I found this programming surprising and even shocking. The shock is that, alone among British TV productions, it actually casts Americans in a good light. Let's face it, British BBC TV is virulently anti-American. The left-wingers control BBC just like they control CBC, PBS, etc. I've already given up watching many of the most egregious anti-American shows, like Foyle, and grit my teeth while watching others. No worries with My Mother and Other Strangers. The Americans are shown as friendly, courteous and helpful while villagers are often mean-spirited, stupid, and dishonest. They whine and complain about the American airmen who are risking their lives to preserve Moybeg's way of life and very existence. Astoundingly the show even has an American actor playing an American instead of the usual Brit with a bad accent. (Unfortunately, they cancel this out with Kate Phillips and her absolutely horrible accent. I guess two Americans in one show is too much for them). Still, what a breath of fresh air. Of course, this is not a typical British production. It is Northern Irish, not English, and the writer is 70 years, so he has more perspective on history.
Surprisingly, the program is also an engaging drama despite its soap opera elements (including Poldark style music). Syd Field, author of the classic screen writing book, sagely observed that scenes are never good or bad; they either work or don't work. This program shouldn't work but it does. The tone, mood and pace are seductive and Hattie Morahan is just great as a earth mother woman of hidden strength and toughness. She's Mrs. Miniver who isn't afraid to threaten to shoot someone. It also succeeds in the most basic, yet difficult aspect of drama by making you believe that you are watching another time and place that actually existed. Granted, the plot has some glaring discontinuities that leave you thinking, "where did that come from?", but adult TV is so rare that it is easy to forgive.
Surprisingly, the program is also an engaging drama despite its soap opera elements (including Poldark style music). Syd Field, author of the classic screen writing book, sagely observed that scenes are never good or bad; they either work or don't work. This program shouldn't work but it does. The tone, mood and pace are seductive and Hattie Morahan is just great as a earth mother woman of hidden strength and toughness. She's Mrs. Miniver who isn't afraid to threaten to shoot someone. It also succeeds in the most basic, yet difficult aspect of drama by making you believe that you are watching another time and place that actually existed. Granted, the plot has some glaring discontinuities that leave you thinking, "where did that come from?", but adult TV is so rare that it is easy to forgive.