Paloma Baeza

Based on Thomas Hardy's classic novel, Far from the Madding Crowd is a turbulent tale of passion and destruction set in the 19th century. Bathsheba Everdene (Paloma Baeza), a beautiful and proud woman with a fiercely independent spirit, ensnares-and almost destroys-three men. She rejects the proposal of the loyal and dependable Gavriel Oak (Nathaniel Parker), who takes a job on her farm because of an unfortunate twist of fate. He can only stand by and watch as Bathsheba mischievously flirts with her neighbor, Mr. Boldwood (Nigel Terry), unleashing a passionate obsession that burns deep within the reserved Gabriel. However, both men are eclipsed by the arrival of the dashing, womanizing soldier, Frank Troy (Jonathan Firth). Despite being in love with another woman, he sees a challenge in Bathsheba and sets out to win her. Troy manages to tame the wild young woman, but their marriage is instantly doomed, and a dramatic chain of events are set in motion.

The Way We Live Now is a BBC series about the rise and fall of Augustus Melmotte, an Austrian Jewish financier who tries to become an English gentleman. David Suchet's portrayal of Melmotte is recklessly gripping, while Shirley Henderson's Marie is magnetic in her role as the put-upon daughter. The series is full of subplots and character interactions.