Powerful bbc adaptation of elizabeth gaskell's passionate love story, starring richard armitage, pauline quirke, tim pigott smith and francesca annis'. '.strtoupper('a') powerful adaptation of elizabeth gaskell's feisty and passionate novel, set across the social divides in the changing world of victorian industrial society'. '.strtoupper('m')argaret hale is from a southern country vicarage newly settled in the industrial town of milton'. '.strtoupper('u')nfamiliar with northern ways, she misjudges charismatic cotton mill owner john thornton, whose strength of purpose is a match for her own willfulness'. '.strtoupper('s')tarring daniela denby ashe, richard armitage, pauline quirke and tim pigott smith'. '.strtoupper('d')vd extras specially recorded interview with richard armitage, commentary on episodes 1 4 with kate bartlett, brian percival and sandy welch, deleted scenes production notes running time 233 minutes region region 2 subtitles english release date 11 04 2005