It’s streaming now on the BBC(Image: BBC)
Thos classic and beloved novel has been transformed into a “magical” period drama and it’s available to stream on the BBC now.
Fans of Downton Abbey and period dramas can dive into a “sparkling” BBC mini-series which delves into class divisions and Victorian family drama.
Howards End, based on E.M. Forster’s beloved novel, examines England through the eyes of three families – the affluent Wilcoxes, the warm-hearted Schlegels and the lower-middle-class Basts.
The story has been adapted several times over the years, most famously in the 1992 film featuring Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham-Carter and Anthony Hopkins.
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This particular version was reimagined as a four-part TV series, first broadcast in 2017, in which Margaret (Hayley Atwell) and Helen Schlegel (Philippa Coulthard) strike up a friendship with the wealthy and conservative Wilcox family.
Hayley Atwell plays Margaret Schlegel (Image: BBC)
Margaret develops a deep connection with Ruth Wilcox, the owner of the titular family home, Howards End. On her deathbed, Ruth makes a drastic decision that sends shockwaves through the Wilcox family, particularly her son Henry (Matthew McFayden).
Meanwhile, the Schlegel sisters take it upon themselves to help Leonard Bast, a lower-class clerk. Love, pregnancy and tragedy shake their worlds as the plot builds towards a dramatic climax and a truly shocking conclusion.
One viewer praised the cast’s performances as “sparkling”, writing on IMDb: “Hayley Atwell enchants in this brilliant and faithful BBC adaptation of EM Forster’s great novel. All of the actors are very convincing in their portrayal of multi-faceted characters.
“I didn’t want the show to end. It’s a thorough examination of class and social mores, and the message is not lost in time and very much relevant today in the debate between liberals and conservatives. The human spirit, compassion and love prevail. A must-watch for period drama fans like me.”
Henry Wilcox is played by McFayden and Margaret by Atwell(Image: BBC/Playground Television UK Limited 2017/Laurie Sparham)
Another viewer said: “In regards of race and some of the casting i.e. the housemaid and Jacky Bast, I think they were interesting choices and one Forster would have approved of.
“He was a fierce opponent of racism (especially anti-antisemitism) and, to answer another question a reviewer posed, yes there were black people in Edwardian London, all part of the class struggles of the period.
The 2017 production boasts an impressive ensemble cast, featuring Julia Ormond, Joseph Quinn, Alex Lawther, Tracey Ullman, Rosalind Eleazar, Jonah Hauer-King, Joe Bannister, Sandra Voe and Miles Jupp.
One Rotten Tomatoes reviewer wrote: “I’ve never read the book nor seen any other adaptation, but I love this genre, so I watched. I loved it! For me, a married Hayley Atwell became #wifegoals.
“No man is perfect. No woman is perfect. No society is perfect. But this miniseries was pretty close.”
The series picked up a BAFTA nomination for best mini series in 2018, while Atwell also received a best actress nomination at the Broadcasting Press Guild awards.
Howard’s End is streaming now on Netflix.