Rule Britannia - My Love Affair with Masterpiece Theater

I have been watching Masterpiece Theater for thirty-four years. I credit Masterpiece as one of the main reasons I majored in English in college. Sunday nights are sacrosanct in my house, no one dares to disturb me during the show. If I were given a choice of just one television show to watch for the rest of my life, I would choose Masterpiece. It has everything - love, drama, betrayal, intrigue, mystery, suspense, and really hunky Englishmen.

My affair started when I was a teenager in 1977 with the broadcast of "Poldark", Winston Graham's story of a Cornishman, Ross Poldark, who arrives home from the Revolutionary War to discover that his father has died and his fiance, believing him dead, has married his cousin. I fell madly in love with the main character, Ross Poldark, as played by Robin Ellis. He had everything a leading man on Masterpiece should have - tall, dark, handsome, and troubled, with the most delicious English accent I'd ever heard. I loved the voice of Robin Ellis so much that I would put my tape recorder next to the television when he was on the screen to record that voice. I made plans to move to England, find Robin Ellis, and marry him. He was sure to fall madly in love with me in all my fourteen year old glory, braces and all. As soon as the Poldark series came out in paperback, my sister and I snatched up copies of every book and devoured them.

Next up was "I, Claudius", the "autobiography" of the Roman emperor, Claudius. Is there anything juicier than the Roman Empire with its orgies, assasinations, romances, and murder plots? The Sopranos had nothing on those Caesars. Derek Jacobi was mesmerizing as Claudius, the lame, stuttering grandson of Mark Antony who becomes emperor. John Hurt (Olivander from the Harry Potter movies) was maniacal as the Emperor Caligula, who marries his own sister and makes his horse a senator. When it came to delicious accents, there was Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard from Star Trek) as Sejanus, the head of the Praetorian guard. Stewart was charming, but he was no Robin Ellis.

Who can forget the masterpiece that was "Upstairs, Downstairs"? Week after week, I turned in to get a glimpse of life in England from the time of King Edward until the deginning of the Depression. The clothes, the scandals, the drama, the humor. Being American, the hierarchy of the household staff was bewildering to me - what exactly is an under house parlour maid? I wouldn't have had the slightest idea how to behave above or below stairs. Smart and diplomatic, Jean March, as the parlourmaid Rose, was the glue that held the house together. The series had several dashing men, including both Anthony Andrews (Brideshead Revisited) and Ian Ogilvy.

Masterpiece left England to discover "The Jewel in the Crown", the story of the end of the British Raj in India. I had known next-to-nothing about this period in history and found it fascinating. Poor Hari Kumar, a young Indian man who is educated by the English and then persecuted for his love of an Englishwoman. This series had breathtaking cinematography as well as a multi-dimensional plot that involved several characters at once. The charming leading man came in the form of Charles Dance, also known for his later portrayal of Tuckinghorn in "Bleak House". The broadcast of "Jewel" coinincided with my long awaited first trip to England, where I lived, breathed, and ate all things English. Alas, Robin Ellis was no where to be seen.

Masterpiece went on to present many more exceptional series, including "Anna Karenina", "House of Cards", "Jeeves and Wooster", and the "Forsyte Saga". We lost Alistair Cooke as a host in 1992, and Masterpiece Theater has now become just Masterpiece, divided into Contemporary, Classic, and Mystery. I miss the theme of Mouret's "Rondeau", which introduced the show for years. Now that I'm middle aged, I'm starting to think that Kevin Whately of "Inspector Lewis" is rather charming. I never did marry Robin Ellis, but I still plan to go back to England, and if I ever so much as hear his voice in person, I know I'll swoon.

What is your favorite Masterpiece series? I'd love to know!