Lark Rise to Candleford: The Complete Season Two

The 2008-09 second season of the BBC series based on Flora Thompson's semi-autobiographical trilogy about late-19th-century life in rural Oxfordshire doesn't quite equal the first, but fans will nevertheless surely enjoy the 11 lushly produced, exquisitely filmed, and expertly acted episodes collected here. Once again the focus is on Thompson surrogate Laura Timmins (Olivia Hallinan), a girl from the rustic village of Lark Rise who's gone to the nearby town of Candleford to work in the post office owned by her cousin Dorcas (Julia Sawalha), who acts in many respects as a community den mother. And once more both women are involved in romances—Dorcas, reluctantly, with James (Jason Merrells), a returning native son, and Laura with a traveling engineer whom James hires to build a clock for the town tower. But in neither case does the course of love run smoothly, and while two weddings take place, they involve other characters, of whom there are many, such as Laura's stonemason father and dutiful mother; Dorcas' fussily religious deliveryman, who is romantically drawn to the late vicar's daughter; Lark Rise's resident matriarch, Queenie, and her tipsy mate, Twister; and more. While some may consider this to be just another high-toned period soap opera, it's perfectly delectable nonetheless. DVD extras include a 75-minute standalone Christmas special, five featurettes on narrative themes, and two “behind-the-scenes” shorts. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)