The lowdown:  'The Chatterley Affair' is a British telemovie set in the 1960s and the trial of Penguin Books under
the Obscene Publications Act for publishing 'Lady Chatterley's Lover', a DH Lawrence novel that had been banned
in Britain for many years. First broadcast on BBC4 on 20 March 2006, it presents a fictionalised account of what
occured behind the closed doors of the jury room at the Old Bailey (as well as the homes of the jurors who had the
task of deciding whether the novel is suitable for publication or would be likely to corrupt the morals of those who
read it). Louise Delamere stars as Helena, a divorced woman who falls for a fellow juror, Keith (Rafe Spall), a young
married man. There is a mutual attraction between them almost from the beginning, which turns into a passionate
affair during the course of the trial. Indeed, the affair between Helena and Keith mirrors certain elements of the novel,
which concerned an affair between an aristocratic married woman and her husband's gamekeeper. David Tennant
has a brief role as the real-life academic and sociologist, Richard Hoggart, who was one of the expert witnesses
to give evidence during the trial.

The verdict:  'The Chatterley Affair' is a compelling TV drama that does an excellent job of asking the question:
what if two of the jurors had fallen in love during the trial, and would their actions have been influenced by the novel
they had to read during the trial? It should appeal to those who enjoy quality British drama, as well as those with 
an interest in British literature and legal history, but it should probably be avoided by those who do not like a lot of
swearing on television, as there is frequent use of the F-word, the C-word and other words that are best left unsaid.
However, credit must be given to the BBC for including the unexpurgated words of DH Lawrence in all their glory,
as well as the very intimate scenes between Helena and Keith. It seems odd today that a book was once banned
for featuring words that are now so commonly used, although I bet even in 2006 the BBC had a few complaints!

Video clips:    Richard Hoggart             4.6mb                   The F-word     2.4mb

 
 
 
 

 
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