I'm surprised that I've gotten hooked on the PBS adaption of the Emile Zola novel,
The Paradise on PBS Masterpiece Theater. The French title is
Au Bonheur des Dames, which is roughly translated as "The Paradise of Ladies."
I generally avoid costume dramas but this drama set in the waning years of the Victorian Era tells us much about the Gilded Age, the hidden injuries of a class based social system, rampant consumerism and the dark side of mercantile capitalism at the turn of the 20th Century. There are quite a few strong female parts in the drama and even a sinister curmudgeon who will kill to protect the market share of hid boss's fledgling department stores which caters to the huate couture tastes of the noble women of Paris.
