TV REVIEW: The Paradise - Episode 8

It’s here! The end is in sight! The Paradise’ glass doors swung shut on our screens for what I presume (read: hope given the exhaustion of all possible plotlines) to be one last time in episode eight of the department store drama.

The return of French rabble rouser and all round libertine Clemence (Branka Katic) was the main driving force behind the plot, as she turned up with controversial products rouge and dice to be sold at The Paradise. However it transpires that she is deeply in debt, leading to sneaky villain Tom Weston (Ben Daniels), in one of his more oddly Gothic moves, offering to buy all of her debts from her in return for her becoming his mistress. And that’s putting it delicately for Sunday night audiences. Meanwhile, the estranged Denise (Joanna Vanderham) and Moray (Emun Elliott) continue to pine miserably for each other, not appearing any closer to a resolution in their relationship. Things do not appear any closer to being resolved for Katherine (Elaine Cassidy) and Tom Weston either, as even a surprise pregnancy does little to mend their broken marriage. Denise gets involved with Clemence’s plight, and Moray resolves to use the dice to win back both his shop and his friend’s freedom. Hearing the passion and strength which has been missing from his character all series, Denise softens towards him, cooking up a plan which would allow them both their professional freedom, whilst being together again after all. After the wounds on his back are proven to be the marks of cowardice, Weston returns to his wife a broken, humiliated man, and is all the better for it. Denise and Moray are allowed a quick snog as the credits roll, and suddenly that’s it! It’s all over.

Sad as I am that I will no longer be able to visit the department store’s well decorated halls for a bit of well-earned escapism any longer, I’m actually rather pleased it has come to an end. It had begun to wane a little, despite its attempts at darker storylines. It also successfully resolved the career versus marriage theme which had been hanging over the show for weeks, with bright spark Denise managing to find a way to satisfy both sides of her life. I always liked her. Clemence’s re-appearance felt a little too plot device like for me, however without her I’m not entirely sure how everything would have been resolved, so I suppose I must let that one go. The theme of possession has been an interesting one throughout, with Moray’s feelings of ownership towards free spirit Denise causing all manner of problems in their engagement, with this wrapped up nicely in this final episode with him fighting for Clemence’s right not to become a possession, not to mention the question of who owns what bits of The Paradise cropping up at every turn. All this, of course,  was played out in an environment entirely centered on buying and selling.

I’ve always thought The Paradise might be cleverer than it gave itself credit for. It’s been one of the better period dramas in recent years, totally un-overshadowed by ITV’s annoyingly similar Mr Selfridge. Will the latter be able to live up to the gauntlet thrown down by its predecessor’s recent finale?

Only time, and the ringing of the cash registers, will tell.

Jen

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TV REVIEW: The Paradise - Episodes 6 & 7

We’re getting very close to the end of the series now, and boy can you tell. There isn’t a single storyline in The Paradise which hasn’t been ramped up like prices after a mid-season sale over the past two episodes.

Relationships left right and centre were falling apart in Episode 6. As her snarling, sneering husband Tom Weston (Ben Daniels) stepped up a gear or six on the sort of treatment we commonly refer to these days as gaslighting, his wife Katherine (Elaine Cassidy) became, to nobody’s surprise, increasingly  unhappy with her marriage. In her hour of fear and need, due in part to the amount of time they’d spent together lately as part of the plot to drive a wedge between the business partnership of the Westons, she turns to none other than Moray (Emun Elliott). Naturally, the sympathy she’s met with, in the form of a hug (wild!), is witnessed by, you guessed it, her husband. His further abuse serves only to push her back towards Moray, who eventually rejects her, loving Denise (Joanna Vanderham) as he does.

Meanwhile, Weston agrees to sell The Paradise, and Denise and her team meet Lucille Ballentine (Liz White) a newlywed former nurse who, having married Campbell Ballentine (John Duttine), an older and, crucially, much richer man, feels insecure about her role in society, and confides in the girls. Said husband, inspired by Denise, proposes a game changing investment in the store, providing Denise with a much needed solution to give to Moray. Unfortunately, a combination of his pride and troubled state of mind prevent him from seeing it as the boon it clearly is. After Edmund Lovett (Peter Wight) suffers a near fatal heart attack, Moray’s distinct absence from both Denise and her uncle’s side drives the two even further apart.

Episode 7 saw Tom Weston take a turn for the even nastier, resolving that Katherine should take a long and non-consensual holiday to the Alps, keeping her housebound whenever possible and generally undermining her at every turn. Weston then employs a successful photographer, Christian Cartwright (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) to take photographs of The Paradise staff. Attempting to distract herself from the distress of her personal life, Denise works with him to concoct a clever postcard scheme, whereby customers can purchase souvenir photographs of themselves visiting The Paradise. The photographer, however, has eyes only for Clara (Sonya Cassidy). Weston resolves not to sell the store after all, instead taunting the already tortured Moray with his worst fear – the idea that Denise will run the store one day instead of him. Desperate to win back Denise after Katherine’s meddling makes everything much worse, Moray enlists her to help him turn The Paradise into a haunted house, again using the allure of photography to draw customers in. This works temporarily, but Moray’s obvious feelings of possession towards Denise soon undo all his good work.

These were an interesting set of episodes. Katherine continues to prove a formidable figure over all she surveys, so her treatment by her husband, and the woman it is turning her into, proves especially effective. The maze in the Weston’s grounds served as a classy and appropriate backdrop to all the emotional twists and turns of the plot, and we’re left wondering, with some unease, just how far Tom Weston will go to get his own way, particularly as his advances on Clara heat up. We wonder, too, what will become of Moray and Denise? Every inch the golden couple towards the beginning of the series, they’re now little more than fraught work colleagues.

Their relationship seems dependent on the store itself, the fate of which is still unknown as we hurtle towards the close of the series.

Jen

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TV REVIEW: The Paradise - Episodes Four & Five

A couple of distinctly mid-series episodes from The Paradise in the form of Episodes 4 and 5, but with a few surprises and dramatic twists, too.

Episode 4 saw a spot of background and character development for both new girls Susy (Katie Moore) and Mrytle (Lisa Millett). Susy’s alcoholic and estranged mother showed up at the store, looking to be reunited with the daughter she gave away. Susy, however, is less than thrilled about this, resulting in her letting her emotions out on young Flora Weston, an action which subequently leads to her dismissal. It is then up to new HOD Denise (Joanna Vanderham) to use her new position and skills of diplomacy to somehow get Susy re-instated. Meanwhile, a tea party is being organised in the very same ladieswear, with foul mouthed cook (this is now her official epithet as far as I'm concerned) Myrtle desperate to be a part of it, more specifically, desperate to be allowed out of the kitchen to wait on the guests.This storyline allowed us to see a more touching, accessible side of Myrtle’s character, as she so desperately wants to be like the other girls. Whilst all this is going on, Moray (Emun Elliot) learns of Tom Weston’s (Ben Daniels) plan to buy out the entire street, making The Paradise the biggest department store in the country, and begins to plot against this development with Weston’s own chief investor, using some rather shady, very personal means.      

Bridging the gap between the first and latter halves of the series, Episode 5 was considerably more complicated, and considerably less rosy than its predecessor, and indeed almost any Paradise episode we've seen before. On the more innocent side of things, and in more traditional Paradise fare, the store opens a new watch department to rival Weston’s new food hall, with the ever amicable Sam (Stephen Wight) placed in charge. Moray, as an another attempt to come between Katherine Weston (Elaine Cassidy) and her husband (more on this later) persuades her to donate her father’s watch to the store as a centrepiece. However, it later transpires that the watch has hypnotic powers- naturally leading to both hilarious and alarming consequences aplenty in the form of the impressiobaly young Susy.

But back indeed to the more sinister side of the episode. The watch itself was both centrepiece to the display and indeed to the entire episode story arc, as it turned out it should have been handed to the man Katherine married, i.e Moray in the first instance, and then Tom Weston seeing as that didn’t entirely work out. (In that he left her at the alter for a younger, blonder alternative). Katherine, however, hasn’t given it to Tom, suggesting that she, shock, horror, still has a soft spot for old flame Moray. Nobody saw that one coming...This is a soft spot Moray has no choice to exploit if he is to thwart the Westons’ investment plans. Denise and Moray, meanwhile, continue to look more and more like a cuter, less murderous version of the Macbeths, sitting on a chaise lounge in the store discussing the day it will all belong to them. This happy self-satisfaction is short lived, however, as Tom Weston plays his own hand, manipulating Denise and suggesting she take an inspirational trip to explore the fashions of Paris.

Whilst Episode 4 was still rather small-town in feeling, with Episode 5 we could almost feel ourselves hurtling towards the end of the series, with next week’s preview looking nothing short of explosive in terms of the progressively more complicated relationships between the show’s two central couples. All this darkness and plotting frankly makes me rather nervous. On the one hand this is because I don’t want the comfortable illusion of the show to be shattered, thus losing its escapist genius much beloved by, I hope, not just me. On the other I'm nervous for the creatives, because if things continue in this veine then the show’s habit of wrapping each storyline up tidily by the end of the hour just isn’t going to cut it anymore. Anything could happen!

Many questions also need answering. Was Moray happier when Denise was still just his ‘little champion’? Merely an adorably enthusiastic young shop girl rather than a ‘formidable’ equal? Who on earth is Tom Weston, and how scared should we be? Which personality will Katherine be sporting next week? The caring, put upon old flame left behind with a borderline abusive husband, or manipulative, powerful woman about town hell bent on ruining any life she can? Who knows?!? All this and more, will presumably be answered tonight, at 9pm.

If I can stand to watch, that is. Perhaps I should dig out some archive episodes of Heartbeat instead.

The Paradise is next on tonight, 8pm, BBC One.

Jen

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TV REVIEW: The Paradise - Episodes 2 & 3

As The Paradise sashays on through Episodes 2 and 3 of the series, some distinctly unsubtle yet nonetheless valuable themes are beginning to emerge. I’ll come back to these later, but in the meantime, let’s browse through what’s been happening in everyone’s favourite fictional department store.

In Episode 2, with Miss Audrey (Sarah Lancashire) about to be wed and thus depart her position as Head of Ladieswear, there is much gossip as to who will replace her. A French business associate of Moray’s (Emun Elliott) by the name of Clemence (Branka Katic) arrives. Once safely ensconced in the town, she spends her time spouting some very progressive opinions and generally setting the cat amongst the pigeons by flirting dangerously with everyone in sight, whilst attempting to sell her own brand of fireworks. Quite literally. Tom Weston (Ben Daniels) continues to throw his weight around at every possible opportunity, flaunting his desires for both Clemence herself as well as shop girl Clara (Sonya Cassidy) in the face of his equally manipulative wife Katherine (Elaine Cassidy)’s face. Meanwhile Denise (Joanna Vanderham) frets about Moray’s feelings for Clemence, as well as Clememce’s treatment of Dudley (Matthew McNulty) in her business games. Disgraced but fiercely loyal former employee Jonas (David Hayman) returns in mysterious circumstances with a terrible fever, but quickly settles back into his old place in the store hierarchy.

Episode 3 saw competition for Head of Ladieswear really hot up, with Denise and Clara back at loggerheads as of old. Tom Weston managed to become even more sinister, shouting at his admittedly rather shrewish wife, barking orders at his young daughter and threatening to send her away to boarding school, much to lonely Katherine’s distress. Moray and Denise grew further apart as the extent of the Weston’s manipulative plans began to come to light, as his fears for her safety as his lover overshadowed his professional role as the employer of an ambitious young woman looking to get ahead. The charming Mr Weston, not content with treating Clara and Denise as pawns, then took it upon himself to cancel the annual staff outing, leaving it to Denise to find ways for the staff to have a good time. Naturally, she more than rose to the challenge.

Going back to those themes I hinted at earlier, the first and most obvious in these two episodes was that of a woman’s right to follow her own path, regardless of what society dictates. Clemence’s lovely speech in which she stated that ‘when we give in to our passions, we are free’ summed this idea up rather well, as she suggested to all the female member s of Paradise staff that they could do anything they wanted as well as, if not better than their male counterparts. More specifically, though, this particular theme was seen through the trope of marriage, especially in the idea of career versus matrimony. Miss Audrey, having long battled between the two, was the first to see the light, and to recognise that this ‘either or’ idea is fundamentally wrong. Denise wasn’t far behind, as it became clear that Moray still treats her almost as a child as someone to be protected. She too will have to choose one day we’re told, as Clara retorts ‘you can have the job, but you’ll lose the man’.

The other blindingly obvious theme in these two hours of Paradise viewing was that of competition. In this case, the rivalry was present in both genders. This was most apparent with the paired couples of Katherine and Tom Weston, and Denise and Moray. Whilst the latter’s relationship is erring more on the side of chocolate box than abusive, unlike their rivals, they still disagree on professional matters, and this affects their personal relationship. Katherine and Tom, on the other hand, are so desperate to outdo each other that their professional and personal lives bleed into one, with their ownership of The Paradise and relationship with persons in it at the centre of everything. There were also rivalries between men and men, women and women, as the arrival of the alluring Clemence set up Tom and Dudley, Denise and Clemence (initially, at least) and later Katherine and Clemence as love rivals. There was also the obvious streak of competition running through the proceedings of replacing Miss Audrey, not only amongst the applicants but amongst the decision makers as well.

Seemingly not content with being a blissfully silly escapist drama, The Paradise has actually begun to establish some rather clever ideas. Naturally, they’re not totally explored to their full, dark potential and everybody’s at home happy with a cocoa by bedtime (except the Westons) but then, what more do you want from a Sunday evening?

At the moment, at least, The Paradise’s department store dramas are balancing the books just right.

The Paradise is next shown on Sunday, 8pm, BBC One.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00vhpsv

Jen

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TV REVIEW: The Paradise - Episode One

Just over a year since it first premiered on BBC One, with all its lovely frocks, beards and mix of Scottish and North East accents, finally, FINALLY The Paradise is back. I know, I know, they kept us (me) waiting far too long. (Alright, it hasn't actually been all that long, but I'm still very excited).

As we re-join John Moray (Emun Elliot)’s lavish department store around a year later in real time, the man himself is distinctly absent, having been banished from the country by his now deceased landlord, Lord Glendenning (Patrick Malahide). Old flame Katherine Glendenning has inherited the shop, co-owning it with her new husband Tom Weston (Ben Daniels), leaving Miss Audrey (Sarah Lancashire) and Mr Dudley (Matthew McNulty) to run the show in their boss’ absence. Denise (Joanna Vanderham) is missing Moray rather a lot, but isn’t too sure where their relationship could be headed. In the meantime, she and old rival Clara (Sonya Cassidy) have become firm friends, and have been joined by new characters Susy (Katie Moore) and Myrtle (Lisa Millett), the foul mouthed new cook. Peter Wight’s Edmund Lovett, Denise’ uncle, still runs the little clothes shop across the road, and is still very much in love with Miss Audrey. Also in love are new kids on the block Susy and Fenton (Adrian Scarborough), but is he all he seems?

With so many new characters, not to mention the rose tinted setting of The Past, the nostalgia levels are as high as ever in The Paradise Series Two. There are elements of mild peril as already shady seeming character Tom Weston has plans to sell the shop to the highest bidder, and Katherine is being suspiciously, well, “nice”, as Denise aptly puts it. What are the two up to? How much does Katherine really know about her new husband’s plans? Only the rest of the series will tell. Again, as ever though, the levels of peril are only ever mild, as in swoops Moray in the nick of time, full of enough ideas and good old fashioned showmanship to save the day. His return means some rather sweet and 100% PG, if not U rated reunion scenes with his adorable bright spark, Denise, with Elliot and Vanderham playing the innocence and cutsey-ness for all it’s worth.

Clara, meanwhile, is just as canny as in Series One, although it’s surprisingly pleasing to watch her blossoming new friendship with Denise, as the two roll their eyes behind Miss Audrey’s back, and share suspicions about Katherine.  Ben Daniels is a fabulously sneaky addition as Mr Weston a man with what seems to be rather a dark past, and Susy is a charming, if not altogether satisfactory replacement for good old Pauline (Ruby Bentall), whose friendship with Sam (Stephen Wight) will be sorely missed. Myrtle, the impertinent new kitchen worker, however, is a less welcome new character, as, despite being a new enemy for Miss Audrey to spar against, doesn’t really add anything too the show besides something of an irritation factor.

Despite a few gripes, though, it really is lovely to be back in The Paradise. Like Heartbeat before it, it goes perfectly with a Sunday night, a hot chocolate and an early night.

Next on, tonight, BBC One, 8pm.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00vhpsv

Jen

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FEATURE: The Paradise vs Mr Selfridge: Battle of the Department Store Dramas

It’s been a few weeks now since ITV’s Mr Selfridge ended, and longer still since the final episode of The Paradise over on the BBC. Suffering department store drama withdrawal symptoms as I am, I have decided, selflessly, to give us all one last dose, in a form I feel department store owners the world over, fictional or otherwise, would wholeheartedly approve of. So, in the spirit of friendly competition, I am going to attempt to decide, once and for all, using a totally non-scientific list of comparison points entirely made up by me: which is better, The Paradise or Mr Selfridge?

1.   Overall Premise

Kicking things off with arguably the main contrasting point between the two shows, the overall premise refers to the primary concept behind the show, the bit they’ll have pitched to the TV bosses – each show’s unique selling point. For Mr Selfridge this is the fact that the storylines are based on true events, and upon a real life figure who actually lived and breathed, a man who’s shop still stands on Oxford Street, and indeed on city streets across the nation today. In short, the fact that it is a true story. The Paradise, on the other hand is based on a book by one of the greatest novelists of all time, Emile Zola. A naturalist (not naturist, just in case there was any confusion) giant with acutely cutting observations about the human condition, if anyone was going to accurately comment on ambition, consumerism and the rise, rise, and rise again of shopping for pleasure, it was going to be Zola. And blooming good job of it he did too.

Winner: The Paradise – you can’t argue with Zola’s. It’s one thing to look back on a historical event and dramatize it, but to be far ahead of your time with your thinking deserves a win as far as I’m concerned.

Paradise 1 : Selfridge 0

2.   The Big Boss

Closely linked to the category of ‘overall premise’ in importance, comes the idea of The Big Boss. This battle, then, lies between Harry Selfridge and John Moray. Harry Selfridge is powerful, ambitious, American and, again, actually a real person. John Moray, with his ridiculously-Anglicised-for-TV-audiences-name, shares many of the same traits, but is entirely fictional. Both have dark, tortured streaks not too far under the surface, both have dark hair and beards, both have eyes ranging in the brown to hazel area,  and neither is especially tall. Harry, however, is a womaniser, conducting numerous affairs with progressively more irritating women, if Ellen Love is anything to go by. Moray, on the other hand, simply yo-yos between two women, whilst diligently mourning his dead wife. He also doesn’t nearly kill himself by going out a drunken speeding spree in a motor car, which is a plus.

Winner: The Paradise’s John Moray. He’s just better. And sexier.

Paradise 2 : Selfridge 0

3.   Posh Totty

Ah the posh totty. Both shows had strong contenders in this category, but there was a clear winner from the off. The Paradise offered Katherine Glendenning, Moray’s fiancée, and haughty money-bags Lady about town. She wears some nice frocks, has quite nice hair, and a good eye for fashion, but throws a strop and runs to Daddy every time she doesn’t quite get her own way. Mr Selfridge, on the other hand, provided us with I think one of my favourite TV characters in recent months- Lady Mae Loxley, played superbly by Katherine Kelly . I have no idea whether or not she’s based on a real person, but I hope to God she is. Married to Lord Loxley , but managing to only actually be in the same room as him two or three times a year, if she’s feeling generous,  Lady Mae does whatever she likes, whenever she likes. With a string of much younger lovers, wise investments all over town, a sharp tongue as well as the wealth and wit to back it all up, there’s never a dull moment when she’s around, or indeed when she’s on screen. A thoroughly modern woman, she even runs a branch of the Suffragette movement, holding meetings within the store even when forbidden to do so.  She’s also just a little bit nasty when she wants to be. And she has huge hair.

Winner: Advantage Selfridge.  No contest, really.

Paradise 2: Selfridge 1.

4.   Central Female Lead

Another element both shows have in common is their young female lead character focus. The Paradise has Denise, a cute young woman from the countryside who comes to town to make some money for her family, discovering whilst there that she has a real talent for retail, and falling in love with the brains behind The Paradise at the same time. Mr Selfridge gives us Agnes, a brunette to Denise’s blonde, Agnes serves Mr Selfridge in a shop she’s working in, subsequently losing her job as a result of the exchange. Later, falling on hard times, she appeals to Mr Selfridge for a job in his store, and, what do you know, she too has a talent for shop-keeping. They’re both a little sickly sweet, but mean well and care about their family and friends. Denise’s story is far more central to the plot of The Paradise than Agnes’ is to Mr Selfridge, but Agnes is more ambitious than Denise, always prioritising herself and her career before any male advances.

Winner: It’s a draw on this one, as I can’t decide.

 Paradise 3 : Selfridge 2

5.   Mid Management Matriarch

Aside from the overall boss of the store, both Denise and Agnes work under the watchful eyes of their immediate departmental managers. For Agnes over at Mr Selfridge , this departmental manager is Miss Mardle, played by Amanda Abbington. Downtrodden and treated badly by her secret lover, chief of staff Mr Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill) Josie Mardle is initially quite grumpy, without many friends or ideas of her own. Things get a bit better when she befriends Miss Ravillious a new addition to the store and later Agnes’ second manager when she switches departments, and we start to see some lovely character development as she develops a bit of confidence. And  a bit of a back bone. And learns how to smile. Which is nice. There is certainly no lack of back bone in her counterpart over at The Paradise, however. The formidable Miss Audrey has ringlets to die for, a sharp tongue and is a career woman to the last. Sure, she can be a bit ridiculous, totally oblivious to the large amount of eye rolling going on whenever she is on her high horse and begins one of her speeches, but she ultimately means well. Ish. Anyway regardless of all that, she’s played by Sarah Lancashire, in precisely the sort of role she was born to play, so that should settle that, I think.

Winner: The Paradise. Why? Sarah Lancashire, that’s why.

Paradise 4 : Selfridge 2

6.   Male Support

No pretty young female lead or power hungry higher level professional lady would be complete without a little help from the boys. Well, they probably would, but I needed a Segway. Anyway, as you have doubtless come to expect by now, both shows have worthy contenders in the category of male support. A couple from each, in fact, The Paradise gave us Mr Dudley, Moray’s right hand man. Clean shaven, clever and just a little bit sarcastic, Dudley is an all-round nice bloke who keeps the madcap Moray’s feet on the ground, providing emotional support and love life advice to boot. Even if it isn’t heeded. We also have Sam (Stephen Wight) a well-meaning, slightly dozy lad about town. With a cheeky glint in his eye and a pithy comment never far from his lips, he develops a teensy crush on Denise. Sam’s equivalent in Mr Selfridge is a good looking bloke called Victor Colleano. Briefly a lover of Lady Mae (mind you, who hasn’t been?), Victor is a waiter in the store restaurant, with dreams of being the head Chef in his own establishment one day. He also has a not so terribly well hidden crush on Agnes. Finally, the Mr Dudley’s Oxford Street counterpart can be found in the form of Henri Leclair. French, creative and dashingly good looking, Agnes falls for Henri for a time, enjoying a brief affair with him before he vanishes off to a better job in New York, leaving Agnes to wander back to the slightly cocky Victor in her own good time.

Winner: Mr Selfridge, just for Henri, really. His name is fun to say in an over done French accent. 

Paradise 4 : Selfridge 3

7.   Guest Stars

Finally, ladies and gentlemen, we come to tonight’s final category. Guest stars. In theory, Mr Selfridge should be steaming ahead here, as the show’s different storyline every week but essentially leading to the same end point anyway premise provided an endless conveyor belt of guest starts. Fair enough I hear you cry, but The Paradise simply has to win this category for one reason only, and one guest star in particular. Playing the sleazy, desperately ambitious Bradley Burrows, and proving yet again that you can place him squarely in the shoes of any character and he’ll transform seamlessly into them- Arthur Darvill takes this win for the BBC’s department store offering. Even though he’s only in one or two episodes, and winds up in the river at the end of it.

Winner: Arthur Darvill. Er, sorry. I mean The Paradise.

Which makes the overall winning show The Paradise, with 5 points to Mr Selfridge’s 3. So there you are. In this instance, fictional BBC escapism wins out over slightly grittier ITV sort of historical drama.

I think I can live with that myself, but which was your favourite? Let us know!


- Jen 



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