Rating: 
Summary: Perhaps its a matter of taste
Review: I must agree with the previous reviewer who felt the pair was washed out. Many of the other reviewers say that Petherbridge is superior to Carmichael because the latter's version of Wimsey was too foppish -- I think they need to reread their Sayers. Wimsey's often described as, at least on the surface, a "silly-ass about town". He is intended to come across as foppish and yet be so much more; I've always felt that if Carmichael had been younger when he'd done the part he would have been perfect. Petherbridge needed to lighten up some to truly capture the sparkle necessary to carry the role for me. Also, while I expected Harriet to be a little darker in tone than her lord, she ought to have an irrepressible underlying spark and I felt that could have been better portrayed. All in all, still very worth the watch. I think the perfect Wimsey video series has yet to be created and I look forward to seeing it eventually materialize.
Rating: 
Summary: As My Whimsy Takes Me
Review: I never thought I'd see this series again, but miracle of miracles, The Powers That Be have released it and on DVD, no less! I first saw these episodes on PBS in the late eighties when I was entering junior high school. I've been watching those Friday night mystery programs on PBS for as long as I can remember, and no one can top these three adaptations of Dorothy L. Sayer's three most popular Wimsey novels: Strong Poison, Have His Carcass, and Gaudy Night. Absolutely brilliant performances by Edward Petherbridge as my quintessential Lord Peter and Harriet Walter as Harriet Vane. I hope that now this much-loved series will receive the long-awaited praise and recognition it richly deserves.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth the wait!
Review: I was elated to see that this series had finally been released. Since I saw it first at age 13, this remarkable series sparked my interest in reading all of Sayers' books AND in learning about Sayers herself (a brilliant woman). I *was* slightly concerned, after all these years and pouring through Sayers' books, that memory had elevated the quality of these productions, but thankfully memory served me well. Although he's a splendid actor, I can't say that Ian Carmichael was a very convincing Wimsey. A middle-aged Bertie Wooster, perhaps, but Wimsey - no, Lord Peter needed to be darker and pained, because he had something that mattered. finally. Lovely Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walters perfectly and touchingly portrayed Sayers' beloved characters, and though I had forgotten who played Bunter, Richard "Captain Zep" Morant also did a splendid job. These programmes were beautifully filmed, and although they butchered "Gaudy Night" quite a lot (ou' est St George? And the chess set? And the rest of the punting scene? And the famous proposal.....well I suppose the general audience doesn't know what "Placetne, magistra?" means...I had to look it up myself. So i won't fault them for that. ), they captured (necessarily) the essence of Sayers' wit. The little details on facial expressions (and Peter clipping out Harriet's picture) were especially touching. Cheers to the fine performances of the late Charmian "Mrs Councillor Nugent" May and fellow "Keeping Up Appearances" alumna Judy Cornwell: also pleasant surprises. Kudos, also, to the frequent (and, I hope, clever) Guinness cameos. As you may or may not know, Sayers was the genius behind the slogan, "Guinness is Good For You." My personal recommendation? Drink a pint of Guinness, read Sayers's books, and watch this lovely series. It was well-worth the decade-long wait, and performances and casting Sayers (a drama junkie) would have been thrilled to witness.
Rating: 
Summary: Lacks both Peter's charm and Sayer's words
Review: I watched these videos when they first appeared in the eighties, and only recently purchased and re-watched them as part of my DVD collecting; I have all the Ian Carmichael DVDs as well.There are two principal reasons why I find these adaptations unappetizing: much of Sayer's dialogue and scene details have been jettisoned (the opening scene of Strong Poison comes to mind; a scene that adds little more than an opportunity for a scriptwriter to make a clever witticism). The addition of the nude model to the Sylvia Marriot scene in the same video seemed gratuitous and unecessary: it added nothing to the characterizations already being portrayed. Peter's appearance at the end of the trial dramatically changes the dynamic between the two characters of Peter and Harriet. In short, the flavour of the period was retained, but NOT the details of the fictional characters. Finally, I found Petherbridge unappealing as Peter; he lacks the insouciant charm of the textural Peter that Ian Carmichael captured so well (even though Petherbridge is a far better look for the character). Petherbridge seems to dwell in a perpetual angst. He's just not FUN, darn it. If you have never read the actual text, the mysteries are acceptable, though not stunning; if you have read them, you may find these adaptations VERY far removed from the books.
Rating:
Summary: Finally! Superb dramatization of wonderful books!
Review: I've been waiting 12 years to see these! I didn't "discover" Sayers until after these aired on TV. "Gaudy Night" is among my favorite books, and this version is excellent. Harriet Walters is wonderful as Harriet Vane; Edward Petheridge shines as Wimsey. The Oxford dons are wonderfully casted--they looked as I imagined they would. As with any dramatic version of a novel, some subtleties are lost (such as the subplot concerning Peter's young nephew), but overall these are outstanding interpretations of Sayers' novels. Nobody does this type of TV like the Brits! Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent adaptation!
Review: I've been waiting for these episodes to be released on video/DVD since they were produced in the late 1980's! I had forgotten how beautifully realized they are. The details--costumes, stage sets, dialog--are truly astonishing. The total effect propels the viewer into this dazzling world. The producers must have spared no expense on this series. The acting couldn't be better--the actors who portray Harriet Vane, Lord Peter, and Bunter are a perfect match for my imagination. While not word-for-word, the productions are remarkably faithful to the complex stories written by Sayers. I'll enjoy these forever!
Rating:
Summary: Hooray!
Review: I've been waiting for years for this to show up again on Mystery! but to no avail. I was thrilled when I found it here. These are some of my favorites of Dorothy Sayers and the actors in it are wonderful, just the right match for my imagination! Now, please, please release Busman's Honeymoon, I missed it the first time!!
Rating:
Summary: Lovely on DVD
Review: It has been 15 years since I've seen these episodes on TV, and I wondered how well they would hold up compared to my memory. Well, I'm relieved to say they are even better than I remember. In addition to the wonderous portrayals by Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter, these episodes show an extremely careful attention to period that is very interesting. The very first shot is a closeup of a gas light on a London street that shows the gas mechanism in detail. The same attention to detail pervades the episodes, giving us a feeling for what people ate, wore, and how they lived in London of the 20s. My apologies to fans of Ian Carmichael (the other Lord Peter), but I think Edward Petherbridge does an incredible job at conveying the intelligence yet vulnerability of Lord Peter who went through very bad times in the War. He is a much more appealing Peter Wimsey. Finally, the transfer to DVD is very good, but emphasizes the rather puzzling fact that this original BBC production mixes film and video for interior and exterior scenes, respectively.
Rating:
Summary: Perfection
Review: Just want to add my enthusiasm for this marvelous series of Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane (and no less important, M. Bunter). The actors have all done an exquisite job and I treasure these films. I am also very impressed how entire passages of Dorothy Sayer's writing is lifted from the pages and used as dialogue. (Very unusual!) I would LOVE to see Harriet Walter and Edward Petherbridge and Richard Morant do "Busman's Honeymoon" - slightly revised to accommodate the time gap. It COULD be done!
Rating:
Summary: FINALLY!
Review: Oh, wonderful day! Now my badly worn out tapes can be relegated to the dustbin! I must congratulate BBC/Warner Home Video for the splendid job of transferring the DVD's--one never knows what to expect from DVD's, and this set looks fabulous. All three adaptations are great, but my only nit-pick would be that "Gaudy Night" could have been expanded one more hour to include more material from the book. If you've not read the books, and like this series, you'll like these adaptations anyway, even after reading the books! Petherbridge makes a very convincing Lord Peter--much more believeable than Ian Carmichael in these adaptations featuring the marvelous Harriet Walter as Harriet Vane. I can't see Carmichael as a love interest, but Petherbridge is the quintessential Lord Peter--witty (he does talk "piffle" rather well!), charming, brilliant, and vulnerable underneath the surface. One of my favorite scenes is where Harriet tries to send Lord Peter away, during a prison visit in "Strong Poison"--the pain and hurt that he is feeling is expressed so well in his face, with a minimum of gestures that it brings tears to your eyes. The interaction of Petherbridge and Walter is very convincing, and they relate so well to each other. It's a treat to see them together. And, Richard Morant as Bunter, although perhaps a bit young for the part, does a great job as well. He's a perfect foil for Lord Peter, with just the right amount of sarcasm at just the right times, and the ability to do a bit of sleuthing on his own when needed. A great boxed set, and not to be missed.
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