I thought Fred McCormick, Les and others hit various nails on the head in earlier posts. Poor Flora must be spinning like a top.

Most of it seemed (to me anyway) to be a pseudo Larkins/Upstairs Downstairs farrago directed at the post Songs of Praise Sunday evening audience, and no doubt also directed at sales abroad, where they love Ye Olde Englande fayre.

Apparently there are squillions of hour long episodes, which is a sure sign that substantial non-Flora Thompson padding will be added (probably lots of Dawn French Mummerset Earth Mother type nurdling, oh God).
   
The only good thing IMHO about this effort is that it appears to have prompted Ashley Hutchings to take a new Lark Rise show on the road.