This was aired in the UK in November 2010 in two parts on ITV to great hype. The story concerns a woman who moves in with her new husband after unexpectedly falling pregnant. The couple initially move in with her husband's parents, Annis' creepy mother and her meek, doting hubby. The first part is extremely creepy, well written and acted by all and very believable. The plot concerns the mother-in-law's seemingly unhealthy fixation on her new grandson. Does she have a secret agenda or is it all in the mind of our young protagonist, the baby's mother? The paranoid tension is sustained throughout the first episode and we are left gagging to find out what happens next. Unfortunately, the second part doesn't do so well. Sub-plots are tantalisingly introduced and promptly dropped, e.g. a long-distance call from the grandparent's estranged daughter, the main character's mysterious background involving a car-crash and her missing parents, the main character's friend and confidant (who has feelings for her) and who it turns out has nothing to do with the story, and the grand-father who has a bewilderingly unexplained out-of-character change of heart toward the end. Worst of all though is a deeply unsatisfying and unbelievable cop-out of an ending that seems to have been made up on the spot. Perhaps they should have stretched the plot out to three episodes to allow the story to breathe and the plot threads to be resolved. Overall, an exciting drama but one I'd have reservations in recommending due to the silly ending
8 Reviews
First episode -good Final episode-what?
beresfordjd9 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers
We watched the first episode and really enjoyed it- it was not too original a story but Francesca Annis made a great evil Mother-in -Law. I am sure everyone watching thought she would deserve her come-uppance, and looked forward to the time when it would happen. The daughter-in-law was a sympathetic character and we rooted for her totally. Tim Pigott-Smith, playing the father-in-law, is shown being frustrated and slightly annoyed at his wife's actions throughout but doing nothing and the son ignoring his wife's frustrations and not seeing his mother's controlling ways. When it turns out that she kills her husbands mother in a not too carefully directed scene where she does/does not do it on purpose - the viewer is left wondering whether it was a purposeful killing or an accident. We do not blame her for being elated over the death but the second episode limped towards a very poor end. This had potential, a good cast and a somewhat tired premise. One thing I really loved was the in-laws house what a beautiful location!!!
Room for improvement
Lejink13 April 2014
This two-part TV production was going along quite well, I thought, heading for an anticipated showdown between Francesca Annis's mother-in-law from hell and her would-be victim Lucy Griffith and also one really good twist surely just around the corner waiting to finish it off neatly. Instead, we get a blink-and-you-miss-it denouement with Annis at last getting her just desserts and Griffith turning the tables on her even after the wicked witch is dead, but it was an ending without surprise or tension and for me let down what had been reasonably effectively built up till then.
Not that there weren't other faults too, for example, Annis's husband Tim Pigot-Smith's character is too ambiguous. In episode 1 you're convinced he's in cahoots with his wife's nefarious and frankly unfathomable wish to appropriate Griffith's child for herself but in the second show, he's revealed to be innocent and in fact exposes, even if unwittingly, some of Annis's devious plans. There's also a male friend of Griffith who you think is going to play a bigger part than he does and there's also an obscure red-herring too in the references to Annis's other daughter, who now lives aboard and obviously has a testy relationship with her mother, presumably because she wasn't a boy.
There were no genuinely scary moments, the only fairly mundane attempt being Annis's silly dressing up as Griffith's late mother, in full 60's hippy gear, to supposedly convince her victim she's lost her mind, but it maintained a decent head of steam up until that anti-climactic finish which let it down.
The acting by the four leads is all good and a chilly if not chilling atmosphere is pretty well conveyed from the start. Again I felt a bit more menace could have been conveyed in the sets for the houses themselves especially given the series title, after all.
Not that there weren't other faults too, for example, Annis's husband Tim Pigot-Smith's character is too ambiguous. In episode 1 you're convinced he's in cahoots with his wife's nefarious and frankly unfathomable wish to appropriate Griffith's child for herself but in the second show, he's revealed to be innocent and in fact exposes, even if unwittingly, some of Annis's devious plans. There's also a male friend of Griffith who you think is going to play a bigger part than he does and there's also an obscure red-herring too in the references to Annis's other daughter, who now lives aboard and obviously has a testy relationship with her mother, presumably because she wasn't a boy.
There were no genuinely scary moments, the only fairly mundane attempt being Annis's silly dressing up as Griffith's late mother, in full 60's hippy gear, to supposedly convince her victim she's lost her mind, but it maintained a decent head of steam up until that anti-climactic finish which let it down.
The acting by the four leads is all good and a chilly if not chilling atmosphere is pretty well conveyed from the start. Again I felt a bit more menace could have been conveyed in the sets for the houses themselves especially given the series title, after all.
More Red Herrings than a Russian Trawler............
ianlouisiana10 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers
The beautiful Miss Lucy Griffiths is the only reason for watching this weary exposition of one of T.V.'s favourite themes - two strong women in conflict over two weak men. Miss Francesca Annnis - looking scarily like Cherie Blair - is made up like a pantomime dame and about as convincing as the loopy mother - in - law.Used to dominating her husband and son,she initially finds her daughter - in - law equally submissive,but,as they clash over her obsession with controlling her son and grandson,she finds the tables turned. For no good reason that I could make out there were unresolved sub - plots about a fatal car crash,an absent sister,a work colleague with a crush on Miss Griffiths and a mysterious figure skulking in the woods. Halfway through the first episode we are told Miss Griffiths is in fact American by birth - a complete irrelevance. At the end it appears that Miss Griffiths has in fact turned into her mother - in - law. The scene where Miss Annis sniffs the sheets on which her son had just made love to his wife made me laugh more than watching Michael McIntyre's entire output. And another thing...having been trailered by ITV so assiduously for so long before its transmission,I felt that I had seen most of the relevant parts of "The Little House" many times before. Perhaps if it had been sprung upon me cold - as it were - it wouldn't have been such a disappointment.
Uneven but with a lot of merits
TheLittleSongbird3 July 2014
Not much to add to what has been said already. Coming from someone who has not read the book, The Little House could have been better than it turned out to be but it had a lot of things that were really good. Lets start with those good things first, first and foremost Francesca Annis, who steals the show in the mother-in-law-from-hell role that has been seen many times before but rarely as chillingly as with Annis. In fact all the performances were very good and the chemistry is all believable, credit also should go to Lucy Griffith who was immensely likable as The Little House's most relatable character. The Little House looks great, very skilfully shot and the house is like a character of its own and suits the nature of the story very well. John Lunn's music is both charming and eerie while also being unobtrusive, the dialogue is snappy and also gives the right amount of foreboding, most of the direction is good and the characters in the first half are well written. The first half of The Little House is brilliant, the atmosphere is genuinely unsettling, everything's coherent and you at least know who the characters are and their motivations. The second half doesn't quite match up, the performances and atmosphere just about keep things afloat but it did feel rushed(I agree another episode or two would have helped) and ideas are introduced right out of the blue and are rarely fully explored. The ending is also agreed incredibly underwhelming, it could have been clever and creepy and was neither, instead it feels like an anti-climax and that it belongs somewhere else. Almost like the writers were not sure how to end it and just tacked one on. All in all, has a lot of good things, in the case of the acting and the first half great, but the rushed and underdeveloped second half and the ending make The Little House also uneven. 6/10 Bethany Cox
Worth a watch
rosedestler23 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I was looking forward to this after all the hype and I must say, I was glad I watched it at the beginning, however, with part two I started to get confused. The main story is straightforward, young Ruth being forced to move from her beloved city flat to a cottage in the country right next door to her in-laws after falling pregnant. Postnatal depression causing problems as she struggles to bond with her son as her mother-in-law constantly tries to take over the care of her grandson and convince Ruth that not only is she an unfit mother she is an unfit wife. The first episode was gripping, the sympathy I felt for Ruth drew me in and made me anxious to see how it would play out and also wondering, "Is the mother-in-law really so obsessive and crazy or is it all in Ruth's head?" It left me looking forward to part two and really wanting someone to get her comeuppance, unfortunately it was disappointing. Apart from the fact the second part seemed to throw in a bunch of sub-plots that had no relevance at all and didn't move the story along, I didn't quite get the ending. Did she fall or did Ruth finally snap and push her? While I'm glad the mother-in-law died it was a bit of a cop-out ending and I'm not even sure what happened. While worth a watch and starts off well, the second half really let me down. I'm hoping that the book will be better, as is so often the case
not as good as the book
tracytownley-3-87641317 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I read the book by Philippa Gregory a few years ago and thought an adaptation of the book would be worth watching.
However, the T.V. version did not have the menace of the book. The T.V. series might have worked better as a three parter as the 2 parts seemed to be rather rushed.
Why was the male teacher character in it?, what was the role of the sister in Canada? why did the dad change character in the last half hour? Who were the American relatives (and why were they mentioned at all?)
And worst of all why change the ending - the ending in the book was far more clever
However, the T.V. version did not have the menace of the book. The T.V. series might have worked better as a three parter as the 2 parts seemed to be rather rushed.
Why was the male teacher character in it?, what was the role of the sister in Canada? why did the dad change character in the last half hour? Who were the American relatives (and why were they mentioned at all?)
And worst of all why change the ending - the ending in the book was far more clever
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Sleepin_Dragon29 January 2021
Ruth and Patrick are expecting their first child, after giving birth, Ruth struggles emotionally, and is offered help from her domineering mother in law Elizabeth, whether she wants it or not.
I enjoyed it very much, more so than my fellow reviewers. I liked the story, I loved the acting. It was clever the way that Elizabeth took control, and how powerless Ruth was. She needed to get rid of Patrick at the soonest opportunity.
It starts off well, it builds up to a shocking, dramatic climax, an ending nobody will see coming.
Despite being transmitted over two nights, it's technically a made for TV drama, a format I miss very much. The only option we get now are six parters.
The acting was very good, a very high standard, the best of the group though, Francesca Annis, who proves once again that she really can take on any role.
Thoroughly enjoyed it, 8/10.
I enjoyed it very much, more so than my fellow reviewers. I liked the story, I loved the acting. It was clever the way that Elizabeth took control, and how powerless Ruth was. She needed to get rid of Patrick at the soonest opportunity.
It starts off well, it builds up to a shocking, dramatic climax, an ending nobody will see coming.
Despite being transmitted over two nights, it's technically a made for TV drama, a format I miss very much. The only option we get now are six parters.
The acting was very good, a very high standard, the best of the group though, Francesca Annis, who proves once again that she really can take on any role.
Thoroughly enjoyed it, 8/10.
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