Phyllis Crane: The One with Four Wheels

[Driad]

She's older than the other midwives, and has curly hair and a car.  When she first arrived, she didn't seem to fit in with the younger ones, but they are coming to appreciate her experience and far-from-prim attitude.  I like her a lot.  She reminds me of some veteran nurses on M*A*S*H etc., who have seen and done it all, suffered a lot, but enjoyed life anyway.

[JudyObscure]

I like her, too.  I loved her story about losing her young man in the war, but being glad that they had "seized the day." I love how she is so honest about herself, "I do the Air Force exercises in my combinations!"  Sometimes she seems aware that the young ones are rolling their eyes over her a bit, but she just shrugs it off. 

[Popples]

She seemed a bit abrasive at first, but getting to know her back story about being born out of wedlock and watching her mother struggle to raise her, her dalliances with a military man, and she's so comforting and reassuring to the new mothers, I completely flove her.

[dory]

I didn't really like her at first,, but she has really grown on me. Now she is one of my favs!

[Kohola3]

Quote

I didn't really like her at first,, but she has really grown on me. Now she is one of my favs!

Maybe it's because I am a curmudgeonly old nurse but I really love her.  I thought she and Evangeline would be in a fist fight at some point but it appears Ev has mellowed and I bet Phyllis will turn into her BFF.  Love some of the cracks that Phyllis makes as well.  And her hidden past - wowee!

[dory]

I like that she lived her life no apology and hopefully no regrets. She smiles at the young ones and thinks been ,there done that, got the Tee shirt. LOL

[craziness]

I like her a lot too,  and was very upset last season when the younger midwives laughed after she left the room after buying a ticket to the square dance ( not sure which ep, and can't recall what she said). They could have at least tried to keep the laughter down until she walked away. They seemed way too clicky at that moment for me (I may be overly sensitive as I'm older than a lot of my coworkers).

[MissLucas]

I like her because she provides a mature perspective albeit not a spiritual one like all the other mature women on the show who are of course nuns. It provides an interesting counterbalance - not that I ever thought that the show was pushing the religious angle too far but it would be easy to dismiss the non-religious POV embraced by some of the younger midwives to simple lack of experience. She may be an atheist or an agnostic or just keeps her faith to herself but whatever support and counsel she gives seems to come more from a humanistic than a religious view of the world (not that the two are necessarily exclusiv).

Edited May 16, 2016 by MissLucas

[jschoolgirl]

Can anyone place Phyllis's accent? We know her mother had her out of wedlock and apparently raised her alone, although we don't know if the mother had a posh background.

The accent sounds a lot like the Mid-Atlantic accent of Julia Child and Eleanor Roosevelt. It is not often heard anymore, but it was/is upper-crust.

[AZChristian]

Phyllis has been nominated for a British award as best actress for her role as Nurse Crane.  I believe "Nurse Barbara" was nominated as well.  And, of course, CtM was nominated for best dramatic series.

[Kohola3]

I think Barbara is OK but to put her up for an award against Nurse Crane?  Can't see it.

Here's where to vote.  Not being a Brit I only voted on CtM options.  Don't know any (or many) of the other shows.

[Fireball]

28 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

I think Barbara is OK but to put her up for an award against Nurse Crane?  Can't see it.

Here's where to vote.  Not being a Brit I only voted on CtM options.  Don't know any (or many) of the other shows.

I agree Linda Bassett deserves the award over Charlotte Ritchie; Linda has shown such a range of emotion on CtM. Maybe Charlotte Ritchie also has a wide range of emotions that we just haven't seen on CtM; the writers imo really just use Tom & Barbara as plot devises. 

Am I the only one who found it odd that CtM was in the Family Drama category? 

[OnceSane]

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I think Barbara is OK but to put her up for an award against Nurse Crane?  Can't see it.

Here's where to vote.  Not being a Brit I only voted on CtM options.  Don't know any (or many) of the other shows.

Voted for LB!  I also tossed a vote in for "the boys from the Dwaaaaaarrrrf!"

1 hour ago, Fireball said:

Am I the only one who found it odd that CtM was in the Family Drama category? 

It fits to me.  Yes, the main cast are the midwives & nuns…but their jobs are all about building and taking care of families.

[peggy06]

On 4/4/2017 at 5:52 PM, jschoolgirl said:

Can anyone place Phyllis's accent? We know her mother had her out of wedlock and apparently raised her alone, although we don't know if the mother had a posh background.

The accent sounds a lot like the Mid-Atlantic accent of Julia Child and Eleanor Roosevelt. It is not often heard anymore, but it was/is upper-crust.

Talk about your late replies, but I've only been watching the show for about 3 weeks. :) Phyllis seems use the word "lass" a lot, and I associate that with the North of England and Scotland. Her accent isn't Scottish, so maybe a touch of the north? I don't hear it as upper class or posh, strictly middle class or working class.  

Trixie, on the other hand, has a very clipped upper class type accent and I assumed she came from that sort of background, but apparently not, according to the show.

[jschoolgirl]

28 minutes ago, peggy06 said:

Talk about your late replies, but I've only been watching the show for about 3 weeks. :) Phyllis seems use the word "lass" a lot, and I associate that with the North of England and Scotland. Her accent isn't Scottish, so maybe a touch of the north? I don't hear it as upper class or posh, strictly middle class or working class.  

Trixie, on the other hand, has a very clipped upper class type accent and I assumed she came from that sort of background, but apparently not, according to the show.

Thanks, Peggy, for your reply! I've noticed the "lass" as well. I'll bet you are right that she's from the North.

Trixie likely has affected her accent to go along with her image. And I'm not saying that in a critical way. I don't blame her.

[Driad]

I wasn't sure about Phyllis at first but she quickly became my favorite.  I tried to choose a favorite scene but there are so many!

[Bonzie]

Right now, Phyllis and Trixie are my favs.

[Fireball]

At the moment, Phyllis is really the only Midwife I like.

Edited May 8, 2018 by Fireball

[craziness]

I'm rewatching season 4, and noticed a retcon.  In season 4, episode 2 (I believe), Phyllis mentions something her father said in the war (I think it was about bombs or about hygiene - the retcon didn't hit me immediately).  Many episodes later, we found out she was born out of wedlock and raised seemingly by her mother alone.  

[craziness]

On 1/13/2019 at 2:43 PM, craziness said:

I'm rewatching season 4, and noticed a retcon.  In season 4, episode 2 (I believe), Phyllis mentions something her father said in the war (I think it was about bombs or about hygiene - the retcon didn't hit me immediately).  Many episodes later, we found out she was born out of wedlock and raised seemingly by her mother alone.  

Hmmm, previously.tv won't let me edit this much later ... It was season 4, episode 3, and Phyllis said that her father called dysentery campaign fever, said it wiped out whole battalions.

[Emily Thrace]

On 2019-01-27 at 2:04 PM, craziness said:

Hmmm, previously.tv won't let me edit this much later ... It was season 4, episode 3, and Phyllis said that her father called dysentery campaign fever, said it wiped out whole battalions.

Its possible that even as a bastard Phyllis still knew her father some what. Even if he was married she might have visited him or vice versa. Or perhaps she sought him out as an adult.

[Badger]

28 minutes ago, Emily Thrace said:

Its possible that even as a bastard Phyllis still knew her father some what. Even if he was married she might have visited him or vice versa. Or perhaps she sought him out as an adult.

Or maybe her mother got married after a while, and her husband is who Phyllis is referring to.  Kind of like how Timothy Turner refers to Shelagh as his "mum."  

[SandyToes]

I love watching Phyllis.  She looks so much like my dear great aunt.  Sounds like her, the way her mouth moves and speaks is JUST like my aunt, even her firm, yet loving manner.  I especially like how Phyllis often seems at first glance a little curmodgeony,  and then in the next breath is the step-in-front-of-a-train-for-you person you can't live without. 

I hadn't notice her resemblance to my aunt in Lark Rise to Candleford, but it is a dear little glimpse of someone I loved every time she's on the screen.

[sigmaforce86]

I just read that Linda's nephew was killed by a drugged driver last October.  It was back in the news now because the driver who hit him was sentenced.  I don't recall hearing or reading about it at the time but he was only 41 with a young son so my sympathies to Linda and her family.

https://theworldnews.net/uk-news/drug-driver-who-killed-actress-linda-bassett-s-nephew-41-while-taking-children-to-school-is-jailed

[AZChristian]

We have been binge-watching all four seasons of "Lark Rise to Candleford."  Linda Bassett plays Queenie, an elderly lady who raises bees (among other endeavors).  

She "plays" much older in LRtC.  I found it interesting that Dawn French (a well-known actress in her own right) said she loves being on the show because it gives her a chance to watch - and learn from - Linda Bassett.

Peer respect is pretty impressive!

[Kohola3]

8 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

We have been binge-watching all four seasons of "Lark Rise to Candleford."  Linda Bassett plays Queenie, an elderly lady who raises bees (among other endeavors).  

I loved that series when I watched it years ago.  She was great in that role.

[JudyObscure]

1 hour ago, AZChristian said:

We have been binge-watching all four seasons of "Lark Rise to Candleford." 

We have, too! When I suggested we get out an old series to watch while we're hunkered down, "Lark Rise," was my husband's first suggestion. There's something  comforting about this group of characters, all so lovable in their own way.

[alexvillage]

On 5/16/2016 at 6:14 PM, MissLucas said:

I like her because she provides a mature perspective albeit not a spiritual one like all the other mature women on the show who are of course nuns. It provides an interesting counterbalance - not that I ever thought that the show was pushing the religious angle too far but it would be easy to dismiss the non-religious POV embraced by some of the younger midwives to simple lack of experience. She may be an atheist or an agnostic or just keeps her faith to herself but whatever support and counsel she gives seems to come more from a humanistic than a religious view of the world (not that the two are necessarily exclusiv).

That's what made me love her. At first I din't care much about her but with each episode  (I am in the beginning of season 8 now, pandemic binging) I like her more and more. 

[Seascape]

On 4/4/2017 at 6:52 PM, jschoolgirl said:

Can anyone place Phyllis's accent? We know her mother had her out of wedlock and apparently raised her alone, although we don't know if the mother had a posh background.

The accent sounds a lot like the Mid-Atlantic accent of Julia Child and Eleanor Roosevelt. It is not often heard anymore, but it was/is upper-crust.

Phyllis’s accent is Leeds, West Yorkshire.