At the end of the first hour of this BBC Costumer, you may be tempted to forget the rest, as it appears to be somewhat dated--the color as dated a bit, the film techniques--and the plot establishment a bit slow; but stay the course! This excellent immersion in Victorian society is both informative and wonderfully acted, particularly by Francesca Annis as Lillie Langtry, who is seldom off the screen, playing a young woman whose strength of will develops as she copes with a society whose strictures are iron-clad. I can't recall when I've seen a better portrayal of Oscar Wilde and his immediate Bohemian Circle, Peter Egan brilliantly capturing his offhand wit and vulnerability; Denis Lill, too, as the Prince of Wales who becomes enamored of the "Jersey Lily" sent me to Wikipedia to discover more about the entire period; to someone who only knew of Lillie Lantry because of Judge Roy Bean's obsession with her in the John Ford movie My Darling Clementine, this lengthy series was mesmerizing; it's a colorful and involving recreation of a world long past.

I have just watched the entire series and can only say how wonderful it was. Great acting (Annis, and Egan in particular) great scenery and costumes. Fantastic detail.Nice to see appearances by Annette Crosbie, Michael Shannon and Stephanie Cole. Cameo appearance from Desmond Llewellyn too. ......................................... ......................................... .........................................I also wonder why nearly all the reviewers are saying this was a BBC production. I am sure LWT made it, In fact I am sure LWT made it.

I found this biographical series truly fascinating. I was introduced to it by my grandmother, and I saw it with her, and I couldn't stop watching. "Lillie" is divine in every sense of the word, with sumptuous attention to detail, with the breathtaking scenery and lavish costumes. The music is beautiful and haunting, and the script is sophisticated enough. The story of Lillie, the woman ahead of her time, is compelling and maintains interest throughout. The performances are top notch, with Francessca Annis outstanding as Lillie, playing her with grace, determination and a great deal of charm. Peter Egan plays Oscar Wilde pretty much to perfection, and Anton Rogers is excellent as Langtry. Do I have any complaints about "Lillie"? Not of the mini-series itself, as I found it positively divine, but the picture quality was sometimes a little too grainy and washed out. Overall, I loved "Lillie" and recommend it. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Spoilers herein.TeeVee demands filler, the longer the better, as long as some semblance of a story is present. This one is just like `A Woman of Substance:' a redhaired woman survives all sorts of setbacks to excel in a male dominated world. The hook is her character: shamelessly sexual and headstrong.Add some costume texture and you can eat up 9 hours of space.If you have the stomach for it - or just need to fill time - check out the implicit folding: this is a film which is superficial (costume) beauty repurposed for TeeVee and is about a professional beauty who repurposed her status from society hooker to stage celebrity.Historically what we have is the first such engineering, a template that Hollywood would adopt with relish. Was Lillie the trailblazer for Clara Bow? Probably.Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.