Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15166 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-07-09
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 8
• Running time: 955 minutes

Synopsis
Box set comprising the critically acclaimed series THE 1900 HOUSE, THE 1940s HOUSE, THE EDWARDIAN COUNTRY HOUSE and TREATS FROM THE EDWARDIAN COUNTRY HOUSE.

Customer Reviews

A DELIGHTFUL COLLECTION
This set of DVDS provided me with hours upon hours of entertainment and education. It was a wonderful insight into a bygone era and, in some cases, stirred up some old memories of how daily life in Britain used to be, even after 1945, and how slowly life used to change until more recent years. The trouble and expense that the producers must have gone to in faithfully restoring the 1900s house and the 1940s house is considerable, I am sure, and it is amazing in itself.

As a post-war baby growing up in Britain, I remember that food was still rationed in 1954, and realize that the lifestyle was much the same as during the war from 1939 to 1945. In addition, of course, I was surrounded by older people who were born in Edwardian times,and who still retained the manners and attitudes, so it brought back a lot of memories of the attitudes and thinking of the times, all of which which still lingered into the 1950s and perhaps beyond.

So, for me, it was entertainment, education, and also a trip down memory lane that I found most pleasurable. I was also amazed at how the role playing of the participants in the reality shows actually triggered such a lot of psychological reactions and changes within them, so I also learned a lot about people too, and I picked up some tips for myself.

I highly recommend this set, as I had such a lot of pleasure from watching it.

Guilty Pleasures
I found watching the four series in this collection gave me an interesting insight into the development of an idea. The undoubted highlight of the collection is the extraordinary 'The Edwardian Country House'. I wonder whether reaching this point may have been rather a chastening experience for all those involved in the previous two series!

I don't know much about the history of such experiments in televised pretend social history, but I'm assuming it's pretty ground-breaking stuff. The first effort, 'The 1900 House' was made in 1999 and it got me thinking about the series 'Castaway 2000', all memory of which seems to have been erased and which I, unlike many people, found utterly compelling. Both series were pretty shambolic, but this mattered less with 'Castaway 2000' because the inhabitants of Taransay had to spend a year there. They had time to go to hell and back. If we don't learn from hardship, what's the point? All of the 'House' experiments lasted for three months. This is understandable from a variety of points of view, but does it really give the participants the time to integrate new understandings? I mention this in an attempt to be fair on the Bowler family who, we are told, 'starred' in the first series. What a dog's dinner of a series this is! What were the family thinking when they volunteered, and how did Channel 4 get in such a mess? During the second episode I thought that things might start getting interesting, but during the third the constant wailing got too much for me. Then, without warning and, frankly, to my great relief, it all came to an unexpected end. Presumably someone had had the good sense to pull the plug. So beware, the first series consists of just three episodes. The second disc is an 'exclusive feature length documentary' which I could not bring myself to watch. My wife told me it was mostly a rehash of what had already been seen.

The Hymer family starred in the second series, 'The 1940s House', and it starts in a depressingly similar way to the first. But do not despair! It gets better. There is a second problem with the concept to add to that of the short duration, namely that all the family members had to do was to walk out of their front door for the illusion to be shattered. This problem was not satisfactorily addressed in 'The 1900 House' but, to an extent, it was here: a 'war cabinet' kept the family on their toes and this did add to their sense of anguish and deprivation. Channel 4 had got their act together a bit, then, but the family contributed most to the success of this series. I really warmed to them.

The third series is a completely different beast. It is more lavish in every way and far more slickly realised. This time, interestingly, the family are not given star status and the focus is not really on them. We do not meet the Oliff-Coopers until nearly ten minutes into the first episode. They will not have to suffer any privations at all; it is the servants who are the ones who suffer and learn about themselves and each other. The first person we meet is the butler, and he is the central figure and a truly inspired choice. Indeed, credit must go to Channel 4 for the choices of staff and family. The French chef, for example, is an extraordinary, crow-like man, but do not be deceived. He is no fool, and his perception is revealed as the story progresses. I feel that it is the Oliff-Coopers who ensure the success of this series, and this may appear a perverse thing to say. I'm sorry to admit that I found Mr and Mrs (Lord and Lady) Oliff-Cooper odious, and they are not playing a role. Shockingly, they willingly fall into the trap, and allow themselves to be abused on film by the staff, the programme makers and, of course, us the viewers. Yes, I felt a little uneasy about this at times, but then what does one expect when one volunteers for such experiments?

I'm a fan of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's first three 'River Cottage' series, made at a similar time but, if you are of a like mind, do not expect anything so inspired. 'Treats from the Edwardian Country House' is a pale imitation.

This is a very mixed bag, then. Get it cheap, view series one as a bonus set of out-takes and enjoy the guilty pleasures of the third series and you won't go wrong.