So often satire works in the narrative part of a novel and it was never more so than in Stella Gibbons pastiche of the cosy country novels which proliferated in her day. This isn't often one-liner comedy, its more a Beverly Hillbillies for thinking people. City sophisticates meet with inbred country cousins and produce wry, often dark humour. Honours go to Sheila Burrell, a veteran actress who looks like the Red Queen from Tenniel's pictures for Alice in Wonderland, and has a voice and tongue to match. Great Aunt Ada Doom is at the core of their lives even when not present.<br /><br />Kate Beckinsale's Flora Poste is possibly too wordly wise and unflappable, which tends to blunt the sharpness of the impact of the story, causing many subtleties of the original to be lost. Too much has been done to make it into Sunday teatime TV viewing. It might be useful to compare it with earlier versions if they can be found. There was a very good version in which Alistair Sim played Amos which was much bleaker in tone than this one. This being said, the production values here are more appropriate to film and the general casting is excellent. I thought it was worth staying in to watch.