Gorrie, John

P.D. James: The Essential Collection

Studio: Koch International Release Date: 08/05/2008 Run time: 2075 minutes

Rumpole of the Bailey, Set 1 - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2

Before there was Quincy and The Practice, there was Rumpole. Rumpole of the Bailey is, quite simply, one of the finest television series, and it has served as a model for all law dramas that followed it. Edgy and satirical, Rumpole is based on John Mortimer's books of the same name. A determined and committed criminal defense barrister (whose clients have included three generations of the Timson family, among others) at the Old Bailey (criminal court), esteemed actor Leo McKern portrays the antihero Rumpole. As champion of the downtrodden, the self-righteous Rumpole loves to get in trouble with his wife Hilda, his peers, the head of chambers, and judges, to name but a few. A connoisseur of Wordsworth, cigars, and cheap liquor, McKern's usually disheveled Rumpole belies the character's dry sense of humor and astute skill as a barrister. The upwardly mobile Hilda is played by Peggy Thorpe-Bates, known for her Miss Toliver in Alcatraz Island, and Justice Sir Guthrie Fetherston is played by Peter Bowles, known for his Richard DeVere in TV's To the Manor Born.

Each volume features two episodes. Included in this set are "Rumpole and the Younger Generation," "Rumpole and the Honourable Member," "Rumpole and the Married Lady," "Rumpole and the Learned Friends," "Rumpole and the Heavy Brigade," "Rumpole and the Man of God," "Rumpole and the Case of Identity," "Rumpole and the Show Folk," "Rumpole and the Fascist Beast," "Rumpole and the Age for Retirement," "Rumpole and the Bright Seraphim," and "Rumpole and the Barrow Boy."

Typical of British drama, production values are low while the caliber of scriptwriting and acting is unsurpassed. A rare example of a television serial that is as appealing and engaging on its 10th viewing as it was on its first. --Erik Macki

Today's legal minds could take a lesson or two from Horace Rumpole, one of the most colorful characters ever to approach the bench. Rumpole also maneuvers behind the scenes, using his brilliant mind and sly sense of humor to make his case. Stylishly played by Leo McKern, he throws the courtroom into an uproar for twenty episodes that seamlessly blend comedy, mystery, and drama.

First Among Equals

Studio: Acorn Media Release Date: 09/16/2008 Run time: 494 minutes

Doctor Who - City of Death (Episode 105)

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 03/04/2008 Run time: 100 minutes Rating: Nr

The late Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) co-wrote this enormously popular four-part story from 1979, which pits the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Romana (Lalla Ward) against a time-traveling alien (Julian Glover) whose body, fragmented by an accident, spurred evolution millions of years ago. Now restored to his full (and horrific) form, he plans to travel back in time and prevent the destruction of his ship--which in turn would profoundly affect the course of humanity. A terrific blend of science-fiction thrills and humor (well-played by Baker and Ward), City of Death also benefits from its Paris locations and terrific performances by Glover and Space: 1999's Catherine Schell, as well as a pair of unexpected cameos from John Cleese and Eleanor Bron as art critics. The story's high caliber was rewarded with phenomenal ratings (reportedly, the largest ever for Doctor Who), and has remained a fan favorite ever since.

DVD features
Thanks to its popularity, the two-disc DVD of City of Death comes with an abundance of typically topnotch supplemental features. The commentary by Glover, co-star Tom Chadbon, and director Michael Hayes, is the longest and most informative of the extras, but it's well-matched by Paris in the Springtime, a 45-minute making-of featurette that offers rare archival interviews with Adams and many of the cast (but not Baker or Ward, sadly) and crew. Paris, W12 offers 20 minutes of studio footage taken from 1/2-inch videotape, while Prehistoric Landscapes and Chicken Wrangler are very different views of the story's special effects (the latter is a particularly amusing glimpse at the challenges of working with live animals). Finally, there's Eye on Blatchford, a wry parody of BBC "human interest" news items, here focusing on another alien attempting to live peacefully in the rural English countryside. Production notes and photos and a batch of well-concealed Easter eggs round out this highly enjoyable set. --Paul Gaita

Rumpole of the Bailey, Set 2 - The Complete Seasons 3 & 4

Before there was Quincy and The Practice, there was Rumpole. Rumpole of the Bailey is, quite simply, one of the finest television series, and it has served as a model for all law dramas that followed it. Edgy and satirical, Rumpole is based on John Mortimer's books of the same name. Esteemed actor Leo McKern portrays the antihero Rumpole, a determined and committed criminal defense barrister whose clients have included three generations of the Timson family, among others, at the Old Bailey (criminal court). As champion of the downtrodden, the self-righteous Rumpole loves to get in trouble with his wife, his peers, the head of chambers, and judges, to name but a few. A connoisseur of Wordsworth, cigars, and cheap liquor, McKern's usually disheveled Rumpole belies the character's dry sense of humor and astute skill as a barrister. His wife, the upwardly mobile Hilda, is played by Peggy Thorpe-Bates, known for her Miss Toliver in Alcatraz Island, and Justice Sir Guthrie Fetherston is played by Peter Bowles, known for his Richard DeVere in TV's To the Manor Born.

This four-disc set includes all 12 episodes from seasons 3 and 4. Typical of British drama, production values are low, while the caliber of scriptwriting and acting is unsurpassed. A rare example of a television serial that is as appealing and engaging on its 10th viewing as it is on its first. --Erik Macki

Today's legal minds could take a lesson or two from Horace Rumpole, one of the most colorful characters ever to approach the bench. Rumpole also maneuvers behind the scenes, using his brilliant mind and sly sense of humor to make his case. Stylishly played by Leo McKern, he throws the courtroom into an uproar for twenty episodes that seamlessly blend comedy, mystery, and drama.

Rumpole of the Bailey - The Lost Episode

"You'll have a bit of fun with this one, Mr. Rumpole," and so will fans of this venerable BBC series. This may not be Horace Rumpole's absolute finest hour (65 minutes, to be exact), but it is his first. John Mortimer introduced his crusty, irrepressible British barrister in this long-lost 1975 television play, originally broadcast as part of the anthology series Play for Today. Leo McKern doesn't portray so much as inhabit Rumpole, as cynical about the justice system ("Crime doesn't pay, but it's a living") as he is passionate about defending his clients; in this case, a sullen black youth accused of stabbing a stranger at a bus stop. Though his wife ("she who must be obeyed") needles him as "an old Bailey hack," he rises to the occasion after determining that there is more to this "20-minute case" than simply "just another boy with a dagger." It's grand fun watching Rumpole get the best of scowling judges and corrupt policemen. Rumpole could very well have been reviewing this episode when he tells his son, Nick, "Sometimes, it goes well... sweet and easy as knocking back a pint of Guinness." -- Donald Liebenson

Rumpole of the Bailey, Set 3 - The Complete Seasons 5, 6 & 7

The three final seasons of RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY- the standard-setting courtroom drama from the brilliant mind of Sir John Mortimer, based on his celebrated and best-selling books of the same name.

Opinionated and set in his ways, the portly and curmudgeonly Horace Rumpole powers forth in his daily quest for justice. Unfailingly disheveled and as fond of "plonk" as he is of the English language, the beloved barrister asks only one thing of the accused--never plead guilty. For it's only a matter of time before the unflagging Rumpole cuts through society's hypocrisies and gets to the truth--as well as the heart--of the matter.

A timeless mixture of comedy and drama, this 6-disc DVD set contains all 18 episodes broadcast during the fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons of RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY, adapted by Sir John Mortimer from his best-selling novels, and starring the esteemed Leo McKern (A Man for All Seasons).

The Oscar Wilde Collection (The Importance of Being Earnest / The Picture of Dorian Gray / An Ideal Husband / Lady Windermere's Fan)

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 02/22/2005 Run time: 500 minutes Rating: Nr

P.D. James - Shroud for a Nightingale

Murder strikes a teaching hospital in this satisfying puzzle from one of Britain's best mystery writers. Nightingale House, home to a top nursing program, is also the home of students, teachers, a nest of secrets, and racks and racks of easily accessible poisons. When prim Nurse Pierce is offed right in the middle of a classroom demonstration, tensions explode, troubles multiply, and Scotland Yard's poetically inclined Commander Adam Dalgliesh must untangle the mess. P.D. James's mystery novels are notable as much for their emotional depth as for their knotty solutions, and this thoughtful production reflects that, taking its time in building to the macabre fun. The acting is uniformly good, but Roy Marsden makes a truly remarkable Dalgliesh, quietly capturing his intelligence, sadness, and faint touch of cruelty. Shroud for a Nightingale's three episodes take about four hours, so brew a good strong pot of tea (be sure to check the milk for poison) and settle in for the evening. --Ali Davis

Worried by the sinister political implications of his current murder case. Scotland Yard's Adam Dalgliesh is off to a teaching hospital for nurses to interview a prime suspect, critically ill arms dealer Martin Dettinger.

The hospital, he discovers is a hotbed of blackmail teeming with mysterious motives. At the somber adjoining training wing and nurses' residence, the risk of death seems greater than in any ward. Two young nurses are suddenly poisoned to death - one of them right before Dalgliesh's eyes.

Not originally assigned to these cases and against orders from superiors, Dalgliesh takes them on. With trademark cool, the shrewd, incisive detective is soon navigating a labyrinth of intrigues, jealousies and some very dark secrets. Someone is trying to bury the past and is ready, willing and able to kill again to keep it from being resurrected.

Edward the King

Edward the seventh waits nearly 60 years to become King. He wins the devotion of his people, the hearts of beautiful women and the fierce enmity of his mother, Queen Victoria. This sweeping saga covers 70 of the most tumultuous years of Britain at the height of her power. The story begins with the rebellion of a boy pampered beyond endurance, and continues through his mother's distrust and jealousy, his marriage and scandalous affairs, his most delicate international negotiations and his behind-the-throne carousing. This thirteen part series makes Edward The King an epic for all time.