Both my wife and myself love the historical dramas. She was initially resistant becuz it's history, but found out there is some quality work out there. And this is one of them. I found the character development very good for a short series (6 hours). One is drawn into their plight and you find yourself caring for them and thier condition. If you like historical dramas, I would recommend it. I gave it an 8, would have gave it an 8.5 if I could.