BBC period drama praised as Groundhog Day meets Downton Abbey
A BBC period drama that follows one woman through multiple versions of her life has left viewers captivated, with fans describing it as a striking combination of Groundhog Day and Downton Abbey.
Life After Life centres on Ursula Todd, a woman who repeatedly experiences the beginning of her life in 1910. Each time she dies, her story starts again, giving her another chance to live through the same era and make different choices.
The drama follows Ursula as her lives gradually stretch further into the future. Her experiences eventually take her through the upheaval of the First and Second World Wars, including the London Blitz.
Based on Kate Atkinson’s 2013 novel of the same name, the BBC adaptation stars Sian Clifford, known for Fleabag, alongside Thomasin McKenzie. Viewers have particularly praised the performances from both actors, as well as the series’ striking cinematography.
Viewers praise the unusual story
The BAFTA-nominated series was directed by John Crowley and has attracted strong reactions from viewers who were impressed by its unusual approach to the period-drama genre.
One viewer on IMDb compared the series to a combination of Downton Abbey and Groundhog Day, calling it a period drama built around reincarnation.
They wrote: “A refreshing change to the run-of-the-mill period drama.
“Ground Hog Day mixed with Downton Abbey! Occasionally painful to watch (episode 2 was particularly harrowing) but also uplifting in parts. Certainly kept me gripped.”
Another viewer described Life After Life as a “quality drama”, praising the writing, acting and deeper themes explored throughout the story.
“What a pleasure it is to watch something that is intelligent and meaningful and beautifully written and brilliantly acted,” they wrote.
They went on to praise the way the story examines “life and death and loss and love and everything that makes up a single life”, while highlighting the unusual premise of Ursula living that life repeatedly.
The performances have also been a major part of the response. One viewer singled out McKenzie, writing: “McKenzie Is an incredible actor. She brings so much depth to the character. She is an absolute joy to watch.”
Fans of the novel were impressed too
For viewers who had already read Atkinson’s novel, the adaptation appears to have lived up to expectations.
One fan admitted to feeling nervous before watching the television series after having loved the book for years and rereading it several times. However, they said those concerns quickly disappeared.
“I have loved the book for some years – re-read it several times – so was a little nervous about the TV series. But it was perfect,” they wrote.
The viewer praised how closely many of the scenes and characters matched the way they had imagined them while reading the novel, adding that Atkinson’s involvement in the adaptation was clearly beneficial.
Interestingly, they said their favourite moments were some of the scenes that differed most from the source material, particularly episode four.
“Even though I knew what was coming the series still packed emotional hit after hit,” they wrote, adding that they could only imagine how powerful those moments would be for viewers experiencing the story without knowing what was going to happen.
Life After Life is currently available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer.