Without-Feathers.com

The Barchester Chronicles (1982)

TV Review
September 13, 2006

I’ve only read one of the books (Barchester Towers, the sequel to The Warden), so I can’t vouch for the veracity of the first part of the series; the second part, however, was definitely not as accurate as BBC book-to-TV series usually are. It wasn’t awful, mind you, but they did leave out some major details as well as some minor ones; Mr. Arabin, for instance, is an important character in the second book, but only gets about three scenes in the series—which is confusing if you haven’t read the book, as he plays a major role in the story’s ending. Other than that, though, I thought the series worked quite well. It helps to know something of the ranks of the Anglican clergy (don’t confuse your bishops with your deacons!), but you’ll get the gist of things even without. The cast, as usual, is incredible; Donald Pleasance is sweetly perfect as the gentle Mr. Harding, Susan Hampshire makes a rather queer-looking but remarkably effective seductress, Geraldine McEwan is terrifyingly tyrannical as the new bishop’s domineering wife—but it’s a young Alan Rickman who steals all his scenes as the slimy, sibilant Obadiah Slope. He’s all arched brows and smarmy smiles as he worms his way through the politics of his religion; you can almost feel his sweaty handshakes as described in the book. It’s impossible not to compare the slippery Slope with Snape, and Rickman’s performance alone makes the series worth seeing. I would, however, recommend the book first, both because it adds necessary dimension to the story and because Trollope’s hilarious narration is not to be missed.