Lovers in a dangerous time: Period drama ‘Beecham House’ airs on PBS
Opulent period dramas have seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, with TV series such as “Downton Abbey” and “The Crown” amassing loyal followings. Luckily for fans of the genre, one of the
U.K.’S most buzzworthy period dramas has made its way across the pond to rivet American audiences.
Tom Bateman (“Cold Pursuit,” 2019) stars as John Beecham, a former British soldier with a mysterious past who moves into a mansion in Delhi in 1795 in “Masterpiece Classic: Beecham House,” airing Sunday, July 19, on PBS. He brings with him a biracial baby, causing a stir among the estate’s staff.
As the series unfolds, Beecham welcomes his overbearing mother, Henrietta (Lesley Nicol, “Downton Abbey”), rebellious brother, Daniel (Leo Suter, “Victoria”), and others to his new home, all the while falling for English governess Margaret Osbourne (Dakota Blue Richards, “The Golden Compass,” 2007). The enigmatic Chandrika (Pallavi Sharda, “Lion,” 2016) soon arrives as well and wastes no time exerting her authority in the house. John’s staff includes the beautiful Chanchal (Shriya Pilgaonkar, “Fan,” 2016), the baby’s nursemaid.
Combining mystery and romance with lavish sets and intricate costumes, the six-episode miniseries was originally produced for the U.K.’S ITV. Director Gurinder Chadha (“Bend It Like Beckham,” 2002), who co-created “Beecham
House” with her husband Paul Mayeda Berges (“Blinded by the Light,” 2019) and author Shahrukh Husain (“In Custody”), explained that she came up with the idea for the miniseries while working on the script for the 2017 film “Viceroy’s House.”
“’Downton Abbey’ was very popular at the time and I always loved ‘Upstairs, Downstairs,’ so I thought I’d like to do my own version of one of those shows with a twist,” Chadha said in an interview on “Masterpiece’s” website.
While many of Chadha’s past films focus on Indians living in England, “Beecham House” turns the tables on her usual MO to explore the life of an Englishman living in India who is determined to make a name for himself as a trader while living a quiet, peaceful life with his family.