Mapp and Lucia (2014 TV series)
Mapp and Lucia is a British drama television series that was first broadcast on BBC One from 29 to 31 December 2014. The three-part series, adapted by Steve Pemberton and directed by Diarmuid Lawrence, is based on E. F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia collection of novels.[1][2] The series features an ensemble cast, with British actresses Miranda Richardson and Anna Chancellor playing the eponymous characters Elizabeth Mapp and Emmeline 'Lucia' Lucas. It is set in the Sussex coastal town of Tilling, based very closely on Rye, East Sussex, where it was filmed and where Benson lived. Although attracting modest viewing figures, the series received positive reviews from critics.
| Mapp and Lucia | |
|---|---|
 Part one titlecard | |
| Genre | Comedy-drama |
| Based on | Mapp and Lucia by E. F. Benson |
| Written by | Steve Pemberton |
| Directed by | Diarmuid Lawrence |
| Composer | Kevin Sargant |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Lisa Osborne |
| Producer | Susie Liggat |
| Production locations | Tilling, Rye, East Sussex, England, United Kingdom |
| Cinematography | Dirk Nel |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | BBC Drama Production |
| Release | |
| Original network |
|
| Picture format | 16:9 1080i |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 29 December – 31 December 2014 |
Cast
- Anna Chancellor as Emmeline 'Lucia' Lucas
- Steve Pemberton as Georgie Pillson
- Miranda Richardson as Elizabeth Mapp
- Mark Gatiss as Major Benjy
- Felicity Montagu as Godiva 'Diva' Plaistow
- Gemma Whelan as Irene Coles
- Paul Ritter as Reverend Kenneth Bartlett
- Poppy Miller as Evie Bartlett
- Nick Woodeson as Mr Wyse
- Pippa Haywood as Mrs Wyse
- Katy Brand as Hermione 'Hermy' Pillson
- Joanna Scanlan as Ursula 'Ursy' Pillson
- Frances Barber as Amelia, Contessa di Faraglione [3]
- Jenny Platt as Foljambe
- Gavin Brocker as Cadman
- Soo Drouet as Grosvenor
- Susan Porrett as Withers
- Harish Patel as Guru/Gupta
Episodes
| Episode | Title | Directed by | Written by | Airdate | UK viewers (in millions)[4] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Diarmuid Lawrence | Steve Pemberton | 29 December 2014 | 4.87 | |
| It is 1930 and in the quaint Queen Anne village of Tilling (which is by, but not quite on, the sea) all seems as quiet as a mill pond. But its eccentric inhabitants exist in a world seething with gossip, faddishness and petty one-upmanship. From her centrally located house, Mallards, Miss Elizabeth Mapp reigns supreme over them all. Until, that is, the arrival of Mrs Emmeline 'Lucia' Lucas. With her passion for music, art and high culture of all kinds, Lucia is quite an addition to Tilling's social scene. It's not long before Mapp is indulging in all kinds of foul plots to undermine her accomplished tenant. | ||||||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Diarmuid Lawrence | Steve Pemberton | 30 December 2014 | 2.92 (overnight) | |
| The Tilling Summer Exhibition provides Lucia with a new battlefield to conquer. With pencils sharpened and easels at the ready, she and Georgie prepare to amaze their new friends with their artistic ability, whatever lengths they have to go to for success. Their triumphs leave Mapp gnashing her teeth with fury until an exotic visitor passing through Tilling provides her with an opportunity to start a new trend. Lucia may have won the artistic heart of Tilling, but Mapp will fight back for their souls and waistlines. Only Georgie's frightful sisters, it seems, can rain on her parade. | ||||||
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Diarmuid Lawrence | Steve Pemberton | 31 December 2014 | 2.24 (overnight) | |
| While most of Tilling thrills to Lucia's artistic accomplishments, Mapp is convinced that her summer visitor is a crashing fraud and sets out to prove it with her usual vigour. Lucia repels an early attack on her musical talent with ease and judicious use of the easier movements of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, and Mapp is forced to open a new front with an all-out assault on her linguistic ability. Suspecting that her tenant's grasp of Italian is limited to the few phrases she may have picked up from occasional trips to the opera, Mapp thrills to the news that Tilling is to be visited by a genuine Italian contessa. This surely will call Lucia's bluff. And when Lucia goes down with a bout of influenza on the very day of the contessa's arrival, all of Mapp's suspicions seem justified... | ||||||
Production
Mapp and Lucia was commissioned by Charlotte Moore and Ben Stephenson for BBC One.[5] Filming took place in and around Rye during the summer of 2014 [6] as well as Kent and East Sussex Railway Station in Tenterden.[7]
The "guru" storyline in episode 2 is taken from E.F. Benson's first Lucia novel, Queen Lucia (1920), with Daisy Quantock being the guru's original sponsor. Transported to Tilling in this series, Diva Plaistow plays the Daisy role in the storyline.
References
- Plunkett, John (28 February 2014). "David Walliams to star as BBC bags Agatha Christie drama deal". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
- Jeffery, Morgan (28 February 2014). "Lenny Henry, Steve Pemberton to write new BBC One dramas". Digital Spy. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
- "Cast announced for BBC One's adaptation of EF Benson's Mapp And Lucia". BBC. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
- "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- "BBC One announces adaptation of EF Benson's Mapp And Lucia". BBC. 28 February 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
- "Mapp and Lucia: Cast Announced: Filming in Rye". www.visit1066country.com. 7 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
- Kent Film Office. "Kent Film Office Mapp and Lucia Article".
