Jamaica Inn

Bank Holidays offer a brief reprieve from the manic world of email and task lists, opportunities to catch up with family and friends, and a flagship costume drama from the BBC. This Easter Monday we are grabbing the remainders, if any, of our Easter eggs and sitting in front of the telly to catch Jamaica Inn, an epic tale of dubious morality, piracy, passion and the unforgiving Cornish moors.

Jamaica Inn also marks the return of Jessica Brown Findlay AKA Lady Sybil from Downton to our television screens. She plays Mary Yellan in this three episode adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s novel which tells the story of a orphaned woman in the 1820s who moves in with her relatives only to discover all it not as it seems. There is also the promise of romance with a guy who might be a criminal, or just tall, dark and mysterious. Either way sumptious cinematography awaits and Lady Sybil is back from the dead! Sort of.

Our own Maureen O?Hara played the role of Yellan in Hitchcock’s version of the tale all the way back in 1939 before he left for Hollywood and made the classic 1940 movie Rebecca, starring Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier.

One of our favourites,?Rebecca is a beautifully dark tale of a young and na’ve second wife who finds herself haunted by the memory of her husband’s deceased wife, the beloved-by-all and beautiful Rebecca. Early days yet but one rumour we heard is that?A?Royal Affair Director?Nikolaj Arcel’may be on board. Does that mean Mads?Mikkelsen and Alicia Vikander might reunite? We don’t need exact English accents?

Meanwhile Film Fatale will be showing Rebecca in the Sugar Club this June. Upper class gladrags totally necessary. For more details see here.

Jamaica Inn starts tonight on BBC1 at 9pm.

Jeanne Sutton @jeannedesutun