Must've been a treat for Julian Fellowes to get his hands on a real Victorian novel, instead of churning out new eps of that pandering pastiche he's been working on for the last few seasons. "Thorne," OTOH, has a solid Trollopian plot (sundered lovers and missing heirs and family secrets) as well as a great cast--Ian McShane not exactly playing against type as a rough-diamond railroad magnate; nice to see Alison Brie of "Mad Men" as the husband-hunting heiress and Inspector Lewis's old boss as one of the snobbish gentlefolk. Stefanie Martini, who only has one other IMDb credit, is perfect as the strong-willed heroine (so much more relatable than those soupy Dickens girls!); not unexpectedly, the picturesque exteriors and the slightly dorky Mid-Victorian costumes and décor are right on the money.
Review of Doctor Thorne
