About this season
Set in the early 1840s, this is the original BBC miniseries of Elizabeth Gaskell's classic tale of a fictional Victorian country village in which the genteel ladies of Cranford struggle to face an uncertain future with dignity and 19th Century decorum.
Episodes (4)
1. Part 1
Aired 26 November 1972 • 45 min
In Cranford all the householders above a certain rent are women. They are the architects of the town's social image. Occasionally a man breaks into the circle, with interesting results.
2. Part 2
Aired 3 December 1972 • 45 min
Miss Matty takes up again with a dear old friend and the ladies are excited to learn of the impending arrival of Lady Glenmire.
3. Part 3
Aired 10 December 1972 • 45 min
Crime comes to Cranford and starts a wave of terror. Lady Glenmire shocks the ladies by her indecorous behaviour.
4. Part 4
Aired 17 December 1972 • 45 min
Miss Matty is forced into a way of life that is distasteful to her. Hearts beat faster when a well-loved face, long absent from the town, suddenly reappears.