Sometimes you can go home again.

PBS's "Masterpiece Classic" takes viewers on a "Return to Cranford" (9-10:30 p.m. Sunday and Jan. 17, WQED), the sequel to 2008's "Cranford," which introduced viewers to the ladies of a 19th-century British village where propriety -- and critiques of anything that strays from what's proper -- reign supreme. It's light drama with an occasional tragedy to reflect life as we know it.

In the follow-up, it's 1844 and Miss Matty (Judi Dench) allows herself to have more of an open mind when she remembers something her late sister once said: "Examine all things and hold fast to what is good."

She applies that adage to the prospect of a railroad coming to town, something other members of her cohort strongly disapprove.

"Return to Cranford" probably lacks some of the spark of the original because the concept of fussbudget biddies is no longer as novel, but it's still a treat to revisit the characters, including town gossip Octavia Pole (Imelda Staunton), faux aristocrat Mrs. Jamieson (Barbara Flynn) and cow-adoring Mrs. Forrester (Julia McKenzie).

New romances quickly spring forth from new, young cast members in this sequel that, like its predecessor, is based on the stories of Victorian-era writer Elizabeth Gaskell, who based Cranford on the village where she grew up.

The performances remain top notch, and the production design further draws viewers into the time period, making "Return to Cranford" a worthwhile trip for fans of British costume dramas.

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