Never has a title been more appropriate, it’s not only young Penelope that finds herself effortlessly slipping back into history but the viewer as well, reminded of a time when TV was as gentle as if it had been shot on wool rather than video.
Penelope becomes embroiled in the Babington Plot to rescue Mary Queen of Scots from imprisonment, the story playing out over the course of five leisurely episodes. Sophie Thompson’s performance matches the tone of the whole, a delicate, slightly stumbling and hesitant delivery that nonetheless just about holds the viewer’s attention over what is inarguably, more screen time than the story actually needs.
There’s no questioning its charm though and hooray to Simply Media for digging it out of obscurity so we can cuddle up in front of it again.