Hiddleston’s Hot Vicar distracts from this dreary period drama
Remember Fleabag’s Hot Priest?
Now we have The Essex
Serpent’s Hot Vicar. Sarah Perry’s bestselling novel has been adapted as an Apple TV+ series, and recast as material for The Tom Hiddleston Appreciation Society.
It’s a period drama set in 1890s Essex, but Hiddleston seems rooted squarely in the period between getting dressed for a fashion shoot and posing for the camera. The costume designer has kitted him out in high-end knitwear and a scarf that looks as if it was bought in Hackett yesterday; he looks peculiarly modern.
At least the drama lights up whenever Hiddleston’s Will appears on screen. Because it’s otherwise desperately dreary, which is unforgivable when the source material is so rich (disclaimer: I loved the book).
Claire Danes plays Cora Seaborne, a widow who pitches up in the coastal parish of Aldwinter after reading reports of a “monstrous serpent” lurking in the marshes. Cora is an amateur fossil hunter in the Mary Anning mould, who brings her scientific beliefs to a superstitious community. She thinks the serpent could be a plesiosaur that has escaped evolution; the more God-fearing locals fear it has come to take lives as a punishment for their sins.
Will is such a dreamy character that he doesn’t dispute Cora’s lack of religious belief, but simply looks on approvingly while she talks about it. Although that may be because he’s in love with her; the series becomes a love triangle which also involves Will’s wife, played by the French actress Clémence Poésy as the 19th century’s healthiest-looking consumptive.
Hiddleston does deliver a soulful performance. Danes, in an apricot fright wig, deploys her full complement of Homeland facial expressions: weepy, anxious, overwrought. Somehow, Cora causes a slightly creepy surgeon (Frank Dillane) to fall for her too, which adds another layer of complication to her personal life. She also has a son, who I think is supposed to be autistic, and an overly familiar nanny/companion (Hayley Squires) who is given half a side-plot about socialism. They all leave their stifling London home for a shabby-chic Airbnb rental. Sorry, I mean an authentic Victorian cottage.
Director Clio Barnard (The Selfish Giant) has always been stronger on atmosphere than plot. She and writer, Anna Symon, have produced something flat, in which moments of high drama or strong emotion seem overdone. Still, it looks beautiful, thanks to David Raedeker’s cinematography. And Hiddleston’s wardrobe. Anita Singh
It’s a two-course meal fit for a Queen. Coronation chicken was created when Elizabeth II ascended to the throne. Now to mark her 70th year as monarch, the dessert trolley finally arrived. The Queen’s Jubilee Pudding: 70 Years in the Baking (BBC One) was a contest to create her platinum pud. Not one actually made of platinum, though. That would play havoc with one’s teeth.
Thousands of hopefuls had been whittled down to a final five homebakers. They arrived at Fortnum & Mason to produce their puds under the watchful eye of executive pastry chef Roger Pizey. Only one could have their official recipe published. No pressure, then. Would it be Kathryn’s passionfruit and thyme tart, Jemma’s five-layered citrus trifle, Sam’s Victoria sponge crown, Shabnam’s floral falooda cake or Susan’s four nations pudding? They all looked mouthwatering, if a little fancy to be plonked on a trestle table during a street party. All had a family backstory behind them, mostly involving grandmothers. If there was a moral victor here, it was the nation’s nannas.
As the quintet baked up a storm, viewers were treated to a light, fluffy blend of cookery and pop history. With everything draped in bunting and flags, it was a pleasingly proud, unapologetically patriotic hour.
The dishes were rated by a panel led by Dame Mary Berry but talk about too many cooks. Masterchef’s Monica Galetti and food historian Regula Ysewijn earned their place but did we really need Bake Off alumnus Rahul Mandal, let alone an influencer and a food blogger? Once Pizey joined in, there were seven judges. They could barely fit around the tasting table, especially after scoffing all those puds.
The Duchess of Cornwall announced the winner: Jemma’s trifle, which got my vote, too, due to the inclusion of tinned mandarin segments. This was a surprisingly emotional hour, with salty tears seasoning the sweetness. The BBC might have lost the Bake Off to Channel 4 but this wholesome one-off was some calorific consolation. Good bake. Michael Hogan
The Essex Serpent ★★
The Queen’s Jubilee Pudding★★★★