Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

‘The Larkins’ is a 2021 TV adaptation of the H. E. Bates novel ‘The Darling Buds of May’. I was aware of ‘The Darling Buds of May’ before checking out this series, having seen the first episode (I believe) of the 1991-93 series, which starred David Jason, Pam Ferris, Philip Franks and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

I must admit, I never got into ‘The Darling Buds of May’ 1991-93 series. Not that I wasn’t interested in it. The first episode or so was enjoyable enough. But my parents and I were diverted and we sadly didn’t follow up on watching the rest of the series, and we probably should have as I think about it.

Hopefully we’ll get a chance to check out the 1991-93 series, as it’s currently available on Britbox. In the meantime, we’ve checked out the latest TV adaptation of ‘The Darling Buds of May’ called ‘The Larkins’, starring Bradley Walsh as Pop Larkin and Joanna Scanlan as Ma Larkin. We really enjoyed it!

I wish I could say Bradley Walsh was the reason why I wanted to check out this series since he played Graham O’Brien in ‘Doctor Who’ with Jodie Whittaker. Bradley Walsh is also one of the executive producers of this series. But it was really Peter Davison who caught my interest about this TV series.

I did manage to catch a bit of the end of the first episode of ‘The Larkins’ on ITV1 and saw Bradley Walsh and Peter Davison in it, but it took a while for my parents and me to watch the series properly on Britbox. I told Peter Davison at ‘Bedford Who Charity Con’ that I enjoyed what I saw of him then.

‘The Larkins’ is a six-episode series set in rural 1950s Kent. It revolves around the life of Pop and Ma Larkin and their six children. The family’s eldest daughter is Sabrina Bartlett as Mariette. The family are soon met by Tok Stephen as accountant Cedric ‘Charley’ Chartlon who falls in love with Mariette.

The series is itself is written by Simon Nye and Abigail Wilson. Simon Nye is a familiar name. I wonder where I’ve heard his name before…

Ha, ha. That explains a lot. I suppose we’re still in Amy’s dream world about Leadworth village and everything else in this series. 😀 Simon Nye also wrote ‘The Durrells’ TV series. I must check that out on Britbox sometime when I get a chance. There are many TV shows I’ve yet to discover in my life. 🙂

I enjoyed the comedy-drama featured throughout the six episodes of ‘The Larkins’ on Britbox. It can be argued that there are inaccuracies in terms of adapting from the original book into this 2021 TV adaptation. This is especially with Charley being a black man instead of white as in the 1990s series.

Despite that, I was able to get into the series easily enough and find myself laughing at certain moments with the characters being developed. The Larkins family led by Bradley Walsh’s Pop and Joanna Scanlan’s Ma are easily likeable, especially when they put up with some unlikeable people.

The rest of the cast includes Lydia Page as Primrose Larkin, Liam Middleton as Montgomery Larkin, Lola Shepeley as Victoria Larkin, Davina Coleman as Zinnia Larkin, and Rosie Coleman as Petunia Larkin. There’s Stephen Hagan as Tom Fisher and there’s Amelia Bullmore as Miss Edith Pilchester. 🙂

Peter Davison plays the Vicar in the series, and he’s a pretty mean so-and-so. I couldn’t believe some of the language Peter Davison’s Vicar used in ‘The Larkins’. It did put me off a bit. Gradually however, I found how very funny Peter Davison was in playing the Vicar, as I got to enjoy his character.

There’s Natalie Mitson as Pauline Jackson, Francesca Wilson-Waterworth as Libby Fothergil, Kriss Dosanjh as the Brigadier (no, not that Brigadier from ‘Doctor Who’ – or is he a General in this) and Seeta Indrani as Miss Chand. There’s also Tony Gardner as Alec Norman, Selina Griffiths as Norma Norman, and Robert Bathurst (who I’ve seen in ‘Downton Abbey’, the 2019 ‘Dad’s Army’ remake of lost episodes and the fifth episode of ‘Flux’ in ‘Doctor Who’) as Johnny Delamere. A top-notch cast!

There’s also Wil Johnson as Old Reg, Barney Walsh as PC Harness, Angela Bain as Aunt Fan, Georgie Glen (who’s currently in ‘Call the Midwife’) as Lady Rose Bluff-Gore, Nicholas Le Prevost as Sir George Bluff-Gore, Victoria Wicks as Mrs. Fothergil, Samantha Spiro as Bertha and Katherine Kinglsey as Angela Snow. I hope the cast enjoyed themselves whilst making this sunny-filled series. 🙂

I’m pleased my parents and I have seen ‘The Larkins’ series recently on Britbox. I’m currently looking forward to checking out ‘The Larkins’ Christmas Special when it comes out on Christmas Day on Britbox after checking out the ‘Call the Midwife’ Christmas Special on that day. Bradley Walsh steals the show as Pop Larkin in the series and Peter Davison is enjoyable as the mean Vicar. 🙂

Thanks for reading!

Bye for now!

Tim 🙂