VICTORIAN-ERA DRAMA CONTAINS PLENTY TO ADMIRE.

Byline: David Kronke

``Wives and Daughters,'' with its primly comic observations of mores of both society and the heart in Victorian England, could easily be the lost novel from Jane Austen's canon, but it was written nearly 50 years after her death. Moreover, its author, Elizabeth Gaskell, died before she finished her final chapter.

Though the book and its author haven't found their place among authors of the era in the popular sensibility, they're revered among scholars, and therefore receive a suitably impressive ``Masterpiece Theatre'' production.

In six hours spread over four weeks, ``Wives and Daughters'' essays the whimsical and melancholy life of Molly Gibson (Justine Waddell), a bright young woman who is more principled than anyone in her town - she's the only one who eschews gossip and can actually keep a secret. The daughter of a widowed physician (Bill Paterson of ``Traffik''), she's dismayed when she discovers her father intends to remarry, and even more dismayed when she discovers the identity of her new stepmother - Hyacinth Kirkpatrick (Francesca Annis), a resplendently petty woman whose every attempt at kindness toward Molly is in reality an irritant.

Molly, therefore, is surprised when she actually strikes up a friendship with Hyacinth's own daughter, Cynthia (Keeley Hawes), a lively young woman who collects marriage proposals like 8-year-olds used to collect Pokemon cards. Alas, one of these proposals comes from the man Molly herself is sweet on, Roger Hamley (Anthony Howell), who surprises his father (Michael Gambon) by realizing the great expectations the family once held for his brother Osborne (Tom Hollander).

A raft of other romantic complications floats through the proceedings, all the while providing fodder for the town's busybodies, who threaten to ruin Molly's good name - she's thought to be the subject of several men's affections. She informs the local skeptical gossips as to the identity of her suitor, ``One guess is just as wrong as the other, I assure you.''

Fans of the era's literature will recognize elements of this story, notably in Austen's ``Mansfield Park'' and George Eliot's ``Middlemarch.'' This adaptation, written by Andrew Davies (who adapted ``Masterpiece Theatre'' versions of ``Middlemarch'' and ``Moll Flanders'' as well as the movie version of ``The Tailor of Panama'' ) and directed by Nicholas Renton, boasts note-perfect performances throughout the cast. Waddell, in particular, is winning, striking the perfect balance of intelligence and vulnerability, as is Annis, who's cluelessly, pompously and vexingly proper.

Unlike some adaptations of the period's romantic comedy-dramas, the social commentary is understated, with little revisionism of the characters for our more politically correct time. ``Wives and Daughters'' is typical of the quality of ``Masterpiece Theatre'' productions - subtly droll, impeccably performed and boasting a meticulous production design that in this instance bespeaks a mildly faded elegance.

``WIVES AND DAUGHTERS''

What: British miniseries adapted from the Elizabeth Gaskell novel about romance and gossip in a 19th-century English town.

The stars: Justine Waddell, Francesca Annis, Keeley Hawes, Bill Paterson, Michael Gambon, Anthony Howell, Iain Glen.

Where: KCET.

When: 9 p.m. Sundays through April 22.

Our rating: Three stars

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Justine Waddell's Molly, right, the heroine of PBS' ``Wives and Daughters,'' is fond of her stepsister, played by Keeley Hawes, left, but not frosty stepmother Francesca Annis.