This miniseries takes place in Victorian England during 1902. While the costumes and setting were interesting, the plot line was pure soap opera. The various character moral decisions and plot lines by no means accurately reflect the end of the Victorian era. The series starts out somewhat slowly, but completely manages to jump the shark in the episode "When the Bough Breaks". For a better BBC miniseries in just about every way check out the Duchess of Duke series. The writing is far superior.