"There is no sex," laughs Heidi Thomas, who adapted Elizabeth Gaskell's witty and astute observations of mid-19th century village life in Northern England, where a group of spinsters dominate social mores. "You are dealing with a lot of very excitable virgins, and that to me is so much more delicious than sexing it up."

The cast concurs.

"If it's not there, you don't think about it," says Imelda Staunton, who plays Miss Pole.

"I think it can be sexy if it's suggestion -- touching hands can be erotic," observes Judi Dench, a teasing sparkle in her eyes. She plays Miss Matty Jenkyns, whose chance at marriage is denied by prudence, duty and fate.

Both diminutive but commanding, Dench and Staunton were seated side by side at a press appearance. With a few sidelong glances and an occasional chuckle -- but mainly with unfussy common sense -- they mused on an era where the cut of a bonnet denoted status, and feelings were buried deep beneath propriety and etiquette.

The three-part miniseries, which begins tonight, first aired on the BBC last year. The British media had expected the adaptation to be just another in a long line of period dramas. But the production went on to garner critical acclaim and strong ratings, prompting plans for a two-part sequel next year.

Dench feels the British audiences responded "to the sense of community" depicted in the sweetly sad and quaintly funny story of everyday life and eternal values. "Despite everyone knowing everyone's business, in a nosey way, nevertheless it's about being there for each other," she said in a later phone interview.

At one point, the project was deemed too expensive to film -- and ultimately, fewer episodes were made than first planned.

Dench's involvement was always paramount. Luckily, when filming finally began last year, she was still available, despite her high-profile, international career, which includes her recurring role as M in the James Bond movies.

"I had read 'Cranford' at school, but I hadn't remembered much about it," says the 73-year-old Academy Award-winning actress. She reread the book and immediately recognized the quality of Thomas' adaptation. "You know straight away -- when you read something and you can hear how you are going to say the words. The whole situation and the characters just jumped off the page. The adaptation was very, very true."

She particularly likes that, although Miss Matty's joys and sorrows lie at the core of the adaptation, it's an ensemble piece. "Everyone gets a turn, and a very good turn, a very good go," she says.

The town of Knutsford, Cheshire, which Gaskell fictionalized for her story, proved to be too altered by time, so the historically preserved village of Lacock in Wiltshire provided the main location.

Dench says that the Victorian costumes were a huge asset in dictating the way the actors portrayed the manners and mannerisms of the Cranford folk. "If you put on those clothes you can't slouch in a chair, you have to sit on the edge," she says. "The costume entirely informs -- the minute you put it on all the other bits fall into place."