Today we analyse video clips from Consuming Passion: 100 Years of Mills and Boon (BBC Television 2008, co-produced by Abi Bach)
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the popular romance publishing phenomenon Mills and Boon, a colourful and camp drama which charts the witty and moving stories of three very different women affected by the brand's success: co-founder Charles Boon's wife Mary, daydreaming 1970s writer Janet and modern-day literature lecturer Kirstie.
The first story within the 90-minute drama features Mary (Jodie Whittaker), wife of Charles Boon (Daniel Mays), the wheeler-dealer co-founder of the publishing imprint with his staunch business partner and trusted friend Gerald Mills (Patrick Kennedy). Their decision to take a chance on the low-brow, high-romance genre proved to be so original and successful it went on to define the course of publishing history as Mills & Boon. Although Charles was brilliant at identifying the need for "romance" through literature in his publishing empire, he was less adept at identifying it at home. This story is inspired by the lives of the actual people behind the scenes.
Second is the tale of Janet Bottomley (Olivia Colman), an ordinary spinster devoted to her ailing mother, but at the expense of herself. Janet's life takes a U-turn when she meets a devastatingly, handsome consultant (Patrick Baladi) who must operate on her mother. Triggering Janet's fantastical yearning for romance, a comedy of errors ensues, changing her world forever. This story is inspired by the real experience of many women in the Seventies, discovering their voice during a time of societal and sexual revolution.
Finally, Kirstie's story brings the experience of Mills & Boon up-to-date. A university lecturer in literature and feminist studies, Kirstie (Emilia Fox) is in a stagnating relationship with her partner Nick. Thwarted, bored and frustrated, she is lecturing to students on romantic literature and its place within our literary canon, when a sexy young stranger (OT Fagbenie) enters her life.
The first story within the 90-minute drama features Mary (Jodie Whittaker), wife of Charles Boon (Daniel Mays), the wheeler-dealer co-founder of the publishing imprint with his staunch business partner and trusted friend Gerald Mills (Patrick Kennedy). Their decision to take a chance on the low-brow, high-romance genre proved to be so original and successful it went on to define the course of publishing history as Mills & Boon. Although Charles was brilliant at identifying the need for "romance" through literature in his publishing empire, he was less adept at identifying it at home. This story is inspired by the lives of the actual people behind the scenes.
