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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Michael Hogan

‘Wow, there’s a lot of sex and swearing’: Channel 4’s top-rated drama ever, 30 years on

Jennifer Ehle and Toby Stephens in The Camomile Lawn
Nice-but-dim nymphos … Jennifer Ehle and Toby Stephens in The Camomile Lawn. Photograph: Moviestore Collection

‘There’s going to be a war! What the heck do Sophy’s knickers matter?” What indeed, Felicity Kendal. This week marks the 30th anniversary of The Camomile Lawn, a bosom-heaving period drama that broke ratings records back in spring 1992. All is fair in love, war and lingerie.

Revisiting it, the hammier-than-Peppa-Pig five-parter often feels like a spoof. And wow, there’s a lot of sex and swearing in it. No wonder it was known as “The Camomile Porn” by the popular press. This is Game of Thrones with gravy-painted legs. Or perhaps Euphoria with a ration book.

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