Caroline Arless is out of debtor’s prison and back home in Lark Rise, as the series based on the novels by Flora Thompson, and adapted by Bill Gallagher, concludes. However, she doesn’t get the warm welcome she’s expecting.

Queenie blames her for being absent when her young son died of measles and Alf is sceptical that Caroline has put her feckless ways behind her and that she is back to stay. Minnie, on the other hand, assumes that, with Caroline back to look after her children, it’s only a matter of time before Alf comes to propose.

When Minnie discovers that Alf can’t contemplate marriage while his siblings need him, and while his mother is still getting herself into trouble, Minnie is heartbroken. Is she brave enough to stand up to the fearsome Caroline and take charge of her own fate? And will Alf ever feel free to cast off his burdens and embrace happiness?

Over in Candleford, meanwhile, Thomas has returned from a visit to his sisters’ to discover a cold and distant Margaret. She snaps at everything he says and criticises his every deed. What can be the reason behind her new-found loathing of her once beloved husband?

Elsewhere, Gabriel has finally completed his machine and, after mounting an impressive demonstration, farmers are clamouring to purchase his ground-breaking invention. Not everyone in Lark Rise welcomes the arrival of progress to the hamlet, though. Queenie, especially, fears what it will do to their simple way of life.

Dorcas is initially thrilled at Gabriel’s success, until she realises that it will inevitably mean his departure from Candleford. It forces her to look into her future and ask herself what she truly wants. But will she find the courage to reveal her deepest feelings and how will Gabriel respond?

Caroline Arless is played by Dawn French, Queenie Turrill by Linda Bassett, Alf Arless by John Dagleish, Minnie by Ruby Bentall, Thomas Brown by Mark Heap, Margaret Brown by Sandy McDade, Gabriel Cochrane by Richard Harrington and Dorcas Lane by Julia Sawalha.

Lark Rise To Candleford is simulcast in HD on BBC One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.

Monday 30 January

8.30-9.00pm BBC TWO

Twister (Karl Johnson) feels hard done by

The fair has come to town, and there’s much cause for celebration as the series based on the novels by Flora Thompson, and adapted by Bill Gallagher, continues. Alf has been crowned champion in the shin-kicking contest, and Queenie has won a whole pig! Twister can’t wait for the delicious meals to come, so when Queenie offers to share the pig with Lark Rise without telling him, and seems to treat the pig better than him, Twister begins to feel very hard done by.

Alf is wallowing in the glow of his victory at the fair. But Minnie is tormented by her suspicion that he cheated, causing the pair to have their first real row. Can they put it behind them, or does this spell the end for their romance?

Over in Candleford, Thomas is furious with himself after failing to defend Margaret when her looks are unwittingly slighted by Ruby and Daniel. He becomes determined to restore her honour, but he finds it harder than he thought to get satisfaction.

Dorcas, meanwhile, invites Gabriel to lodge in the post office. She soon regrets her decision when Gabriel turns out to be a less-than-perfect houseguest, monopolising her home with work on his machine.

When news gets out in Candleford that Queenie’s pig is a prized Berkshire, everyone tries to persuade Twister to sell them a cut of the meat. When Queenie discovers that not only has Twister sold the pig out from under her but that he has spent all the money, she banishes him to the pig sty. And when the folks of Candleford come to inspect their investment, she insists that the pig is not for sale. How will they decide who owns the pig? Will Twister win back Queenie’s affection? And can the secret gift Gabriel has for Sydney mend his rift with Dorcas?

Julia Sawalha plays Dorcas Lane, Olivia Hallinan plays Laura Timmins, Richard Harrington plays Gabriel Cochrane, Ben Aldridge plays Daniel Parish, John Dalgleish plays Alf Arless, Ruby Bentall plays Minnie, Victoria Hamilton plays Ruby Pratt, Linda Bassett plays Queenie Turrill, Karl Johnson plays Twister Turrill, Mark Heap plays Thomas Brown, Sandy McDade plays Margaret Brown and Edward Darnell-Hayes plays Sydney.

Lark Rise To Candleford is simulcast in HD on BBC One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.

Thomas is euphoric when he is given the job of organising the church bazaar, as the series based on the novels by Flora Thompson, and adapted by Bill Gallagher, continues. But his joy soon evaporates when the vicar falls ill and controversial and free-thinking curate Reverend Marley takes charge.

Marley, though, is regarded as a kind and charitable figure by the Lark Risers. Only Emma seems uncomfortable in his presence. Years before, Robert Timmins banned him from their cottage, so she rebuffs the curate’s offers of help while her husband is away.

Meanwhile, Thomas is simmering with resentment towards Marley. When he comes across a snake in the undergrowth while out on his postal rounds, he sees it as a sign that the devil is indeed among them. The snake’s presence causes great excitement.

Emma is totally unnerved by the snake. Having initially been confident she could manage without Robert, she suddenly finds herself unable to face the world. She becomes anxious and fearful for herself and for her children.

Back in Candleford, Laura discovers that Gabriel has found his dead wife’s incriminating letter. Dorcas wonders what his reaction will be to the devastating news of his wife’s infidelity and whether he will blame her for putting the letter into his hands.

When rumours start circulating that Marley has been seen leaving Emma’s cottage late at night, Thomas sees it as confirmation of Marley’s corrupt character, while Alf fears for Emma’s reputation and becomes determined to solve the mystery of why he was banned from the Timmins’s cottage.

Marley comes to visit Emma to try and offer some comfort. But he is met by Alf, who accuses him of compromising Emma’s good name for his own base motivations. The argument escalates and Marley struggles to control his anger.

Thomas Brown is played by Mark Heap, Reverend Marley by Burn Gorman, Emma Timmins by Claudie Blakley, Laura Timmins by Olivia Hallinan, Gabriel Cochrane by Richard Harrington, Dorcas Lane by Julia Sawalha and Alf Arless by John Dalgleish.

Lark Rise To Candleford is simulcast in HD on BBC One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.

When Daniel announces that his newspaper is launching a poetry competition, it sends the inhabitants of Lark Rise and Candleford into a frenzy of creative excitement, as the series based on the novels by Flora Thompson, and adapted by Bill Gallagher, continues.

Laura has high hopes of taking home the trophy and begins writing feverishly; Pearl indulges in plagiarism after her own efforts are found wanting; and even Margaret embarks upon an epic poem based on her husband’s postal rounds.

Laura buys some second-hand poetry books for inspiration and discovers that they once belonged to Gabriel’s late wife. She is shocked to find a letter inside from Liza to her lover, expressing regret at having married Gabriel. When Laura shows Dorcas the letter, she is tormented about what to do with it.

Meanwhile, Ruby, still put out by her sister’s fawning over Daniel, begins a malicious rumour that he and Laura have fixed the outcome of the poetry competition between them. Laura is furious with Ruby for questioning her and Daniel’s integrity, and even more annoyed that it has effectively ruled her out of winning the competition.

Over in Lark Rise, Queenie is trying to come to terms with the march of progress. The beautiful lace that she has lovingly made and sold all her life is no longer in demand. And Twister, as usual, seems too preoccupied with his own gripes to notice Queenie’s unhappiness. She at least finds some comfort in sharing her craft with Ruby who, in turn, finds solace in the time spent with Queenie. It makes her reflect on her mischief-making with Daniel, and she determines to put things right.

Dorcas is still sitting on the explosive revelations from Liza’s letter but when Gabriel tells her he has seen a mysterious man leaving flowers at her graveside, and is determined to find out who he is, Dorcas fears it will lead him into a violent confrontation. She decides that the kindest and safest way to proceed is to leave the letter for him to find, and discover the truth for himself…

Later, the winner of the competition is announced and it takes everyone by surprise, even the winner…

Ben Aldridge plays Daniel, Olivia Hallinan plays Laura, Matilda Ziegler plays Pearl, Sandy McDade plays Margaret, Richard Harrington plays Gabriel, Julia Sawalha plays Dorcas, Victoria Hamilton plays Ruby, Linda Bassett plays Queenie and Karl Johnson plays Twister.

Lark Rise To Candleford is simulcast in HD on BBC One HD on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.

8.00-9.00pm BBC ONE and BBC HD

The railway has arrived in Inglestone and, with it, the unsettling news that the post office there is to become the main sorting office for the area, as the latest series of the period drama based on Flora Thompson’s novel comes to an end. Mr Blakestone, the Inglestone postmaster, has long held a grudge against Dorcas, and she fears he may use his new power to undermine her.

Meanwhile, Fisher Bloom has admitted to Daniel that he aims to win Laura back. Laura is confused by her feelings. She loves Daniel, but his apparent ambivalence towards her leads her to question their relationship, and Fisher’s romantic pursuit is beginning to have an effect.

Dorcas invites Blakestone to tea to try to restore good relations, but the postmaster sends Fisher in his place with an ultimatum – sell her post office to Blakestone and the staff will keep their jobs; or he will starve her business by sending mail out directly from Inglestone. Faced with the prospect of her staff losing their positions, Dorcas feels she has no choice but to sell up, even if it means denying Sydney his dream of being postmaster one day. However, when Thomas, Laura and Minnie learn what she is planning, they urge her to resist Blakestone’s blackmail and find a way to fight him.

Daniel is heartbroken at the thought of losing Laura, so finds a distraction in mounting a campaign to help Dorcas. In this, he and Laura have a common cause. As she watches Daniel rallying support in Lark Rise to save the post office, she finds his passion for the cause intoxicating, and realises that she still has strong feelings for him. Fisher may be able to sweep her off her feet with romantic words, but she finally understands that this kind of youthful infatuation is fleeting, and that her love for Daniel is made of deeper, longer-lasting stuff.

Buoyed up by the support of her friends and neighbours, Dorcas comes up with an ingenious plan to outwit Blakestone. However, will she succeed in saving the post office, and will a very important visitor be her saviour?

Dorcas is played by Julia Sawalha, Fisher Bloom by Matthew McNulty, Daniel by Ben Aldridge, Laura by Olivia Hallinan, Sydney by Edward Darnell-Hayes, Thomas by Mark Heap and Minnie by Ruby Bentall.

Lark Rise To Candleford is simulcast on the BBC HD channel – the BBC’s High Definition channel, available through Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.

Mischief Night is approaching, when the residents of Lark Rise and Candleford play tricks on their neighbours under cover of darkness, as the period drama based on Flora Thompson’s novel continues. Laura, however, is in no mood for silly pranks – Fisher Bloom has returned and it has thrown her feelings for Daniel into confusion.

Pearl, too, is unsettled by Fisher’s return. She is fond of Daniel and doesn’t want to see him hurt. So she is horrified when she hears that Daniel has befriended Fisher – unaware of his history with Laura – and convinced him to stay in Candleford to fix his newspaper printing press.

When Laura confesses to Daniel her past relationship with Fisher, he takes it well, but it quickly becomes clear that, for all her protestations, Laura still has feelings for Fisher and Daniel has a rival for her affections.

Dorcas, meanwhile, is excitedly planning a Mischief Night trick on Pearl, but Fisher has news which threatens to cast a shadow over her fun. While working on the new station clock at neighbouring Inglestone, he has heard of possible changes to the postal service in the area – which could spell trouble for the Candleford Post Office. Dorcas is determined not to let it ruin her evening, but the news worries her, nonetheless.

Over in Lark Rise, Alf and Edmund have heard about Fisher’s return. Protective of Laura’s feelings, and suspicious of Fisher’s motives, they hatch a Mischief Night plan to try to make him leave town. Pearl also has a trick up her sleeve, designed to convince Fisher that all hopes of romance with Laura are futile. But their efforts have the opposite effect on Fisher. They all try a bit too hard to convince him of Laura’s love for Daniel, and it makes him believe he must still have a chance with her.

As the locals dart about playing Mischief Night pranks on each other, Fisher notices the Candleford clock has stopped and can’t resist going to the clock tower to investigate. Laura, too, is drawn to the clock tower and, when she and Fisher meet, the atmosphere of Mischief Night works its magic. They talk about old times and dance. Laura is swept up in Fisher’s romantic words, but reality and guilt soon hit her – she remembers how Fisher hurt her in the past and how she now feels about Daniel. She runs off, but the damage is done. Daniel has seen her go into the clock tower and knows she has gone there to see Fisher. He stopped the clock to see what she would do and she has failed the test. Has he lost Laura for ever?

Lark Rise To Candleford is simulcast on the BBC HD channel – the BBC’s High Definition channel, available through Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.

When the local Lark Rise gossip, Mrs Mullins, discovers her daughter, Emily, is pregnant, she jumps to the conclusion that Daniel is the father.

Everyone rallies round to defend Daniel, even Robert and Emma, refusing to believe Mrs Mullins’s accusations. Laura, too, is supportive and pleads with Emily to reveal the true identity of her baby’s father. But Emily seems determined to keep the truth to herself, despite it fuelling the gossip about Daniel. Daniel is heartened by Laura’s faith in him but, when she receives a mysterious letter, Laura becomes pre-occupied and distant, and he wonders if she has begun to doubt him.

Meanwhile, at the post office, Dorcas is handing out bonuses to her staff. Minnie is delighted by her windfall and decides to offer the money to Alf, believing it will help to relieve his burdens. Instead, he angrily refuses her offer, his pride hurt. Later he wonders at the intensity of his reaction.

Mrs Mullins is telling anyone who will listen that Daniel is the baby’s father, and when he starts to behave suspiciously and is seen giving money to Emily in the newspaper office at night, even Dorcas starts to wonder if Daniel may indeed have a charge to answer. When she sees a telegram to Emily’s wealthy employers, confirming travel arrangements for their son, she goes to see Emily, who confirms her suspicions that Master Raymond is the father.

Despite Dorcas’s efforts to persuade Emily to tell her mother the truth, she is still scared of what her reaction will be. Mrs Mullins is furious at Dorcas’s interference, and when she finds Emily in possession of a large sum of money, she assumes it has come from her. When Dorcas denies it and points out the most likely source, Mrs Mullins finally realises her mistake about the identity of the baby’s father. With Queenie’s help, Emily at last finds the courage to explain the whole story to her mother – that she had hopes of Master Raymond marrying her, and had used Daniel as a go-between.

After a public apology from Mrs Mullins, Daniel’s reputation is restored in Candleford, but Laura is still acting strangely. When Dorcas questions her, she reveals that the letter she has received is from her former love, Fisher Bloom. He is writing with the news that he is returning and it has shaken Laura to the core.

Daniel is played by Ben Aldridge, Robert by Brendan Coyle, Emma by Claudie Blakley, Laura by Olivia Hallinan, Dorcas by Julia Sawalha, Minnie by Ruby Bentall and Alf by John Dagleish.

When the Lark Rise school loseWeight Exercises its teacher, Emma steps in and discovers a talent she never knew she had, as the period drama based on Flora Thompson’s novel continues. 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?

Lark Rise To Candleford is simulcast on the BBC HD channel – the BBC’s High Definition channel, available through Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.