How to hold fans until “Downton Abbey” returns in January?
“Masterpiece” is working furiously on that challenge. The PBS series has a strong candidate in ”Birdsong,” a lavish, two-part romance that airs at 9 p.m. this Sunday and April 29. Like the second season of “Downton,” “Birdsong” unfolds during World War I. Based on Sebastian Faulks’ novel, “Birdsong” follows British Lt. Stephen Wraysford (Eddie Redmayne).
As he struggles to survive harrowing battles in 1916, he thinks back to his love for a married woman, Isabelle Azaire (Clemence Poesy) in 1910. “Masterpiece” has long been a showcase for actors such as Helen Mirren in ”Prime Suspect,” Derek Jacobi in “I, Claudius” and Maggie Smith in “Downton.”
”Masterpiece” also has bolstered young performers, notably Keira Knightley, who played Lara in a 2002 version of “Doctor Zhivago.” “Birdsong” should win new fans for Redmayne, who played the young admirer in “My Week With Marilyn,” works as a Burberry model and won a Tony for the play “Red.”
“Birdsong” reveals Redmayne’s range: He conveys an appealing boyishness in the 1910 sections, and in the 1916 portions, he looks aged and battered by war and memories.
READ MORE: http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2012/04/birdsong-eddie-redmayne-could-appeal-to-downton-abbey-fans.html
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