Oh we do love a period drama to lose ourselves in at Christmas time, and this year the BBC are treating us all to an absolute classic.
Here’s everything you need to know about ‘Little Women’.
When is it on?
The series opener in on BBC One on Boxing Day at 8pm and continues on 27 December at 8pm and 28 December at the slightly later time of 8.30pm.
What is it about?
The three-part period drama is based on Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 classic novel that follows the lives of the March sisters Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy on their journey from childhood to adulthood while their father is away at war.
Under the guidance of their mother Marmee, the girls navigate what it means to be a young woman: from gender roles to sibling rivalry, first love, loss and marriage.
Hang on a minute, haven’t I seen this on screen before?
Quite possibly. This isn’t the first time ‘Little Women’ has been adapted for the screen - both big and small.
There have been four movies – two silent films, one in the 1930s and another in the 1940s – as well as four TV series, including a Japanese anime and an American opera. But you’re probably most likely to know the 1994 movie, which starred Susan Sarandon, Winona Ryder and Christian Bale.
Who is in the cast of the latest adaptation?
The sisters are played by newcomer Maya Hawke, Willa Fitzgerald (MTV’s ’Scream’), Annes Elwy (‘King Arthur: Excalibur Rising’) and Kathryn Newton, who you might recognise from ‘Big Little Lies’, and also appears in next year’s much-hyped ‘Ladybird’.
They are supported by Dylan Baker, who plays their father and British actress Emily Watson, who was most recently seen in the BBC’s ‘Apple Tree Yard’.
Elsewhere, Jonah Hauer-King plays the charming next door neighbour Laurie, whilst screen legends Angela Lansbury (‘Murder She Wrote’) and Michael Gambon (‘Harry Potter’) also star.
Where was it filmed?
The three-parter was filmed in Ireland over the summer months.
Can I get a taster?
Step this way...
Why should I watch it?
As well as being a bona fide classic and boasting a fantastic cast, the novel has been adapted by ‘Call the Midwife’ creator, Heidi Thomas.
And If you really liked it…
Hold tight, because there is a big screen version of the story in the works, that puts the March sisters in modern times.