Celebrate the Moms of MASTERPIECE: Shows to Binge Now
Moms: they get mocked for their jeans, their dancing, and their texts. But motherhood is one of the toughest jobs out there, and moms deserve our collective gratitude for their sacrifices, their love, and for just doing the best that they can. In this spirit, we’ve rounded up several mothers from our recent shows who demonstrate why moms are true masterpieces! Celebrate the moms of MASTERPIECE alongside your own, with PBS Passport, an added member benefit.
- 1.
Mrs. Hall, All Creatures Great and Small
Audrey Hall’s complex relationship with her grown son, Edward, has been unfolding over the seasons. But with her gentle nudges, sage advice, wry humor, and helping hands, she is a mother of sorts to all the young people at Skeldale House, where she’s not just the housekeeper; she’s the very heart of it. Even in times of war rations, her shortbread is spectacular…and made with love.
Watch Seasons 1-4 of All Creatures Great and Small with PBS Passport.
- 2.
Marmee, Little Women
In today’s vernacular, Little Women‘s Marmee would be more “free range mom” than “helicopter parent,” and that’s alright with us—Marmee lets her girls fail in order to learn, she encourages them to be grateful for what they have and make sacrifices for those with less, and she nurtures them to follow their passions. Remember that time in life when you thought your mother was the most wonderful, brave, and wise person in all the world? That’s Marmee, forever.
- 3.
Queen Victoria, Victoria
She had nine children. Nine! And while she was, famously, no fan of infants, this working mom maintained a dedicated and close (though complicated) relationship with her children throughout their lives. Queen Victoria got a bad reputation as a cold and unkind mother for several reasons: she refused to breastfeed; her postpartum depression was misunderstood; and her letters were edited by men, who found female subject matter “tiresome” and therefore not worthy of inclusion. In deeply studying Victoria’s diaries, Victoria writer and creator Daisy Goodwin sheds new light on Victoria as a mom who refuses to sacrifice her entire identity to the pursuit of perfection in children who were, after all, just human.
- 4.
Louisa Durrell, The Durrells in Corfu
Of all our MASTERPIECE moms, Louisa Durrell feels most contemporary. Is it because she’s fallible, discombobulated, in over her head? Or because she resents aging, wants love, and can’t bear that her children are growing up and away? Whatever the reason, Louisa Durrell—part mama bear, part circus ringleader—is always striving (though not always succeeding) to be the best mother she can be. To that, we can only say “Yamas!”
Watch Seasons 1-4 of The Durrells in Corfu with PBS Passport.
- 5.
Fantine, Les Misérables
When Fantine was dreaming a dream, she never envisioned the nightmare she would later endure. But probably, neither could she ever imagine the all-consuming love she would have for her daughter, Cosette, and how she would sacrifice everything for her. As Lily Collins, Fantine in Les Misérables, told MASTERPIECE, “this idea of seeking love and wanting to fight for love…and being this beacon of light and hope for generations to come, that’s something I think maybe we all can strive for. Even if your time on this earth is short, your legacy can live on.” Merci, Fantine!
- 6.
Demelza Poldark, Poldark
Demelza has known the greatest loss a parent can experience, losing a child. But Julia’s tragic death didn’t close off Demelza’s heart; rather, she dared to love a child again, with the ferocity she brings to everything she does, from kneading dough to confronting George Warleggan. And while we don’t see a lot of mother-and-child scenes with Jeremy or Clowance and Demelza, we know she sings them beautiful lullabies, mothers them with tenderness, and leaves them in Prudie’s capable hands while she dashes off to rescue Ross from yet another scrape with the law!
Watch these MASTERPIECEs and many more with PBS Passport, an added member benefit!
