussion , but I really hope JD comes back . Forget Sir.Tim and the school teacher . Dorcas sparkles with James they have a magnetic chemistry together. JD ’s departure sucked. I really want Dorcas & James to be a happy married couple. And I’m not the only one there is a Twitter fan page devoted to them called DorcasAndJames so check it out . Is there some kind of a way we the Fan’s can let the writer’s know that we love Dorcas and James and want them to get together. What was in the letter James wrote to Dorcas? Any info fan’s on latest news? XOXO .

53. Daes265 August 29th, 2009 at 3:03 pm 53

    WHAT IS AMAZING ME IS THAT THE BEEB HASNT REPEATED SERIES 2 ON ANY OF ITS CHANNELS, UNLESS IVE MISSED IT. COME ON BEEB GIVE THE FANS WHAT THEY WANT, UNTIL THEN IM ENJOYONG FINISHING OFF THE BOOKS {=0}.

54. Mia September 11th, 2009 at 3:04 am 54

    I must be the only one hoping Laura does NOT end up with Alf. Laura is an intelligent young lady going places in life so I think she ought to have a new love interest in series 3. Alf, as endearing as he is, will only ever be a farmer who can barely read and write – he has found his level in the milkmaid, Nan.
    Lord Timothy and Lady Adelaide ought to come back in series 3 – there could be wonderful interplay between the upper and lower classes which was part of the frisson of series 1. I loved Lady Adelaide and wish she could have a bigger part next time. But Timothy is not right for Dorcas as a partner nor is James Dowland. Dorcas’ character values honesty and integrity and Dowland has proved to be anything but – he is a womaniser, fathered a child out of wedlock, lied to Dorcas etc. I would hate for Dorcas to land up with Dowland unless he comes back having gone through a life altering change of character.

    The episode where Dowland languishes around like a spoilt child after Dorcas rejected him proved he is weak and not worthy of Dorcas. Instead of showing Dorcas his strength and trying to court her in a manly way, he chose instead to send one pathetic bunch of flowers and a note and hiding in his hotel waiting for the woman to come to him. What a wimp – good riddance Mr Dowland.

    Dorcas came to this realisation which is why she told him a second time “friends and nothing more”. Personally I think Dorcas is the sort of woman who would in reality not have married at all.

55. Sherry September 12th, 2009 at 4:34 pm 55

    Excellent post, Mia! I totally agree with you on all points (except I loved the chemistry between Sir Timothy and Dorcas and wish he’d come back. Guilty pleasure, I know, as Dorcas would never carry on with a married man). I never thought Alf was right for Laura either, but I do enjoy their friendship. I never warmed to James at all and definitely don’t think he’s right for Dorcas. He’s got way too much baggage.

56. MiaLove September 16th, 2009 at 12:43 am 56

    I love James Dowland . I love that he is so proud of his Lark rise hertiage . Yes he’s been bad more naughty bad than truly horrible bad . It’s worth bearing in mind with-out this slight edge there would have been no sydney and James loves & is so proud of Sydney .
    JD had it tough as a kid . His father deserted him and his very sick Mother , they were both very poor . After James Mother passed the lovely Queenie looked after him . This harsh childhood explains his drive to make it in life .
    I thought it really sweet that James alway’s noticed Dorcas as a young boy . When Dorcas was ill It became very clear to the viewer that JD could not bear to lose her and was very much deeply in love with Dorcas .
    I think that James Dowland deserves a second chance his character has come a long way from lonely poor child to rebel teenager to modern self-made man . Despite all his triumph’s he returned to his root’s seeking to secure a loving family and home . Falling deeply and passionately in love with the very fine Miss.Lane .
    Dorcas may have felt she was being made a fool off . But I could’nt disagree more . Yes James Dowland may have had a past but it was past…Her reaction was based on his past rather than seeing the man standing in front of her who was clearly , truly and deeply in love with her . He was willing to give up every-thing that he had for her love .
    All that love and passion that’s honset that’s worth a second chance . xoxo .
    P.S I still want to know what was in that letter and love the DorcasAndJames page on twitter .

57. Mia September 16th, 2009 at 3:32 am 57

    Thanks Sherry, glad to know there is another person who shares my views of the characters. Yes, I agree the friendship between Laura and Alf is lovely and something to be admired. But as you say it ought to stay at that.

    I did enjoy the relationship between Dorcas and Timothy but I really liked Adelaide too much to stomach a full blown affair between her husband and Dorcas.

    MiaLove I understand where you are coming from on this and agree that James Dowland has much to commend him. But if he was so passionately in love with Dorcas then his one pathetic attempt to win her after he had caused her humiliation is not indicative of a consuming passion. One little letter and bunch of flowers, not even delivered in person, is rather childlike and wimpish. My own real life husband courted me for a year from another country across the globe and battled great odds to get us together. So I do feel entitled to view James’ love and his expression of it a poor show.
    And any man who argues and insults the lady of his choice they way James does in the last few episodes is not a man I would spend the rest of my life with – Dorcas seemed to feel the same way !

58. MiaLove September 16th, 2009 at 6:32 pm 58

    So cool that I get to chat with such lovely Lark rise to candelford fan’s .
    Mia , I see where your coming form . I was a little upset about how the writer’s of the show portrayed JD toward’s the end , because I feel it did’nt ring true to how his character was written previously . However I like to think that James Dowland is not a lost cause . I think there was alot of hurt pride on both Dorcas and James side .
    Despite all of James fault’s I really do believe that James Love for Dorcas was true .
    I have to agree with you that the character could have fought for Dorcas’s love alot harder . I would love to have seen that and am hoping for that in season 3 . I really did’nt agree with how the writer’s kind of gave up on him as a character . I hope he get’s a second chance in the show because I really loved Dorcas and James together .
    May I also say how lovely that your husband fought for your love , that’s so romantic , that’s the kind of style we need to see from JD xoxo .

59. Mia September 20th, 2009 at 5:50 am 59

    Thanks MiaLove for the compliment about my husband. I still have all the letters he wrote me for the year of our long distance courtship. So I was wondering during Larkrise series whether Dorcas kept James’ letter (attached to the flowers)? I agree with you, the character of James did seem to fizzle out halfway through the second series. I rather fell for him myself at first ! Perhaps it is my personal likes and dislikes in men coming to the fore but I cannot forgive James for his boorish and rude behaviour to Dorcas. We can only wait and see whether he comes back in series three without the bad attitude and a new spark to win over Dorcas.
    However I do feel a man (husband or otherwise) should not be ungallant enough to call up a woman’s shortcomings the way James Dowland does regularly. It will not make for a happy marriage. Perhaps the writers can get James back to how he was originally through some life changing experience.
    What do you think of the relationship between Dorcas and Thomas the postman? I like the reciprocal acceptance and respect these two have for each other.
    Oh and sorry if my choice of username is similar to yours, but I use it on several other forums and don’t want to change now.

60. MiaLove September 21st, 2009 at 12:32 am 60

    Hi Mia ‘
    Good to hear from you , hope your well . No worries on the username it was given to me as a nick name .
    I really hope James is back in season 3 , don’t think I could bare a reunion with Sir.Tim or the school teacher or yet another love intrest , that would drive me mad .
    Glad to know I’m not the only one who noticed that the writing of James character was abit all over the place , as to lead the audience to be confused at times .
    I really hope the purpose of James character was’nt just to deliver a child to Dorcas . It’s unfair to the audience to build up our hopes then mislead us .
    I hated the final episode “life worth living”end , JD riding off in to the sunset , none of it made sense . I felt cheated at the writing .
    I can only hope that James is back in season 3 and completely agree with you that his character is back to how it was orginally written . I would love to see him win Dorcas’s love with charm and spark . About the letter James wrote to Dorcas , now I could be wrong on this , I’m not to sure , but I don’t think she ever opened it , I’m sure their was a cilp where she put it in a drawer unopened . I like to think in that letter James poured his heart out to her .
    As James said to Dorcas “you torture me with possibility” and when it came to the writing I feel they tortured us – the audience with the possibility of these two getting together .
    I really think that the writer’s of show’s ought to be careful when it comes to cliff hanger’s because even though Lark rise is a gem , the beeb don’t alway’s renew show’s , can you imagine if that had been the last ever episode of our lovely Lark rise , I would not have been happy and I think many other fan’s would have felt the same way . What do you think ?
    I love the relationship between Dorcas and Thomas their like family . Their is such sweetness and gentleness between all the post office staff, infact between most of the character’s of the show , which is why I love it so much . That sense of community , true kindness , and genuine friendship .
    Been surfing the net to see if I can find any info on JD coming back , but have’nt found any-thing conclusive, so if you hear any-thing please post . If you have time you should check out the DorcasAndJames page on twitter because there is a lovely music video posted for Dorcas and JD , so you should check it out . If your on twitter you can tweet me , my user name is TabbyQueen . That goes out to all fellow fan’s of Lark rise if your on twitter I’d love to hear from you .
    Nice to chat to you Mia . Best wishes . xoxo .

61. Tessa September 23rd, 2009 at 8:46 pm 61

    Great post MiaLove . I’m new to this Fan site . Big fan of Larkrise .
    Just checked out their Twitter page (DorcasAndJames ) , LOVED the cilp’s and Music Video .
    I am also a mavssive Dorcas and JD fan . I also hope JD is back in series 3 . I would be quite disappointed if he was’nt .
    Take care and tweet soon .
    Lol to all u Lark rise fan’s out-there xoxo .

62. MiaLove October 3rd, 2009 at 10:53 pm 62

    Thank’s Tessa . I could’nt agree with you more . I’m also looking forword to series 3 of Lark rise . I also would be very disappointed if JD was’nt in it , finger’s crossed . Please post if you hear any news or tweet . Chat to you soon. xo .

63. emily good November 16th, 2009 at 8:58 pm 63

    yea! i thought that season two was the last season guess not my fav charcter is miss. ellison

64. emily good November 16th, 2009 at 9:06 pm 64

    AWSOME ‘does happy dance’ CANT WAIT to see how thomas and margrets marragie is doing they r my top two fav charcter i luv episode five one of my fav’s besides ep 4 of seson two my fav part about 2.5 is when baby annie says thomas’s name 2.5 cracks me up

65. Hyder Ali Pirwany December 14th, 2009 at 5:32 pm 65

    Can’t wait to see the third series and more I pray. I love the girls and their costumes. Maybe I lived there in my past life.
    Love, Hyder from Okehampton, Devon

66. guanchaoming January 2nd, 2010 at 1:40 pm 66

    我非常喜欢这部影片，好期待第三季，不过中国大陆第二季就找不到中
    文字幕，有点烦恼。i like it very much, and look forward to the 3rd.but in the china continent,there is no chinese subtitles of the 2rd .what a shame.

67. B Scott January 18th, 2010 at 6:19 pm 67

    Has anybody bothered to read the books? It might be worth your time. Although the teevee adaptation is fine entertainment, it has very little in common with Flora Thompson’s actual written account. I’m afraid the BBC have ’sexed it up’ to appeal to a populist and virtually illiterate masses. Sad, but true.

68. B Scott January 18th, 2010 at 6:34 pm 68

    oops, SORRY!!! That should have read ‘ to appeal to a populist and virtually illiterate mass’!!!!!

    Alf isn’t even IN the original book, Dorcas Lane is a portly middle aged lady with NO romantic attachments whatsoever, and Twister dies early on…in a single sentence.

    It would never have made it to teevee, alas, had it been replicated rather than bastardised.

    Read it, do yourselves a favour, you might actually learn something valuable.

69. Paul Johnson February 5th, 2010 at 2:59 pm 69

    The ‘Lark Rise’ series is a classic, well up to the standard of the adaptations of Trollope’s Barchester Chronicles and, way back, Robert Graves’ Claudius novels. Same reason – fine scripts, expert direction and well-cast actors (with for me one possible exception, though it’s hardly her fault!).

    I’m wondering if Brendan Doyle and Claudie Blakley would be at all interested in devising a show along the lines of the old Apollo Society evenings. I remember seeing Dorothy Tutin, Richard Johnson and Max Adrian, wirth Ossian Ellios (harp) giving an evening of varied readings interspersed with music here in King’s Lynn – very popular.

    In Norwich I know of a Country Music band which could provide that element, and the readings could range from excerpts from Francis Kilvert’s Diary. Thomas Hardy’s satires, John Clare, Rudyard Kipling. Claudie could revel in the social faux pas in a rural skating scene from Kilvert, and Brendan could give an audience the creeps with Hardy’s ghost poem, The Choirmaster’s Burial. These are just two off the top of my head.

    Maybe they wouldn’t be interested, but I think that especially among the greyhaired theatre and concert going public such a show would give a lot of pleasure and pay its way.

70. Mike Willcox February 7th, 2010 at 8:58 pm 70

    I know it’s nothing like the books but the acting’s brilliant and I love it!

71. C February 14th, 2010 at 10:18 pm 71

    My fav are the Pratt sisters. They are so funny- they could have own show. Pearl is interesting coz she is not as heartless as she makes out.

    I agree Dorcas and Sir Tim had better chemistry than that with JD. If JD came back I would like to see him up to his womanizing ways wiv a few other ladies. He’s better that way.

    D was right to give him up but good to remain his friend as she sees that there is some good in him.

    I have read the original books and agree that the as the series has developed the TV show has markedly diverged from the books,. But I am happy wiv that (even tho’ loved books too) and see them as separate entities. In this way the series can continue in new ways after the ’story’ of the book has finished .

72. agneskenya February 15th, 2010 at 6:23 am 72

    I liked Sir Tim, I did, but this relationship was doomed.
    Then, the teacher came along, and I thought he was GREAT. I really, really liked him, and I was disappointed to see him leave. I found him and Dorcas had a great chemistry. But as someone said, it was more something that burns and fades quickly, they might not have been a good match.

    After that JD arrived, and he really didn’t do it for me at first, but he grew out on me, and especially in the ep where his business partner comes along. I thought it showed a more human part of him, a fuller personality.
    And he’s leaving TOO. Ah! I can’t stand it. I want him back at least by the end of S3. Enough with Dorcas love interests, please, have her find hapiness at once!
    In fact she didn’t even try to give him a second chance, they barely talked after the failed proposal. I think she should have at least tried to keep a little of the relationship going, and he definitely should have tried to go see her and not only send flowers.
    But, if there really are only 3 seasons, I certainly hope he’ll be back by the end of it unless he really turns bad in the next 3 eps.

    As for the rest, I LOVE Emma/Robert. Best married couple on TV ever. Twister and Queenie…they make my day, so funny. and Thomas! I shouldn’t be able to stand him, but I actually find him quite amusing.

73. Sherry February 19th, 2010 at 4:06 am 73

    Just found these about episodes 8 and 9 from this website:
    http://tvrage.com/shows/id-17974/episode_guide/3
    Episode 8:
    After receiving a dressmaking commission from Lady Whiteleaf which could save her ailing business, Pearl finds herself panicking. When Enid shows up looking for work it seems Pearl has the answer to her problems. Pearl and Enid soon become close friends. Dorcas is worried though that Pearl is too trusting of Enid. Enid’s antics at a dinner party end up shocking Pearl and she throws her out. When Pearl discovers that Enid has left her husband she decides to tell him where she is but soon starts to have second thoughts.

    Episode 9:
    Emma steps in when the local school loses it’s teacher. Margaret wants the position as well and there is soon a rivalry between the two. Dorcas and Thomas find themselves at odds. Minnie is determined to make Alf notice her.

74. Sherry February 19th, 2010 at 4:12 am 74

    More detailed descriptions of episodes 8 & 9!
    Episode 8
    Sunday 28th February 2010

    Pearl is in a state of panic. She’s received a dressmaking commission from Lady Whiteleaf which could save her ailing business, but without Ruby there is no way she can do the work in time. That is, until Enid, a seamstress looking for a position, arrives in Candleford. Her needlework is exquisite and Pearl’s prayers seem to have been answered.

    In the post office, Dorcas is excitedly showing off her brand-new, state-of-the-art kitchen range, with which she plans to cook a sumptuous Michaelmas feast. But when the range keeps mysteriously breaking down, Dorcas loses her customary cool. She becomes determined to master its secrets if it’s the last thing she does.

    As Pearl and Enid work, the two women forge a touching friendship. Pearl feels free to be herself with Enid and share confidences about her life, while Enid is in awe of Pearl’s independence and strength of character. Enid seems completely at home in Candleford, a place where she feels women can be their own masters. But Dorcas is troubled by the speed of Pearl’s attachment to her new friend, and worries that all is not what it seems with Enid.

    When the first part of Enid and Pearl’s dressmaking commission meets with the approval of Lady Whiteleaf and they are invited for dinner, Pearl is euphoric. They excitedly plan their outfits, but Pearl’s joy turns to shock and outrage when Enid turns up wearing trousers! Enid tries to recruit Pearl to her cause – to free women from the confines of their restrictive clothing – but a mortified Pearl throws her out of the shop.

    When Pearl discovers that Enid is, in fact, a runaway wife and that her husband is offering a reward for her return, her sense of betrayal and humiliation is complete. Enid tells the women of Candleford the story of her stifling marriage and thwarted ambitions, while Pearl storms off to Inglestone to inform Enid’s husband of her whereabouts. But when Pearl encounters Thomas, Daniel and Sydney on the road, she pauses to reflect on her actions, and begins to regret her rejection of Enid. Just then, the seamstress herself turns up and tells Pearl a few home truths about her behaviour, and how it isolates her from her neighbours. But will Pearl be able to forgive Enid, and learn how to be a true friend?

    Episode 9
    Sunday 7th March 2010

    When the Lark Rise school loses its teacher, Emma steps in and discovers a talent she never knew she had. But Margaret, too, feels she is perfectly suited to the role, and an unexpected rivalry springs up. For Margaret, teaching offers a much-needed distraction from the heartbreak of remaining childless; while for Emma it is the chance to feel valued for something other than being a wife and mother.

    Over in Candleford, Dorcas and Thomas are also at odds. Thomas is agitating about his working conditions but, when Dorcas won’t take his grievances seriously, he decides to start a union: The Candleford Post Office Letter Carriers Association, or CaPOLCA. Laura and Minnie are reluctant to join, but Thomas becomes increasingly militant, and relations between him and Dorcas go rapidly downhill.

    Meanwhile, Minnie is on a mission to make herself beautiful so that Alf will notice her, and enlists the help of Laura and Dorcas to transform her. But Minnie’s new-found femininity suffers a blow when she falls over and gets a black eye. How can she face Alf now?

    Despite the misgivings of their husbands, neither Margaret nor Emma will back down, so they are forced to share the role of schoolteacher. But, before long, they have set themselves up in competition with each other in their preparations for the school bazaar, with Emma heading up the boys’ team, and Margaret the girls’. Secretly, they both hope that if they perform their tasks well, it will be an opportunity to impress the school governors and further their teaching ambitions.

    When Dorcas’s dispute with Thomas reaches childish proportions, she turns to Robert to arbitrate a solution. Robert’s intervention builds a bridge between them, and Thomas reveals the underlying reason for his dissatisfaction at work: his struggle to come to terms with Margaret’s apparent willingness to accept their childlessness and embrace a life dominated by work. The day of the school bazaar arrives, but which team will win the school prize and what will it mean for Margaret and Emma’s future plans?