North & South - Season 1 - Episode 1
Margaret Hale, a 19-year-old lively young girl, and her parents leave the south, when her father Richard resigns as the clergy in Helstone on a matter of conscience. The family moves to Milton in the north of England where Mr. Hale starts working as a private tutor. Margaret and her mother find it difficult to adapt to the north. While Margaret tries to deal with her new home and thereby befriends Bessy Higgins and her father Nicholas, poor local mill workers, she becomes aware of the social inequalities. On seeing John Thornton, a cotton-mill owner, badly treating one of his workers, Margaret's prejudices are reinforced. Thornton, on the other hand, forms a more positive opinion of Margaret.
About North & South

Title: North & South
First Air Date: 2004-11-14
Last Air Date: 2004-12-05
Status: Ended
Rating: 8.1/10 (from 184 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 1
Total Episodes: 4
Network: BBC One
Genres: Drama
Production Companies: BBC
Synopsis
Margaret Hale is a southerner from a country vicarage newly settled in the industrial northern town of Milton. In the shock of her move, she misjudges charismatic cotton mill-owner John Thornton, whose strength of purpose and passion are a match for her own pride and willfulness. When the workers of Milton call a strike, Margaret takes their side, and the two are brought into deeper conflict. As events spiral out of control, Margaret - to her surprise - begins to fall in love with Thornton...
Cast

Richard Armitage
John Thornton

Daniela Denby-Ashe
Margaret Hale

Sinéad Cusack
Hannah Thornton

Jo Joyner
Fanny Thornton

Tim Pigott-Smith
Richard Hale

Pauline Quirke
Dixon

Kay Lyon
Mary Higgins

Brendan Coyle
Nicholas Higgins

Lesley Manville
Mrs. Hale