Reviews (13)

See my review of each individual Aunt Jane movie
In case it gets cross posted this is a review of [Collection 2 (1986) ASIN: 630340488X] This collection contains five Aunt Jane Movies ("The Moving Finger," "Nemesis," "The Murder at the Vicarage," "At Bertram's Hotel," "They Do It with Mirrors,"]. There is no way to rank these movies as to which one is best. They are like shoes; everyone has a different favorite.

I did look it up to find that all of Agatha Christie's full Miss Marple novels were made in to movies with Joan Hickson as Miss Jane Marple. And this set has 5. Agatha Christie Collection 1 - Boxed Set ASIN: 6303111564, contains 4 more. Then there are three individual films not in the collection boxes.

If you do not obtain them all you will be haunted for the rest of your life wondering what you missed.

See my review of each individual Aunt Jane movie
This collection contains five Aunt Jane Movies ("The Moving Finger," "Nemesis," "The Murder at the Vicarage," "At Bertram's Hotel," "They Do It with Mirrors,"]. There is no way to rank these movies as to which one is best. They are like shoes; everyone has a different favorit.
I did look it up to find that all of Agatha Christie's full Miss Marple novels were made in to movies with Joan Hickson as Miss Jane Marple. And this set has 5. Agatha Christie Collection 1 - Boxed Set, contains 4 more. Then there are three individual films in a third set ... (VHS).
If you do not obtain them all you will be haunted for the rest of your life wondering what you missed.

Not a "who done it?" a "what was done?"
This is one of those films [incase it is cross posted this is a review of "Miss Marple: Nemesis (1986) ASIN: 6303404855] that need to be watched twice. So much is packed from the beginning that you may forget it by the time you need the information. Then you can say "Oh, that was why."
A previous stated "This play isn't about a murder, it's about Miss Marple." And many of the characters repeat this through out the film. And this is maybe not standard but one of the plays where everyone and then some shows up in one place. It is not quite like "And Then There Were None (1945)" ASIN: 6304679661, but in a way more complicated.
Everyone is wrapped up in saying how good the plot is, how good Agatha Christie is, and how well Joan Hickson played Miss Jane Marple. Slow down and look at the Scenery and props. This has the look and the feel of the time from the buildings to the busses. It makes you feel that you are part of that time. At least you want to visit there.

Quaint
Anything that can inspire MatronsApron to write a song about it must be of some merit. A compelling series of mystery stories, each with its own type of clanicity.

A noticing kind of person......
Step back into Britain of the 1950s. WWII is over and this is your opportunity to enjoy a vanished world of vintage buses, cars and trains. Carry your leather suitcase into the vine covered cottage, or visit your old school chum in her palatial mansion. Observe the Vicar and his wife on their bicycles. Visit the Norman Church for Evensong and note original frescos installed during the Middle Ages. If you're free for a holiday, take a motorcoach trip and visit Blenheim and Stourton. Dine at a first class hotel in London where the waiters wear white gloves or have tea and cakes with Miss Jane Marple--she might even offer you a glass of elderberry wine.

Miss Marple is a noticing kind of elderly woman who lives in the Village of Saint Mary Mead. Occasionally she travels hither and thither to visit friends or take advantage of a lovely trip planned by a nephew. She always has her knitting needles in hand, working on a baby blanket or a sweater for a nephew. Jane Marple--Godmother and Aunt to several young people--I wish I had known her personally--but this is the next best thing after the books. "There she goes, tail up and head down" on the trail of another murderer--and she will get her man or woman as the case may be.

I agree with the reviewer who said one doesn't buy these DVDs with the expectation of Criterion remastering. Even so, the quality of the films on these DVDs is pretty darn good. I collect Criterion DVDs and expect them to be the fully restored works of art they are. However, some of the films Criterion has restored were so badly damaged they are NOT better than the Miss Marple films even when Criterion has done it's best. Also, many of the Criterion films are Black and White films from the 1930s and 1940s and of interest because of their filmography and/or the innovative techniques their directors employed. Some of these films were shot on a shoestring budget and it shows. Technology has improved dramatically since the 40s. The reason I buy the older Criterion films is to see how clever directors worked around technological constraints.

Call me blind, but I think the quality of the Miss Marple tv films is pretty good. Although some outdoor scenes are faded in spots (the films were shot in color) the director had access to camerawork not available in the 40s. Also, these scripts are excellent and filled with interesting detail. Most Criterion films average 1-2 hours of playing time (not counting the "perks" which you may or may not be interested in) whereas Series 2 of the Miss Marple films offers the viewer 500 wonderful minutes.

I am grateful that I have access to DVD copies of the Miss Marple stories, and I can watch them any time I want to. When I am watching them, I am reminded of life in the days when I was a young girl. Plus, today's tv entertainment is pretty much directed to the younger set whereas the Miss Marple films are probably better appreciated by older folks like me who lived through the forties and fifties--or younger folks who wish they had.

The British actors in the BBC productions are consumate professionals. Joan Hickson was told by Agatha Chistie that she thought Hickson was the BEST Miss Marple ever! Incidentally, I believe Ms. Hickson appears in the Criterion version of THE LADY VANISHES and I know she is in one of the Margaret Rutherford films. If you've read Christie's novels, you know Hickson fits the description of Miss Marple far better than Margaret Rutherford. Christie described Miss Marple as tall and thin with fine white hair and twinkly blue eyes--a gentle person in a cardigan sweater carrying a bag with her knitting needles and latest project--not an agressive broad in a tweed suit. Many other fine British actors are featured in these films--Joss Ackland, Claire Bloom, Rosemary Crutchly all favorites of mine who can out perform the "mega" stars any day of the week.

I love the vintage settings, costumes, clothing, china, knick-knacks and bric-a-brac, jewelry, shoes, hats, handbags, luggage, handkerchiefs--nothing is missing. I still own a handkerchief sachet with hand embroidered handkerchiefs my grandmother made --and one makes a very important appearance in a Miss Marple tale. The BBC maintains a museum in Stratford on Avon where one can view the costumes and other props used in various productions. The Miss Marple films give me a vicarious thrill and a trip down memory lane. Tea anyone?? ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes is perhaps the best filmed version of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective, showcasing Holmes's dazzling brilliance without ignoring his unnerving intensity or drug dependencies. First aired on Britain's Granada Television in 1984, the series offered perfect casting (David Burke, replaced later in the run by Edward Hardwicke, played Dr. Watson as Holmes's sturdy companion and chronicler rather than as a buffoon), marvelous period music by Patrick Gowers, and a running time of almost an hour per story, which allowed superior detail and faithfulness to the original source.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes marked the beginning of the long-running series. Highlights of these 13 episodes include "A Scandal in Bohemia," which introduces Irene Adler (Gayle Hunnicutt), whom Holmes uncharacteristically describes as having "a face a man might die for"; the chilling locked-room mystery "The Speckled Band"; the introduction of Sherlock's brother Mycroft (Charles Gray) in "The Greek Interpreter"; and "The Final Problem," in which Holmes confronts his arch-enemy Professor Moriarty (Eric Porter) at Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. The five-disc boxed set is a great bargain compared to previous VHS releases, although bonus features are limited to English subtitles and galleries of Sidney Paget's famous illustrations. The series would continue on Granada with The Return of Sherlock Holmes, The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes as well as the stand-alone treatments of The Sign of Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (59)

Wonderful series -- disappointing DVD
Grenada's Sherlock Holmes series are, for my money, the finest adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective stories ever filmed, or likely to be. The casting, locations, scripting, direction and atmosphere are beyond reproach. Grenada's aim was to create the definitive Sherlock Holmes, and so they did. Sadly, Jeremy Brett passed away with some twenty of the stories remaining to film, and in the last several shows his illness made him almost painful to watch.... but in this first series of Adventures, he's at the top of his game, as is David Burke, who is the perfect Watson to go with Brett's perfect Holmes.

I wish I could be as enthusiastic about MPI's treatment of the series on disc. The extras are all fine, but Disc One has some distressingly bad sound quality, and the video transfer quality on all the discs is uniformly poor. It makes one wish very strongly that A&E had gotten the DVD rights, as their treatment of such classics as MONTY PYTHON and THE AVENGERS is top-notch. It is the quality control problems on these discs that keep me from awarding the full five stars.

That having been said: for the Sherlock Holmes fan, this series is worth having on disc whatever the shortcomings.

Get it for the episodes, not the special features
Sherlockians everywhere: Jeremy Brett is the Master. If you haven't seen these episodes, or any of the others featuring the late Mr. Brett, you're missing a treat. I was a great fan of Basil Rathbone until I stumbled upon the Brett/Burke duo some dozen years ago. Now I can't imagine anyone else bringing Sherlock Holmes to life.

This collection features thirteen great episodes actually based on what Conan Doyle wrote. This is Holmes in all his moody eccenticity, from the mouse coloured dressing gown to the seven percent solution. This is also a Watson I was relieved to see, not the bumbling idiot that Nigel Bruce made him, but a solid reliable citizen with his own sort of intelligence: the perfect foil for a Holmes who pointedly ignores social convention. (Edward Hardwicke took up the role of Watson after this season, but I really prefer David Burke's portrayal.) The translation from page to screen is not exact -- e.g., bits of conversation from "The Sign of Four" appear in "Scandal in Bohemia" -- but there's nothing that came out of the blue.

AS far as a DVD collection goes, this is an odd one. The special features are nothing to write home about and the 13 episodes are formatted weirdly onto five discs where 3 or 4 certainly would have done. In some of the early episodes the sound is quite distorted, as if the DVDs were copied from well worn video tapes without the copy being cleaned up in any way. But all of that made no difference to me, because I'm so pleased to have these episodes and be able to watch them any time I want.

NOw if only they'd release the rest of the series in DVD sets!

Superb Holmes and unusually good Watson
These are the first 13 episodes in the justly-famous Jeremy Brett series. To my mind, they're the best of the lot. "The Red-Headed League" and "The Blue Carbuncle" are Doyle at his very best. Jeremy Brett seems about the right age, a fit 40ish (though the actor was probably more like 50ish at the time). Brett's Holmes feels exactly right, complete with memorable mannerisms and Victorian grand gestures. It's hard to imagine a future actor ever trying his hands at it. David Burke is a better Watson than Cedric Hardwicke, who replaced him in the later episodes.

Watson is a tough guy to figure out. What kind of man would devote all his free time to following and assisting Sherlock Holmes? It doesn't help that Watson is under-developed in Doyle's stories, a sort of literary device that allows Holmes to verbalize his thoughts in ways comprehensible to us mere mortals, of which Watson is one. There's frequently a condescending tone in Holmes' remarks to Watson, though Holmes is clearly fond of Watson and actually relies on his help. Nigel Bruce made much too much of this condescension in the Rathbone films, in which he played Watson as a buffoon for comic relief. In the 1970s, someone named Rosenberg wrote a book, "Naked is the Best Disguise", in which he looked for signs of latent homosexuality in the Holmes-Watson relationship. I don't think we want to go there, do we? I think that the best way to flesh Watson out in a dramatization is to play him as, among other things, an adventure junkie. He loves the excitement, mental stimulation, and danger. Cedric Hardwicke's pudgy, middle-aged do-gooder doesn't work for me. David Burke's Watson is also a man of decency, a do-gooder (as is Doyle's Watson) who wants to see justice done, but he also seems rugged, physically fit, believeable as a man who saw combat in India and who now thrives on the adventure that his association with Holmes allows him to experience back home in London.

Worth it!
It is very gratifying to see so many younger people carrying on the Sherlock Holmes legacy. These period pieces are quite up to the task. My first viewing of these episodes on PBS were a bit of a disappointment as I thought Jeremy Brett's choices were too feminine too often. After three episodes, my opinion changed quite dramatically. Playing off an intelligent Watson...well, not intelligent so much as not the buffoon, Brett does major justice to the character. For all you "Rathbone is the only Holmes" types: Relax...Brett is a worthy Holmes. Costumes; Locations; and dialogue strictly Victorian. Enjoy

Jeremy Brett Is The One And Only Sherlock Holmes
I grew up watching this wonderful series. I honestly think that Jeremy was the perfect choice for Holmes. Unlike a lot of Sherlock Holmes I have seen. The one thing that I dearly love about Brett's performance. Is that he brings a sort of sweet touch of humanity to Holmes. That most actors do not.
I love every moment with Brett as the most famous fictional detective in the world. There is allows a sweet sense of humor that Brett gives Hlomes that a lot of actors do not do.
Most actors build around to Holme's intelligent and busy body side.
There is just something wonderful and real that Jeremy Brett brings to the long list of players as Sherlock Holmes.
If you want to get any set of movies on Holmes then please get this one, and if you plain on doing even more watching on Sherlock Holmes. Then I suggest the next great version is with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Granada Television followed The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes with The Return of Sherlock Holmes, 11 more episodes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective played by Jeremy Brett. After his apparent demise at the hands of Professor Moriarty, Holmes is resurrected in "The Empty House." Brett is outstanding as the famed sleuth, whose return from what Sherlockians call the Great Hiatus is challenged by one of Moriarty's most murderous lieutenants (Patrick Allen), already a killer on the run in London. "The Abbey Grange," a bloody mystery with significant moral and ethical implications, was also an early episode in the new onscreen association of Brett and Edward Hardwicke (who ably replaced the departed David Burke as Dr. Watson), and the two actors seem as perfectly meshed as their allied characters. Arguably the most entertaining and satisfying episode from the entire series, "The Second Stain" finds Holmes facing intertwining problems, each with very different consequences. The look of epiphany on Brett's face when the ever-clueless Inspector Lestrade (Colin Jeavons) tells Holmes about an odd detail in the murder victim's home is enormous fun.

Counselor Troi from Star Trek: The Next Generation--or rather actress Marina Sirtis--is part of the cast of "The Six Napoleons," a wild mystery that suggests that a madman with a grudge against Napoleon Bonaparte is smashing clay busts of his likeness all over London. "The Priory School," one of the most interesting stories from Doyle's Holmes canon, makes for a particularly taut and exciting episode in which Holmes and Watson are summoned by the desperate founder of an exclusive prep school for boys to locate the missing son of a duke. An extreme rarity in the Holmes canon, a policeman of real competence named Inspector Baynes (Freddie Jones), is also on the case in "Wisteria Lodge," making this tale all the more interesting for Holmes fans interested in comparing and contrasting investigative styles. "The Devil's Foot" finds Watson pressuring the exhausted sleuth into joining him on a vacation on the Cornish coast. Instead of relaxation, however, Holmes and Watson encounter one of the most horrifying multiple murders they have yet come across.

Doyle caught a fair amount of flak for getting a lot of details wrong in "Silver Blaze," a story about the training and racing of horses. Nevertheless, it is one of his most popular yarns and makes a fine basis for a keen mystery with one of Doyle's most inventive solutions. A strong story with some of the sleuth's most impressive investigatory work, "The Bruce Partington Plans" also saw the return of Mycroft Holmes (Charles Gray), brother of the Great Detective and indispensable repository of government business. Holmes's methodical approach to the arcane problem in "The Musgrave Ritual" is a lot of fun, and Brett and Hardwicke seem to be having a particularly good time outdoors, pursuing the solution under a bit of sunshine. "The Man with the Twisted Lip" is one of the most ingenious of the Holmes stories, satisfying from beginning to end, with a witty conclusion and unexpected moral about class pressures. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (11)

More brilliance
"The Return of Sherlock Holmes Collection" continues the almost-perfect adaptation of Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes cannon. Jeremy Brett returns as Holmes incarnate, slightly less exuberant due to his illness, but lacking none of the spark and charisma of "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." Edward Hardwicke takes over as Watson so completely that David Burke is hardly missed.

All of the high-production values, including excellent location shootings and costumes and such, are carried over along with the cast. Granada Television really put care into this series, and it shows.

There are some great episodes here, such as "Silver Blaze" with Holmes and Watson investigating a missing race horse, "The Devil's Foot" with Holmes battle against his own addiction as well as crime, the wonderful "The Six Napoleons" and the eerie "The Musgrave Ritual." Actually, they are all top-quality.

This series is the finest Sherlock Holmes adaptation, bar none, and the high quality contines in this set.

The Definitive Holmes Series Continues
Granada's Sherlock Holmes series concludes its move into DVD format with this well priced 5 disc set. Like its predecessor, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", Holmes is portrayed by Jeremy Brett: he is, as others have noted, the "definitive Sherlock Holmes". I cannot imagine anyone ever excelling Brett in this role. Watson is played by Edward Hardwicke, the son of noted actor, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, and he, too is definitive in the role. Everything is near perfect in this set, including the adaptions from the Doyle stories, and the very real sense of being in 19th century England. I have only one reservation: the tape to disc transfer is far from perfect. I do not know whether this is a reflection of poor storeage of the master tapes or sloppy transfer procedures. The result is a fair amount of "ghosting", especially in the night scenes. Having noted this, the performances are, without an exception, excellent. No fan of "the world's first consulting detective" should be without this set.

Simply the Best!
What else is there to say, these series are masterpieces! The whole thing is superbly done.
Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke are amazing. This set is a must have for any Holmes fan.

Holmes! Watson! Magnificent!
What can I say about this DVD? Holmes is brought back by Jeremy Brett. There is a different Watson but you could hardly tell the difference from David Burke and Edward Hardwicke. They both have their own version of Watson and do wonderfully in the part. But Jeremy Brett once again shines as Sherlock Holmes. I can never tire of watching these episodes or the previous ones. I cannot wait till the Memoirs and the Casebook comes out on DVD. We can further delve into the lives of Holmes and Watson as they set off to solve more mysterious. You get to see the sensitive side of Holmes as Inspector Lestrade tells him that everyone down at the yard are proud of him. You can almost see Holmes swallow the lump that formed in his throat. Of course that might just be my imagination. Whenever I watch these shows I get lost in the writing and acting. Once again Holmes and Watson are being played by actors I enjoy and respect. "Come, Watson. The game's afoot."

Tremendous Collection
What a great series this is! The only disappointment is that there are few extras on the DVD. Jeremy Brett continues (from the first boxed set and feature film boxed set) to be THE definitive - without a doubt - Sherlock Holmes. His mannerisms, dress, deportment, movements provide a complete picture of how Doyle's Holmes should look.

This boxed set is a must have, especially for anyone who owns The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes boxed set. There are several reasons for this in addition to Brett's great portrayal.

First, the Empty House is critical as a follow up to The Final Problem. Any true Holmes' fan has to admit to at least a little depression following the last tale in the "Adventures" series (i.e., the Final Problem). The Empty House returns Holmes in full glory and Holmes' story about the "missing" years is priceless.

Second, the series shows Brett at his best, before the illness he suffered from reduced his health. Even in later series, Brett does a terrific job despite his health. But he appears here as a vibrant Holmes, a natural continuation of his portrayal form "Adventures."

Third, Edward Hardwicke offers a different, more professional, version of Watson than did David Burke in the "Adventures." Actually, Burke was great in the first series and ideal as a younger Watson. In some respects that youthful exuberance is missed in the "Return" and it's a shame that Burke could not continue. But Hardwicke's characterization allows Watson to approach Holmes as an equal of sorts (not that Watson could ever equal Holmes) in that professionalism that his demeanor naturally gives to Watson.

All in all a tremendous collection and as faithful to the stories as a television series could realistically be. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Miss Marple is back, and what an invigorating, happy experience this quartet of British television productions is for both mystery fans and casual viewers. The luminous Geraldine McEwan (Vanity Fair), following in the footsteps of Helen Hayes, Angela Lansbury, Margaret Rutherford, and others, essays Agatha Christie's aging, amateur sleuth as a discreet observer, knowing friend, and judicious dispenser of wisdom during murder investigations. But what really makes these crisp adaptations a delight is the endless parade of familiar actors playing those numerous suspects, baffled police, and innocent observers who routinely populate Christie's glossy, whodunit landscapes. It's hard not to be dazzled by supporting casts that include Tara Fitzgerald, Robert Powell, Simon Callow, Joanna Lumley, Ian Richardson, Jane Asher, Miriam Margolyes, Tim McInnerny, Herbert Lom, and Jenny Agutter, all nestled into gorgeous, post-World War II backdrops, usually in the English countryside.

This boxed set includes "The Murder at the Vicarage," based on Christie's 1930 book about the killing of one hugely unlikable Colonel Protheroe (Derek Jacobi) in Jane Marple's pretty home village of St. Mary Mead. Typically, there is no end of likely suspects, but what makes the investigation unusual is a pair of competing confessions from two illicit lovers (Jason Flemyng, Janet McTeer). Stephen Tompkinson (Ballykissangel) is very good as a police inspector who slowly develops admiration for Miss Marple's keen mind. "The Body in the Library" finds Marple aiding the brassy Dolly Bantry (Lumley) after the latter finds the body of an unknown woman in her library. Callow is wonderful as another cop who initially underestimates the heroine's gifts. "A Murder Is Announced," in which a killing is advertised before it happens, and "4:50 from Paddington," about a murder without a body, round out the set with imaginative plots and memorable performances. Don't miss the special featurette in which McEwan and others talk about the endless appeal of Miss Marple. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Admirable but stumbling effort
The ratings seem to indicate that people either love or hate this series. Perhaps that is because this edition of Marple mysteries appears clearly to have been produced with the goal of "updating" the old girl--but, as the British are wont to say, it often looks like "mutton dressed as lamb."

Miss Hickson or Miss McEwan? Now, the latter did have the Marple "twinkle" that Christie mentions occassionally, and the "fluffy" appearance that is also a passing description in the novels (though it sometimes looked more like a curly perm gone bad). The scene where McEwan sobs in the rain after finding the strangled body of her friend's daughter was deeply moving.

However, I'm afraid that Miss Hickson must win my vote as the more accurate of the two. I believe that it is implied in the novels that Miss Marple was a clergyman's daughter; because her sense of right was strong, so was her sense of wrong. Moreover, such an upbringing in Edwardaian England would also have made her poised in just about any social setting, from a cottage to a castle. Miss McEwan's Marple, alas, does not seem to have that touch of transcedant class that Miss Hickson's did; I certainly don't remember the character ever saying, "Call me Jane."

However, the series wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, based on what I had heard beforehand, and if it gets "the younger crowd" interested in Christie and inspired to write their own intriguing and sometimes humorous mysteries, they shall have served a good purposes.

Excellent
Casting, Excellent
Acting, Excellent
Costumes, Excellent
Location, Excellent
script, Excellent
Make up, Excellent
Music, Excellent
Direction, camera work, lighting, Excellent

Refreshing to see some quality in a sea of constant cheep and vulgar bombarding of films, TV programs etc.

Not Agatha Christie's Miss Marple
I am a lifelong Christie fan and I have watched numerous
interpretations of her characters.I have seen Miss Marple
portrayed by various actresses: Joan Hickson, Margaret Rutherford, Angela Lansbury, Helen Hayes, etc.Some I liked
better than others but always there was something to be enjoyed.
However in this new version of the stories there is nothing of
merit.Geraldine McEwan bears no resemblance to Miss Marple.
The plots bear only a superficial resemblance to the books.I
was totally disgusted by this butchery of good mysteries.

Not Your Mother's Jane Marple, nor Christie's, Either
I am an unregenerate Agatha Christie fan and will watch any dramatization of her books, including this new version of Jane Marple.However, I have to agree with previous reviewers who couldn't really come to terms with the new Marple.Geraldine McEwan is a fine actress but this is not her best role.For my money, you can't improve upon Joan Hickson in the role and this new version lacks the subtlty, faint air of menace, wry humor and sharpness of the Hickson productions.Yes, the new series is more "colorful", flashy, even,with a stream of well-known actors flowing through in character roles but many of them are ill-cast (e.g., Stephen Tomlinson as Inspector Slack) and their characters seem more like charicatures.Miss Marple has been transformed intoa much less remarkable person, with a rather routine romantic past and without the same shadowy, razor-sharp intelligence honed by experience with the people living in her small village.Overall, while it is an admirable try, I would rate this new Miss Marple as definitely not up to the previous Hickson series.

Judge the program on its own merits!
I was a little puzzled by the review that declared that these programs were not Agatha Christie's stories, despite the reviewer not having read the original works. They went on to compare these new programs negatively (and rather unfairly) to the older BBC versions of the stories. Such a comparison is valid, I suppose, but one shouldn't pretend that the older TV version is the same as the original story.

The fact is that the BBC series with Joan Hickson is no more the definitive Marple any other version. The definitive Marple is the one in Dame Agatha's books. Having said that, the Joan Hickson programs were well done, and so are these new ones.

I'll admit I can't comment to this new series' fidelity to the original books (my taste in Christie runs more to Hercule). The fact that it's a British production, however, suggests that they probably didn't stray to far from the letter or (more importantly) the spirit of the novels.

It should also be noted that even the revered Poirot series took numerous liberties with Christie's stories. Did those changes somehow make Poirot less than enjoyable? Of course not! Books are books and TV is TV. What works in one medium doesn't always translate to the other. The producers (and cast) of Marple have done a fine job on their own terms, and that's more than enough for a few hours of entertainment. ... Read more

Description

Dame Christie's most popular character, prim and proper Miss Jane Marple, is adored worldwide by mystery fans for her razor-sharp mind, intuitive understanding of criminal behavior, and trademark knitting needles. Enjoy four feature-film adaptations of Miss Marple's greatest mysteries in one collectible 2-pack. It's hours of great whodunnits for all ages. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

See my review of each individual Aunt Jane movie
In case it gets cross-posted this is a review of [Agatha Christie Collection 1 - Boxed Set ASIN: 6303111564] This collection contains four Aunt Jane Movies ("Sleeping Murder," "A Caribbean Mystery," "The Mirror Crack'..."). There is no way to rank these movies as to which one is best. They are like shoes; everyone has a different favorite.

I did look it up to find that all of Agatha Christie's full Miss Marple novels were made in to movies with Joan Hickson as Miss Jane Marple. And this set has 5. Collection 2 (1986) ASIN: 630340488X, contains 5 more. Then there are three individual films not in the collection boxes.

If you do not obtain them all you will be haunted for the rest of your life wondering what you missed.

Great Aunt Jane
Because stars can get packaging and content mixed up, I always use stars for content. The product can be described in the review. In this case many people are disappointed with the quality of the recordings. I am concerned with the availability and for one am glad to get a copy while they are still being published.

"Sleeping Murder"
"Very dangerous to believe people, I haven't for years"

This film is an excellent adaptation of Agatha Christie's book. The actors were well chosen. Géraldine Alexander and John Moulder-Brown is a convincing newly wed couple. The couple gets to solve the lion's share of the mystery with guidance from Miss Marple of who warned them not to pursue the mystery. The location is beautiful and requires a vision of the sea. As with most Marple mysteries everyone and no one did it. In fact we are not sure that there was an "it" to did?
So get out your teacakes and sit back watching that new fangled invention that the Americans like (the TV) and be swept away to the Sleeping Murder.

"A Caribbean Mystery"
Introducing Jason Rafiel

A relative of Aunt Jane's pays her way for a rest in the West Indies. There she is still sort of out of place with the exception of talkative Major Palgrave who turns up dead. Aunt Jane is teaming up with and usually out guessing another guest (the exocentric millionaire) Mr. Rafael. In the process a few more murders show up and everyone looks suspicious.

This story introduces you to Jason Rafiel who will turn up again in "Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, V. 7: Nemesis (1986) ASIN: 6303404855.
I t was an intriguing touch to have the dead person's spirit supposed to come back after nine days to get revenge.
You will want to view this movie several times to see how the plot could have gone. Later this movie will be like a friend and just need watching again.

"The Mirror Cracked from Side to Side"
Mirror Cracked from Side to Side

Aunt Jane finds herself at a local an annual summer garden party hosted by the new owners of Gossington Hall. The new owner is an aging movie star who is at odds with the studio producing the latest movie. A visitor mysteriously dies. People start dropping like flies and the Movie Star (Marina) knows she is next. The title of the movie is taken from "The Lady of Shallot"

Joan Hickson is Miss Marple. Agatha Christie always considered her as the ideal Miss Marple; she shows this through her reserve savvy. Jane takes an interactive interest in the mystery and yet each character as part of the discovery, stands on their own. The ending of the story is as is in life, it is appropriate not black and white judgmental.

"4.50 From Paddington"
4.50 From Paddington

A woman is being strangled and there is a witness. The police are can not find any evidence. So it is up to Miss Marple with help from Lucy Eyelesbarrow an independent maid.

Notice how Aunt Jane is always several steps ahead of the others in planning. Watch the expressions when Aunt Jane grates on David Horovitch as Detective Inspector Slack. "...When one of us is clever enough to find the body."

The story does not totally follow the book yet it has the unmistakable Aunt Jane feel.

John Hallam has fun playing randy Cedric Crackenthorpe watch him again playing "Lord Rhysart" in "A Morbid Taste for Bones" (1997) 156938195X

Agatha Christie stories come to life !
I have purchased this movie collection because of my love of Agatha Christie's Books and let me just say,it was worth every penny!I absolutely love this dvd collection and if you have not seen it buy it especially if you are a Miss Jane Marple Fan.

Glad I took a chance....
I am entering a review solely to reassure potential buyers that the DVD quality of this set is not "unviewable", and the sound quality is not "inaudible" as one or two other reviewers seemed to think. Could they have cleaned it up a little better? Sure. The picture is not crystal sharp, like the new DVDs that are issued today. However, there was not one single moment when I was distracted by either the picture or the sound. I am so glad that I purchased this, because my local PBS no longer broadcasts this series, and I have missed it. Now I can watch it whenever the desire for a taut, well acted mystery hits me.

Falsely advertised, but a good set of flicks
Because I have a hearing deficit, I always look for movies with subtitles/captions. In its technical info here at Amazon, this set is advertised to have English subtitles; it does not. The stories are still interesting to the rest of the family, but they have to stop and explain to me every few minutes if I am to know what is happening. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Two of Agatha Christie's most popular characters, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, are brought to life in these classic BBC and A&E Home Video mysteries. The delightful Joan Hickson is always entertaining as the prim and proper Miss Marple, complete with her elderly woman charm and perpetually clicking knitting needles. In 4:50 from Paddington, Miss Marple's good friend Elspeth McGillicuddy witnesses a man strangle a woman on a passing train, and it's up to Miss Marple to uncover the mystery. In Sleeping Murder, the Reeds move into their dream house, where Mrs. Reed is plagued by the vision of a body in the hall. In turn they call upon Miss Marple to help them uncover this strange phenomenon. When the American movie star Marina Gregg in The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side is almost murdered while filming her new picture, she's fortunate to have the help of Miss Marple to sniff out the evil culprit. A Caribbean Mystery has Miss Marple, who's in need of rest and relaxation, deciding to holiday in the West Indies. Her holiday soon turns into a working vacation when it's time for her to gather the usual suspects. Other Miss Marple stories included in the boxed set are The Moving Finger, At Bertram's Hotel, Murder at the Vicarage, Nemesis, and They Do It with Mirrors.

David Suchet perfectly captures the brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in four beautifully made mysteries. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, in which yet another of Poirot's retirements is interrupted with murder, is an admirable adaptation of a nearly unfilmable plot. Lord Edgeware Dies offers the pleasing combination of murder, theater folk, and a glimpse of a besotted Poirot. Evil Under the Sun features cold-blooded murder at a sunny health resort, and Murder in Mesopotamia doubles the fun by dropping all the intrigue into an archaeological dig. Each mystery is lovingly crafted with clever direction, a clear fondness for Christie's work, and painstakingly accurate period settings. Suchet and Hugh Fraser (as Captain Hastings) make a marvelous pair, capturing both the easy companionship and the frequent bickering of true friendship. Special DVD features include an index of all the Miss Marple and Poirot stories and biographies of Agatha Christie, Joan Hickson, and David Suchet. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Other Poirot Set
This collection is not very good. It is much better to buy the region 2 complete David Suchet's Poirot set which has all 50 of the Poirot Episodes, and then you can purchase the newest Episodes which are Sad Cypress, Five Little Pigs, Death on the Nile and The Hollow. This is a fabulous set and is much better than buying the smaller sets of poirot.

Fantastic Collection!
I happened upon this collection at Best Buy and knowing how much our family enjoyed British mysteries, thought it was probably worth the price. It is even better!! Joan Hickson and David Suchet are the penultimate Miss Marple and Poirot. These productions are well made, great for family viewing as there is little or no violence, beautifully filmed and directed. The Miss Marple's date from around 1987 and you can't tell as the time period is represented so well. And included are 4 of the best feature length Poirots ever. You can buy this set used but I don't know why anyone would want to get rid of theirs!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Here are four strong entries (each beautifully restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive) from the peak of Basil Rathbone's prolific, seven-year run as a definitive Sherlock Holmes for the big screen. Three of these films were released in 1944 alone, beginning with the gripping Pearl of Death, a then-contemporary update (set in the World War II years, as with most of the Rathbone-Holmes features) of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Six Napoleons."

A reluctant Holmes agrees to help a London museum recover a stolen, rare pearl. But the investigation takes a strange turn when the great detective and his sidekick, Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce), find their mystery linked to a series of odd murders involving the destruction of porcelain china. Typically, "Pearl of Death" has its share of inside jokes for true Sherlockians, including Holmes's declaration, "If I'm wrong, I'll move to Sussex and raise bees." Of course, that's exactly what Doyle's most famous character did upon retirement.

The Scarlet Claw is an original screenplay with elements loosely inspired by Doyle's "The Adventure of the Dancing Men." A skeptical Holmes and Watson attend a meeting of the Royal Canadian Occult Society in Canada, but are soon looking into a killing spree attributed to a fanciful marsh monster. Fantastic events are soon supplanted by an even stranger horror concerning a master actor bent on revenge.

The Spider Woman employs details of Holmes's apparent death and resurrection between "The Final Problem" and its follow-up, "The Adventure of the Empty House." But the movie takes a different direction when a bizarre series of late-night "pajama suicides" finds Holmes probing the involvement of a femme fatale. Of the quartet of features in this set (all produced and directed by the energetic Roy William Neill) Spider Woman has the most vivacity and familiar textures from Doyle's canon.

Finally, "The House of Fear," adapted from "The Five Orange Pips," is a chamber mystery concerning successive murders of the members of an elite club, the Good Comrades. On film, the tale seems a bit ludicrous, but its conclusion is among the most startling in the Rathbone films. There's also a fair amount of comedy between Watson and Inspector Lestrade's bumbling ways. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (17)

The late, late show lives again
One of the most pleasant memories of my youth were the summer vacations from school when I stayed up late to watch Universal's Sherlock Holmes films on the Late Night Movie. There was no better way to wrap up a day than by watching Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson sleuthe their way through the misty marshes in pursuit of the glowing creature of "The Scarlet Claw," or engaging in one of cinema's great battle of the sexes in "Spider Woman."

These 1944 Holmes mysteries are the highlight of this collection, and though Conan Doyle purists have been known to argue that the two Twentieth Century Fox films ("The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," both from 1939) are more faithful to their source, it was the Universal films that were the most popular and with good reason. Having made their name with the legendary horror films of the 30s, the studio was better equipped to handle tales of the macabre or simply stories of suspense than almost any other studio. Even the lesser films in the Holmes series benefited from tremendous atmosphere that more than compensated for the more awkward aspects of the studio's attempt to contemporize the legendary detective. The other films in this set, "The House of Fear" and "The Pearl of Death" are also among the best. You won't hear many critics praise these films as classics, and perhaps they do miss the mark, but if it's entertainment you seek, Rathbone and Bruce provide it in abundance.

And a special thanks to another famous pipe smoker, Hugh Hefner, the legendary founder of Playboy who donated the money necessary for UCLA's restoration of these films. Is Hef a fan?

At Last ...The Scarlet Claw!!!!
Lets be thankful that we are going to soon be treated to restored versions of these classics. I have purchased versions of the Scarlet Claw that were nearly inaudible and blurred. And it has been out of print for some time.

So I am writing this pre-review to express my Great Expectations and excitement over the upcoming DVD release of the 14 Sherlock Holmes movies made by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.
For those of us who have loved and worn out our VHS versions of these films, I am sure that I speak for many of us in expressing incredible anticipation and near shock that someone has finally recognized the need to release a "restored version" of these timeless classics.
We are told that they have been "Preserved and restored in 35mm by the UCLA Film and Television Archive." This is marvelous and I have already pre-ordered Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 from MPI Home Video.
I so hope that the entire 14 movies, are ultimately released in restored condition. Especially the rarest of them, "The Scarlet Claw" which has rarely been shown on televison and only been available on VHS sporadically.
To me and many others I know, Basil Rathbone is the definative Holmes. Not just because he looks alarmingly similar -as much as is humanly possible- to Sidney Pagets drawings of Holmes from the Strand Magazine illustrations, but mostly we love Rathbone because he portrayed the same Holmes that we as readers get through the buffer of Dr. Watson explaining away not magnifying Holmes' shortcomings.
Jeremy Brett chose to amplify every negative aspect of Holmes' personality that in the written versions Watson explained away. Rathbone's Holmes has been demeaned visciously over the past years and hopefully the respect and dignity that he gave his portrayals will be seen in all their accuracy and glory with these new digitally restored releases. ... these will have to be the best quality versions of these classics ever released...so for all of us who have cursed the incomprehensibly awful releases of these films over the years...our time has almost come. Show your support for this effort by ordering a restored version of American Film Histroy.
Much Thanks to UCLA, MPI, and Whoever was ultimately responsible for the idea of doing this!!!!

The best versions yet!
These digitally remastered versions of Sherlock Holmes are the best ever! All are very clear to see and hear! It allows you to really concentrate on the movie instead of all the imperfections that were in the old original copies, i.e. scratches and lines, etc. contained in the original tapes that are now aged and delaplidated. These new versions are a really good way to immerse yourself in the mystery itself, and actually a joy to watch!

The Sherlock Holmes Collection Vol.2
I have been waitng the release of these films on DVD with great anticipation. The wait is over and I can say that all the movies have been restored to provide sharp crisp video and audio content. Anyone who have seen these movies only on late, late night television or old cheap video will be delighted with these DVDS. The standouts of this set have to be "The Scarlet Claw" & "The Spider Woman", the latter I had never seen. The set comes with a booklet providing insight into each movie and the actors involved. All in all an excellent purchase for any fan of the Rathbone/Bruce movies!

Almost all that they claim
This resurrected series is a delight to see and the restoration by the folks at UCLA is superb. The viewer will not be disappointed with the restored audio and video quality. It brings back those wonderful "late late show" memories to see Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce sleuthing around London again solving murders and making fools out of Scotland Yard - especially in the original crisp, clear black and white that most of us have never seen. However, I was disappointed to discover that the "Bonus Materials" are only on "The Scarlet Claw" disc of the Volume Two Collection. The packaging and marketing would lead one to believe that each film in the series is accompanied by an audio commentary by David Stuart Davies. Unfortunately, "The Scarlet Claw" is the only film that has a commentary track. Needless to say, the "Loaded With Special Features" blurb on the DVD casing is somewhat deceptive. Although there is an introduction by the preservation officer at UCLA, production notes, and a photo gallery of stills and movie posters, MPI Home Video should have at least indicated that the audio commentary was for "The Scarlet Claw" only. Aside from the misleading claims regarding the "DVD Extras", the films are just as entertaining as they ever were and still a bargain. I just wish they had been a little more up-front about the special features since I would have purchased the DVDs anyway. Classic Sherlock Holmes fans are very loyal. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The six episodes of The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes continue Granda Television's excellent series starring Jeremy Brett as as the ideal incarnation of Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional hero, while Edward Hardwicke brings stellar support as the courageous, good-hearted Dr. Watson. The suspense is strong and the acting superb in The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax.Watson is taking a holiday in the English countryside, where he meets the charming Lady Frances and then worries after she vanishes from sight. As in The Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes puts Watson on the case and instructs him from afar. In The Problem of Thor Bridge, Holmes is approached by an American senator (Daniel Massey, Brett's one-time, real-life brother-in-law) to clear the name of a governess in his employ, the lady having been accused of murdering the senator's wife on his estate and leaving her body on Thor Bridge. The solution is among the most complex and satisfying of the Great Detective's career.

Watson's proclivities toward gambling on horses open the door to the sprawling mystery TheShoscombe Old Place, which finds a famous playboy and equestrian, Sir Robert Norberton (Robin Ellis), in multiple jeopardy. In Boscombe Valley Mystery, Holmes and Watson are brought into an investigation of the murder of a farmer, whose body is found in the woods adjoining land owned by a wealthy property magnate. Holmes's investigation pulls the search in a wide direction, but the revelations are no less ghastly.

In the next story, based on one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's personal favorites from his Holmes canon, Sir James Damery approaches Holmes with a special request from an "illustrious client" (read: King Edward) to intercede in the marriage of an Austrian nobleman who almost certainly murdered his first wife. When Holmes is himself the object of a murderous attack; an outraged Dr. Watson (Edward Hardwicke) has to channel his thoughts of revenge into a bit of undercover work on behalf of the detective.

Finally, Holmes and Watson tackle one of their strangest cases in The Creeping Man, which borders on science fiction. The Great Detective meets an eminent, aging physiologist who has been behaving oddly of late, but the greater mystery concerns who or what may be behind the nocturnal appearances of an ape-like figure that moves rapidly through trees, terrifying the locals. Holmes's pursuit of the solution leads to a stunning revelation in this taut and imaginative thriller that Edgar Allen Poe himself might have appreciated. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

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In addition to numerous one-hour episodes, Granada Television produced five feature-length Sherlock Holmes films starring Jeremy Brett, easily the best of all screen actors to play the sleuth, and Edward Hardwicke, a warm and capable Dr. Watson. The 1987 feature version of The Sign of Four, the second Holmes novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is faithful to the original story except in one important detail: Dr. Watson does not get the girl. Otherwise, the familiar tale of the death of Bartholomew Sholto and the theft of the Agra treasure is all here, as is a snappy performance by Brett as Holmes doing some of the finest investigative work of his career.

A thrilling blend of detective yarn and Gothic horror, The Hound of the Baskervilles (1988) concerns the apparent return of an old curse upon the Baskerville family in the terrifying form of a gigantic killer hound. Fans of Hardwicke get an opportunity to see his Watson on a solo mission for part of this story, though Brett is never far from the narrative. The supporting cast is very good, and the beast itself, revealed in a famously terrifying finale, is indeed a spooky revelation.

In The Master Blackmailer (1991), Holmes takes on the reputed king of all blackmailers. Charles Augustus Milverton (Robert Hardy) has made a fortune extorting money from the famous and the blue-blooded, and he routinely ruins others' lives when not pleased. Unable to talk Milverton into turning over letters belonging to Lady Eva Brackenwell, Holmes decides to steal them, going undercover as a plumber and even romancing Milverton's housemaid, Agatha (Sophie Thompson), to gain better access in the house. The story builds to a surprisingly violent finale, but the real hook is Brett's performance as the disguised detective and the startling suggestion that Holmes's close contact with Agatha truly moved the bachelor sleuth.

A little overextended as a two-hour movie, The Eligible Bachelor (1992) was made late in the enterprise. It finds Holmes (the ailing Brett, playing an increasingly darker and more neurotic detective) and Watson called upon to help in a case involving the disappearance of Henrietta Doran (Paris Jefferson). Fiancée of the noble Lord Robert St. Simon (Simon Williams), Doran was last seen with a former lover of St. Simon's, Flora Millar (Joanna McCallum). The unimaginative Scotland Yard instantly arrests Millar on suspicion of foul play, but it is Holmes who has to find the missing woman.

The Last Vampyre (1992) was perhaps the most ill-advised of the series. Entirely contrary to the tone and spirit of Doyle's short story "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire"--which finds Holmes victoriously pitting his well-grounded deductive powers against irrational fears of a rise in bloodsucking--it's something of an embarrassment to the largely wonderful legacy of Granada's earlier efforts. (For the record, most of the creative executives who had worked on the beloved series in the 1980s had been replaced by the time this film was made.) In this version, Holmes does battle with a Dracula-like fellow who may or may not be the real McCoy. There is a great deal of padding to fill out the story, and it is mostly silly, but the ailing Brett gives an ever-fascinating performance, which deviates from Doyle's vision of the detective toward something darker and more personal. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (13)

What happens if you try to improve something that's perfect?
This applies to the TV versions that I saw of all the films in the UK and VHS versions of the Sign of Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles that I have.

Most Sherlock Holmes episodes with Jeremy Brett were faithful to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories - and have been superb. The few in which the original stories have been altered, including 3 of the 5 in this set, have been poor. In fact, disastrous when compared to the rest. Avoiding them is easy - just like avoiding other Homes stories that people other than Conan Doyle have come up with - but only partly effective because these were original stories that should not have been altered and should have been made with Brett (the very best Holmes ever) faithfully.

My solution will probably be to buy the set but not watch the altered storyline episodes.

The Closer to the Canon, the Better
In these five feature-length films, we see Holmes at his best (though the quality of the films themselves varies). With The Sign of Four, the Granada team decided to avoid the question that plauge Sherlockians 'how many wives did John Watson have?' by avoiding the subject all together. This was a risky move, but it proved to streamline this series dramatically, and ended on a most worthy note. The portrayal of Jonathan Small by Jonathan Thaw (TV's Inspector Morse) ranks as one of the best guest appearances on this series. Outside the Mary Morstan subplot with Watson, this is very faithful to the original narrative. Better than Ian Richardson, by far better than Charlton Heston's Crucible of Blood, and stronger than anything Rathbone and Bruce had to offer. Can you imagine Bruce's bumbling, mumbling Watson trying to carry a picture? Oh, that's right they tried that with their over-blown Hound.
The Hound of the Baskervilles found in this DVD set can be a bit dry, and a bit slow at times. It is obvious that Brett is in ill-health. However, his performance is solid, and the moments he interacts with Hardwicke's Watson, we see a relationship between Holmes and Watson that no other team has captured. While Holmes delights in foiling Watson, such as in the opening scene over Dr. Mortimer's stick, it is Watson who steals the show. Hardwicke plays Watson as a world-weary, older brother of Holmes who understands him, and who is much needed by the world famous sleuth. Incidentally, for those who feel this particular version is too slow, I challenge you to see what happens when one tries to make a 'hipper, darker' version of the story, such as the 2002 production with Richard (Moulin Rouge) Roxburgh. The result is a gore-fest with little of the original story left in tact.
The Master Blackmailer is my favourite of the set. Holmes has fallen in love. The inexplicable has happened. In the original Canon story, he did get engaged to Milverton's maid. However, she turned out to be the Lady Swinstead, who turned the gun on Milverton at the end. This version takes liberties with that idea, and presents us with perhaps the saddest look at Holmes; a man who does not know how to kiss, love, or be loved. I remember hearing how folks who have trouble cultivating romances watched this episode, and responded that the episode was theraputic. Brett himself in this episode appears as if his health was getting better. He has more energy, and appears younger than in Hound.
The Eligible Bachelor is loosely based on The Noble Bachelor, and here is where the series gets into some trouble. While the performances of Brett and Hardwick are amazing, the story itself gets just a little too weird, especially with Holmes Prophetic dreams and the harrowing hag-like woman who has been kept in captivity. Because of Brett's deterioration in health, it makes sense that Holmes is having a 'breakdown.' His monologue about a world without Moriarty is particularly engaging. These moments make the film. The case itself is a let-down.
And finally, the last disc, I'm sad to say is the worst of the Brett series. I also felt it was the worst of the Canon stories. In the Canon story, when the boy is found to have tried to commit murder, Holmes recommends that he takes a few years to travel abroad. What? So, in this version, we do have a Dracula-esque human being who takes the young lad under his wing. Brett looks very run down, and older than his age in this film. And although, for the most part, the Memoirs series (which followed these films) is very good, Brett continues to look worse and worse. Does it make these later episodes unwatchable? Of course not! BRETT IS HOLMES. But we can't help but watch, with a lump in our throats, the slow deterioration of the definitive Holmes, who was in life, one of the most remarkable actors ever to grace the world.

Only for the completists--save money and cherry-pick.
I'd recommend cherry-picking the "fourth-season" 1988 episodes, "Hound" and "Sign," and purchasing them individually, rather than obtaining this set. The other three "movies" are from 1991 (after "Case-Book" and before "Memoirs"), and were the first episodes done after John Hawkesworth and Michael Cox had left as producers of the show and the faithfulness to the original stories fell dramatically: just as an indication, all three of these movies had their plots altered so much from the Doyle stories that the writers changed their titles (none of the other episodes had this happen). The only reason to purchase this set is to save money if you're a completist who needs ALL the episodes, or if you're a British-actor fan who doesn't care about script quality or Holmesian faithfulness.

Don't believe them
What exactly are they comparing the masterful performances of Jeremy Brett and his cast members to anyway? The terrible performances of virtually every other actor's work in the world today? The films are masterfully intelligent, well written, and certainly as good as the source material. Wonderful, enjoyable, and excellent fun all around.

An excellent series milked at the end.
Agreeing with most of the reviews below, I'd add that the two hour length features appear to take the same pace and plot development of the Adventure series (with which I am most acquainted), and stretch it out into two hours. The result is that it appears dull and lifeless. Case in point, simple scanning of Sir Henry's ancestor's portraits in the hallway of the Baskerville Estate is slow and tedious, a time killer of sorts. If Hound was done in the standard one hour, with the same level of plot development, etc., it would appear as brilliant as those stories covered in the Adventure series. I'll take the Rathbone and Bruce version of Hound over this without question. The Last Vampire is slow, a little better done than Hound, but still below the quality of The Adventures. The Sign of Four is good, quite passible in terms of pace and plot. I can't comment on The Eligible Bachelor, as I haven't seen it yet. Skip this set and buy The Sign of Four as a single, its worth it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Acorn Media presents a beautifully realized boxed set that brings to life all the ghastliness and arch humor of Caroline Graham's intriguing mystery series. Set 1 includes four episodes: Death's Shadow, Strangler's Wood, Blood Will Out, and Beyond the Grave Each is set in a different village in the quaint but surprisingly lethal Midsomer County, complete with sharp portraits of the love and loathing that small-town life can breed. John Nettles plays Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby with a wry wit, a satisfyingly keen-but-not-supernatural intelligence, and a deep understanding of human nature. Daniel Casey as the much younger Sergeant Troy has a somewhat tougher job, painting his younger policeman's character in shorter bits over the course of the series, but he becomes a most welcome face. The series is beautifully acted and produced and the solutions are satisfying--not a clinker in the bunch. The DVDs include selected cast filmographies, a biography of author Caroline Graham, and a map of Midsomer County.--Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Murders Most Interesting
Any fan of British drama/mysteries will love this set. I am a great fan of series like Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett), Cadfael, MI-5, Campion, Jeeves & Wooster, et cetera. The first movie seemed a little slow to me but I imagine it was so I could become familiar with the characters. The second movie is a great mystery and has some superb acting. The third and fourth are delightful as well. John Nettles is just plain marvelous and does a splendid job of playing a detective, husband, and father. I bought this set because of good reviews here at Amazon and I want to thank you people that reviewed it in a positive way. I agree with you that this is a wonderful series and I am looking forward to seeing the rest.

Successful entry in a great British mystery tradition.
They are amateurs and pros, London dwellers moving equally comfortably in international society as in that of their occasional forays into the English countryside, and lifelong inhabitants of those rural settings. They investigate crimes in the Thames valley and cities as large as Oxford, midsize towns like a certain Kingsmarkham, and villages with such all-English names as St. Mary Mead or King's Abbot. And they have been portrayed by some of Britain's finest contemporary actors, from Jeremy Brett and David Burke/Edward Hardwicke (Sherlock Holmes & Doctor Watson) to Roy Marsden (Commander Adam Dalgliesh), John Thaw and Kevin Whately (D.C.I. Morse & D.S. Lewis), David Jason (D.I. "Jack" Frost), George Baker and Christopher Ravenscroft (D.C.I. Reginald Wexford & D.I. Mike Burden), Peter Davison and Brian Glover (Albert Campion & Magersfontein Lugg), Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter (Lord Peter Wimsey & Harriet Vane), David Suchet/Albert Finney (Hercule Poirot) and last but not least Joan Hickson as Miss Jane Marple, the grandmother of all English village detectives.

To that illustrious group, British author Caroline Graham in 1987 added another sleuthing couple, the middle-aged D.C.I. Tom Barnaby and his young colleague D.S. Gavin Troy, coppers in a cluster of villages which, collectively, make up an area known as Midsomer County, and which could easily rival Agatha Christie's very own St. Mary Mead in per-capita occurrences of treachery, crime and bloodletting. The series' first entry, "The Killings at Badgers Drift," was so successful that it won a Macavity Award for best first mystery and, for its author, an instant loyal following. Before long, the books spawned a television series, which at almost 30 episodes has long since outrun the number of its print originals. Starring as Barnaby and Troy are Royal Shakespeare Company alumnus John Nettles, best known to TV audiences as Jerseyan Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac in the 1980s' series of the same name (based on the books by Andrew Saville), and Daniel Casey, whose most notable other roles to date have been appearances in the BBC's "Our Friends in the North" and the 1998 Catherine Cookson adaptation "The Wingless Bird." Nettles and Casey are an engaging team, not quite faithful to their characters' literary versions - which however works well to their advantage; particularly in the case of Daniel Casey's Troy, who is less brash and more goodnaturedly witty than in the books, and who presents a good foil for Nettles's emphatic Barnaby; in turn overall more reminiscent of George Baker's Wexford than of Nettles's own Bergerac, whose domestic bliss is spoiled, again and again, by the callings of his job; to his regret as much as to his family's; yet, he is to much of a professional not to heed those callings every single time.

With release of the series' episodes already underway in Britain, Acorn Media has now proceeded to the "region 1" transcription of its installments, individually and in collections of four episodes each. And while it is unfortunate that the TV version of "The Killings at Badgers Drift" - which not only introduced the characters of Barnaby and Troy but is also expressly referenced in this first collection's installment "Death's Shadow" - is neither part of this first nor even of the second boxed set released in the U.S., overall this is a most welcome and long overdue opportunity for fans of the series to reacquaint themselves with this winning pair of detectives and the not-so peaceful, albeit wonderfully filmed setting of rural Midsomer County.

This collection features the following episodes:

"Beyond the Grave:" Assisted by Barnaby's son, who is to "shadow" Troy in preparation of a school theatre appearance as a policeman, the two detectives have to get to the bottom of a series of seemingly paranormal events at Aspern Tallow Museum, all the while investigating the murders of a descendant of a long-deceased village hero and another local man who, like so many of the village residents, turns out not to always have been the honorable citizen his neighbors had known him to be.

"Blood Will Out:" Martyr Warren magistrate Hector Bridges is a Falklands hero, but also a man with an irascible temper, which endears him to few of his neighbors - and even less so to the traveler clans who assemble in the village one summer week, and whose leader has a bone of his own to pick with the magistrate. But are the wayfarers - the quintessential "usual suspects" for everything from theft to horsetrading - also guilty of his murder? (And will Barnaby survive the diet imposed on him by his wife and daughter without succumbing to the temptations of candy bars and chocolate cakes?)

"Death's Shadow:" Dark childhood memories haunt successful director Simon Fletcher as he returns to Badgers Drift to teach a summer acting workshop, one of whose attendees is Barnaby's daughter Callie. As he arrives, a series of arcane and seemingly unconnected murders begins in the village. Caught between the investigation and the preparations of the ceremonial confirmation of his marriage vows at Badgers Drift church, Barnaby eventually realizes that he has to dig deep into the hamlet's past to find the deeply disturbed mind responsible for the horrors visited upon its population.

"Strangler's Wood:" The forest's true name is Raven's Wood, but ever since three young women were found there strangled with a necktie years ago, it is more commonly known as "Strangler's Wood." Not surprising, then, that the discovery of yet another murdered woman ten years after the original crimes (this time a beautiful Brazilian model) brings forth premonitions of the worst kind; especially since the culprit responsible for the first three crimes was never caught. But did he really return to his evil ways, as suddenly as he had stopped murdering so long ago? As Barnaby and daughter Callie make an attempt at father-daughter bonding and Troy seizes an opportunity to demonstrate his linguistic prowess, they investigate the dead beauty's movements in Midsomer County - and unmask, yet again, more than one of its residents who is not quite as honorable as he seems.

Excellent Boxed Set
One of the things I have enjoyed about the release of so many television series on DVD is the opportunity to own so many British television series that I have missed for one reason or another over the years.

As a reader of Caroline Graham's mysteries, I was pleased to find this series based on her characters. Well written and well acted-- John Nettles as Inspector Barnaby is particularly appealing-- these stories peer under the peaceful facade of Midsomer County where a whole bunch of worms are writhing.

One thing I really enjoyed about this series is the lack of prettification of the actors. Many of the main characters are unabashedly middle aged and their faces show it, yet they are still attractive and vibrant. I think it was Charlotte Armstrong who once wrote how some signs of experience in the face was more interesting than "the bald brow of youth." This show illustrates this.

Don't buy this series for the DVD bonus extras though. They hardly exist.

Wonderful British mysteries
These are among the most satisfying British mysteries on TV. The English village settings are lovely and colorful. The main detective (delightfully played by John Nettles) and his family are exceedingly well realized and enjoyable folks to spend time with. His sidekick is engaging and offers a fine contrast (Daniel Casey more than holds his own). The guest artists provide a great guessing game ("isn't that so-and-so from such-and-such?"). And the plots are well constructed and keep you guessing until the end.

The only reason I'm not giving this a full five stars is because the DVD set contains no bonus materials to speak of. Hopefully, that will be remedied in future editions. The Brother Cadfael DVDs have Derek Jacobi's audio commentary. Any reason why the Midsomer Murders DVDs could not have interviews with Nettles or someone else involved in the production?

That one caveat aside, I highly recommend this set.

A Middle Aged Hero
In the age of young, buff superheroes, it is refreshing to come across a middle-aged detective who manages to be a realistic, likeable character married to an age appropriate woman along with a daughter. Why is it that the British can create such characters and the Americans are always left with "younger and more vacuous" characters? The setting is idyllic and soothing, often a sharp contrast to the plot. I enjoyed all the episodes immensely. The pairing of the younger detective with Nettles works well. ... Read more

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Jeremy Brett ended his riveting run as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous sleuth in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994), the final set of episodes in the long-running Granada Television series.In The Three Gables, an old widow receives a suspicious offer of a large sum of money to move out of her depressing mansion and leave absolutely everything behind. Holmes looks into this strange proposition and comes face to face with an enforcer and powerful pugilist, who Holmes cuts down to size with verbal agility. This adaptation may, in all honesty, be an improvement on Doyle's original story. The Dying Detective features Brett in a particularly strenuous and emotionally compelling performance as the Great Detective. Following his uncharacteristically provocative threat to expose a murderer, Holmes becomes mortally ill and delirious. Brett, who was actually suffering from cardiac problems at the time, certainly looks the part of the doomed hero, and his urgency in the role is haunting and poignant.

With Dr. Watson (the also excellent Edward Hardwicke) absent from The Golden Pince-Nez, Holmes is joined by his brother Mycroft (Charles Gray) in an investigation into the murder of a secretary to a chain-smoking, invalid professor. Gray's amusing, inscrutable performance helps supplement that of the valiantly struggling Brett, whose considerable health problems a decade into the series are well known to his devoted fans. The Red Circle draws upon facts related to a one-time, secret Italian terrorist organization. Holmes and Watson investigate a mysterious lodger who tells Holmes of her ties to the Red Circle and of her efforts, along with those of her missing husband, to break free of the Circle's long arm of revenge.

The ailing Brett largely stepped aside for The Mazarin Stone, a radical reinvention of the Doyle story, which was based on a one-act play also written by Doyle and performed in 1921. Instead of Holmes solving the crime, this time it is his brother, Mycroft (Gray again), ably assisted by Watson. (Sherlock does show up from time to time in a dream-like refrain, thinking through some knotty problem in a moonlighted garden.) Despite the absence of Brett from the main proceedings, the episode is still fun to watch, if largely out of curiosity to see Mycroft in action.

Controversial upon its first publication in 1893, The Cardboard Box confronts some nasty consequences of adultery. Holmes and Watson link the grisly mailing of two severed human ears with a complicated love triangle. Holmes, an expert in ears, naturally, has no problem with the mystery of where they came from. But toward what end mortals pursue "this circle of misery, violence, and fear" is another question. Though still ill at the time and at the end of his Holmes career, Brett gives a focused, remarkable performance while Hardwicke lends strong support. --Tom Keogh ... Read more