Rating: 
Summary: Three Cheers for This 3-Disk Set!
Review: How wonderful that BBC has released this delightful trio on DVD. As a longtime Sayers fan -- and particularly of the Peter/Harriet books -- I dropped everything to absorb this series' first airing in 1987. Edward Petherbridge is so nearly a perfect Peter (just a bit too old; if only they'd shot these 10 years before with him instead of Ian Carmichael, Sayers enthusiasts all over the globe would have rejoiced). Harriet Walter's Harriet Vane is a bit less satisfying -- she gets Harriet's intelligence and wit quite well, but lacks some of the gravitas and intensity that comes across in the book -- as well as the lovely, deep voice that I keep wanting to hear (Emma Thompson comes to mind).But physical quibbles aside, these films do get the developing relationship between Harriet and Peter -- the cautious probing of emotions hampered by nervous reserve on his part and defensiveness on hers. Another strong plus is the casting of the supporting characters in each story. Each is wonderfully realized by the BBC "stable" of fine actors. The settings and period details are also dead on. My only real disappointment in the set is the truncating of "Gaudy Night". Admittedly, this is the most complex of all Sayers' books. The numerous subplots, while perhaps seeming irrelevant to the casual reader, are actually an intricate counterpoint of encounters and relationships, each of which provides a vital piece to one of the two puzzles to be solved in this novel: how Harriet and Peter will resolve their personal dilemma or (much less important) who is sending obscene poison pen letters to the Shrewsbury College community. Unfortunately, the screenplay for this film version of "Gaudy Night" leaves out many of the subplots not relating to the mystery. Without the richness of detail provided by these subplots, we're left with a mildly interesting mystery and a love story that is far shallower than it should have been. I have to agree with the reviewer who called this film "Gaudy Lite." That having been said, I still recommend this set for both longtime Sayers readers and those new to her. If this is your first venture into the lives of Peter and Harriet, enjoy these films and THEN run, don't walk, to acquire/read the books. For those like me who can quote long passages of Sayers books verbatim, I'd say get these anyway. I can almost guarantee you'll enjoy them ... even if you have to use your imagination to fill in the blanks left in "Gaudy Night". I still hope that the BBC -- or someone of similar caliber -- will do another remake of these that remedies the few deficiencies noted above ... and which also includes Busman's Honeymoon!
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous television viewing
Review: I am so happy this is finally released in DVD and VHS. Edward Edward P. is perfection!! I love this story...it is the best detective love story in the world. Run to your computer and order this DVD or VHS as soon as possible. You will not be disappointed in the least. Each episode captures the british people at that time in history and the actors are marvelous. I cannot praise it enough!!!
Rating:
Summary: WOO HOO!!
Review: I am unbelievably excited that this is finally to be released in DVD, or any format for that matter. This has been and probably always will be my favorite PBS series - my family has worn out two VHS taped-from-TV copies (It will be wonderful to have the picture match the sound again!) The first two stories are reasonably faithful to the books, and although the "Gaudy Night" episodes are sort of a Dorothy Sayers Lite, they do make a good introduction for someone who is not familiar with the books. These episodes introduced me to Dorothy L. Sayers (my favorite author along with Jane Austen) and in that way, have greatly influenced my life. The casting and the acting of these is perfection (thank you Edward Petherbridge, Harriet Walter, and Richard Morant!)- there is no cheekiness that bothers me about the Ian Carmichael versions of some of the other novels. My only complaint is that they couldn't do "Busman's Honeymoon" for this series (someone in Hollywood wouldn't release the copyright - but have they done anything with it??? NO.) HOORAY!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Good but the Books are Better
Review: I first watched these over 10 years ago on PBS and fell in love with the characters of Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. I remember waiting eagerly for them to rebroadcast the series over the LONG intervening years, and unlike many savy viewers I hadn't taped it. So imagine my anticipation when I realized these were available on DVD. Whoo-hoo!! To tide me over I read the books and I was never disappointed. Sayers is a masterful writer period, and an excellent mystery writer as well. Her books, especially the Wimsey/Vane novels rank among my all-time favorites. I've reread them countless times and they never pale, and if possible only get better. With this history in mind I have to say that I was slightly let down by the DVDs. I like to think that I hadn't idolized them out of proportion, i.e. my memory had made them better than they seemed. My conclusion is that when I first saw this series I hadn't read the books, and now having read the books, seeing them again I have to acknowledge that the books are simply far superior. Don't misunderstand, Have His Carcass and to a greater extent Gaudy Night, strike me as being difficult to adapt for TV, so I am not entirely blaming the producers, and I think Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter ARE Peter and Harriet. It is just that I was so looking forward to seeing Wimsey riding the horse down to the beach in Have His Carcass and instead I got Bunter (or rather a stunt double). I definately felt that Gaudy Night was short-changed. Huge swathes of story were chopped out and what remained was stitched back together rather badly. Where was St. George? The wonderful Ivory chessman? The pivotal punt ride that was included but in such a butchered fashion? Of the books I liked from least to most: Strong Poison, Have His Carcass, Gaudy Night. From the tv series I liked least to most: Gaudy Night, Have His Carcass, Strong Poison and so I can only deduce that the more faithful the adaption from the book, the better I enjoyed the series. Still, I think these are far superior to the Ian Carmichael adaptations which I have never particularly cared for, and as a whole I think these are wonderful, if only because they bring my favorite characters to life. But if you haven't read the books you ought to because all the things you love about Peter and Harriet are included twenty-fold in the novels. Overall I'm still feeling a little let-down but ultimately happy since I now can enjoy both the books and the DVDs whenever I want.
Rating:
Summary: Lord Peter Whimsey-Strong Poison, etc
Review: I had read Dorothy L. Sayers books and loved them. They were charming and when I had heard they had been made into movies I was very happy. Although Ian Carmichal is a great British actor, I found his performace lacking. On the other hand, Edward Petherbridge brings a light humor that was evident in the books and more expression as well as rounding out the character with personality. Harriet Walter, Richard Morant and David Quilter round out the cast with wonderful chemistry.
As Jeremy Brett has become the quintessential Sherlock Holmes to modern Holmes afficiandos, so has Mr. Petherbridge become, for me, the quintessential Lord Peter Whimsey. My one regret is that they didn't film the other works with Mr. Petherbridge as Lord Peter. They would have been fun to watch and I would definitely have added them to my collection. What's funny is that my mother and I have disimilar tastes in films. I will have to get another copy of this dvd set, because she has stolen them from me. Now that's quality.
Rating:
Summary: At long last!
Review: I have been going crazy waiting for these mysteries to come out on video. I have been calling PBS and BBC video over the years asking about this series. I am unbelievely trilled that they are not only out but on DVD. I love being able to jump to my favorite scenes and to have my movies in a format that won't rapidly decay over time. I rate this 4 out of 5 stars. I was hoping that as an extra feature, they would include the introductions and conclusions that Vincent Price would give before and after each episode on Mystery!. Sadly these scenes are not included. :( Everything else is wonderful and I look forward to enjoying many years with my DVDS.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the Wait
Review: I have been waiting for the video release of these programs since I originally saw them on PBS--writing letters and making phone calls to PBS, BBC, Acorn, and anyone else connected with the series. After all of that, I was afraid that the programs wouldn't live up to my memory of them. They exceeded my expectations. "Strong Poison" and "Have his Carcass" are excellent dramatizations--they manage to stay faithful to the important aspects of the book's plots while at the same time bringing the characters to life. Sayer's original stories contained dual fascinating puzzles-the mystery plot line and the delicate development of the relationship between the two main characters. The growing connection between the couple is vividly portrayed--you can see why they fell in love with each other (eventually). "Gaudy Night" takes more liberties with the plot line (from what I've heard it was originally planned as a longer program). Some of these are understandable adaptations of the book's lengthy plot. There is a rather disappointing tendency by the story adaptor to try and turn the love story between Harriet and Lord Peter into an over-simplistic Hollywood style romance, but enough of Sayer's original dialogue-and some fine acting-remain to keep the program from degenerating into a just another TV romance. Harriet Walters brings the moody Harriet Vane to life. In some ways, it's easier to understand the character's sudden outbursts of temper and stubborn resistance to Wimsey's approaches in the dramatizations than in the books. Edward Petheridge is a wonderful Lord Peter Wimsey-he manages to convey the sensitive man hidden by the silly manner very well. He has the voice, appearance and style of Wimsey down pat. Richard Morant does a fine job of conveying the valet Bunter's relationship with Lord Peter--a mix of deference, impudence, and genuine affection. The visual imagery, settings, and direction of the programs are excellent. Nothing jars you out of the late 1920s/early 30s period. All in all-the programs were worth the wait.
Rating:
Summary: Whoo-hoo Redux
Review: I have to agree with the previous reviewer--whoo-hoo! I've been waiting YEARS, literally, for this to come out on video, much less DVD!! A friend and I disagree on the Ian Carmichael vs. Edward Petherbridge issue, but I have to say that Harriet Walters is really remarkable as Harriet Vane, and Petherbridge adds a bit more "weight" to the character than Carmichael (whose performances I also liked). Sayers fans will be over-joyed at the release of these shows--finally!
Rating:
Summary: Lover-ly!
Review: I love these stories and think these dramatizations are by far the best of any Lord Peter productions. I was happy to get them on DVD since I was afraid my old taped VHS copies were nearly worn out. I wonder if anyone else has noticed some discrepancies between the sound and video tracks--or is it something to do with my DVD player? I also miss the intros by Vincent Price and the interviews with Edward Petherbridge that preceded and followed the Mystery! broadcasts. Oh, well, can't have everything. These are well worth the money for D. L. Sayers fans. The production values are beautiful, and the supporting performances are every bit as good as the two leads. One of my favorite sequences is the one in Strong Poison where Miss Climpson dabbles in the paranormal to save the day. (I hadn't realized that the poor gullible nurse was none other than Judy Cornwell, aka Daisy from Keeping Up Appearances!) I, too, was disappointed that the series wasn't completed with Busman's Honeymoon. Understand they wanted to do it, but since it had been a stage play, there was a problem with getting the rights.
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.
| 
