LILIES: A PERIOD PIECE OF PURE MAGIC

"Lilies" (released in the U.S., September 11, 2007) is a British period drama that follows the lives of the Moss family, led by Nelson "Dadda", comprised of son William (Billy) and daughters Iris, May, and Ruby. Mrs. Mary Moss has been dead approximately 15 years and Iris, the eldest, has become the lady of the house. Dadda works as an amateur veterinarian and herbalist. Iris creates confections and sells them to a local sweets store. May is in service to the nouveau-riche Mr. and Mrs. Brazendale. Ruby, William's twin and the youngest, just starts into peddling women's corsets at the beginning of the series.

The Mosses are Liverpool natives of the 1920s, and their lives reflect the zeitgeist of the age. The influx of jazz music and the popularity of the silent films persist throughout; the beginnings of social change through contraception and women's suffrage figure into it as well. Religious differences and class distinction also play large roles. Dadda, an Ulsterman, is vigorously Protestant, and his sons were raised in his church--elder son Walter having perished in action in World War I. The Moss daughters were raised in their mother's Roman Catholic faith. On more than one occasion the division of churches causes issues within the family. Young Rev. Malachi Melia, the pastor of the girls' parish, plays a large role in many episodes.

The daughters are the central figures in this series, given its title from a toast made by Dadda honoring his female progeny while they were small children. Iris is common-sensical but harbors a yearning for her own marriage and motherhood. Gentleman caller Domingo appears the perfect match--until a secret dismantles Iris' hopes and dreams. May, who initially seems as sensible as her elder sister, ends up in the midst of high drama with her employer. Ruby, the feistiest of the trio, becomes entranced by the social movements of women's liberation and embraces vegetarianism, even as her own dreams of swimming for the British Olympic team are dashed early on in the storyline. Billy is a sad soul, having witnessed Naval action at the Battle of Jutland, only to be sent home, a victim of post-traumatic stress disorder. Dadda is a man desperate to keep his family together, although his own violent temperment makes for some of the clan's worst problems.

"Lilies" covers the vast panorama of the human condition-- its struggles, tragedies, and, ultimately, victories--with great empathy and verve, and leaves the viewer slightly exasperated that the BBC refrained from producing a second series...