Rating: 
Summary: A Real Test
Review: Back in 1981, I ran into someone who was lucky enough to attend the actual live performance on Broadway. I didn't become "Nicked" until it aired on PBS and then WPIX (local station in NYC). I've been "Nicked" every year around this time (Christmas) when I pull the tapes out and see it again.What is more amazing is that my 12 year old daughter (obviously who wasn't even born back then) insists that we watch this Dickensian marathon every year since she was 6! A new generation seduced to not only the fine writing of Charles, but also the masterful acting abilities of an exceptional cast of truly tireless performers. The only regret is that it isn't available (yet?) on DVD!
Rating:
Summary: Good camera work
Review: Enough has already been said about how wonderful this production is. I am only going to add that before I got the tapes, I was a little worried about how a play was going to appear on film (you know those videos your Dad made of you in high school doing "Romeo and Juliet"). Actually the camera work is first rate and you can see facial expressions better than the audience.
Rating: 
Summary: RSC Landmark Theatrical Event presented by A&E as a Sitcom
Review: First of all, no, it's not really nine hours. I worked at the show 21 years ago in New York. It played onstage as eight and a half hours, which included two intermissions. You could either see it all in one day (Wed, Sat or Sun: Part One beginning at 1PM, with a 15 minute intermission after two hours - then a one hour dinner break - Part Two beginning at 6PM, with a 15 minute intermission after two hours. It ended at 10:30 PM.) or Part One on Thursday Eve and Part Two on Friday Eve. Part Two began with "The Story So Far" - a wonderfully terse and witty plot recap performed by the entire cast to bring the audience back into the story. The last act ran a bit longer than two hours. It cost an unprecidented $$$ a ticket for every seat back then, and was by far best value and the shortest 8 1/2 hours one could ever spend in the theatre - a thrilling, fun, enchanting experience of a lifetime. When originally released on video (back in the late 80s in a leatherbound case) this production was presented on four tapes, preserving the Original RSC theatrical presentation of the story in two 2-act parts. Having been workshopped and performed hundreds of times in this form, it flows perfectly this way. When this production debuted on US television, PBS ran it logically in four parts over four nights. "The Story So Far" introduction which originally began Part Two, was augmented
with similar new intros recorded by the cast for second and fourth acts. This is partly how 8 1/2 hours onstage can stretch into nine on video. The rest is from repeating opening closing credits for each of the four acts. A&E, America's Arts and Entertainment Network, has decided, for some reason, that we Americans cannot sit still for longer than 60 minutes at a time. The original four part presentation was inexplicably re-edited by A&E into NINE parts, padded in length by repeating both opening and closing credits on EACH of the nine parts. Nine tapes made a bigger box set that A&E originally priced at $$$ several years ago. The episodic editing made it annoyingly difficult to follow and the audio and video quality was awful. I had to turn the color and sound on my set way up, but could still never get through it all on those nine cheap tapes. Certainly anyone who appreciates fine theatre enough to buy this title on VHS or DVD will happily sit still for two hours at a time without wanting to ruin the continuity by having to sit through the extra added title sequences or stop to change tapes or discs. I had very high hopes for getting this great production presented properly in its original four two-hour acts on DVD. Not only was this not done, the nine "episodes" are not even distributed logically among the four DVDs, which would at least allow one to view the four acts without changing discs in the middle of each act. Thoughtfully placed chapter stops could have allowed the original four acts to be viewed, without as much break in continuity, by providing the ability to skip over the added credit sequences. No such luck here. The first disc holds the first act and the first half of the second act, requiring you to change discs in the middle of the enchanting Crummles Traveling Theatre Company section (my favorite part). Disc two holds the other half of the 2nd Act and the first half of Act 3. Disc 3 holds the second half of Act 3 and the first part of Act four. (in other words, the end of Part One and the Beginning of Part Two) Disc 4 holds the remainder of Act 4 plus supplements. Each disc has the capacity to hold the each of the four full acts in its entirety with room for supplements at the beginning, so it was entirely possible to do it right, but they didn't. Skimpy chapter stops do not allow the opportunity to skip over the extra title sequences without missing the next scene. Somewhere amid all this mess is somewhat improved video and only slightly improved audio. I don't believe this was remastered from the RSC's actual original elements, (most likely shot in the superior PAL format) it is merely remastered from A&E's tacky reedited episodic version. The RSC did shoot some interesting onstage interviews with several key cast members that was included in the original PBS broadcast. These would have made nice supplements, but they are not included here. Instead we get a dry-as-dust A&E Biography episode about Dickens and some text frames. I would not reward A&E's clumsy thoughtlesness by recommending anyone buy this mess. Hold onto your money until they get it right.
Rating:
Summary: an excellent productions indeed.
Review: For those who haven't have the chance to go to see a drama show, this is the tape for you. Even though it was filmed in the early 80s, the characters, the enthusiam showed on every actor remain vivid and touching. I recommand this production with whole heart.
Rating: 
Summary: The Next Best Thing
Review: I doubt if a filmed version of a play can ever produce the satisfaction of sitting in a theater as part of an engaged audience watching a wonderful drama unfold before ones eyes. Nicholas Nickleby was a unique theatrical experience. I am happy to have a record of it and the wonderful performances and creative staging that made it such a memorable day in the theater.
The DVD would have been even more satisfactory if the audio had been more consistent. I found considerable fluctuation in the sound levels. Some of the actors dialects were also difficult to understand (how about subtitles?) I also would have appreciated a list of the names of the actors and the parts that they played somewhere on one of the DVDs.
All in all, this is a keeper. A theatrical experience that was a joy to experience both first hand and through the DVD.
Rating:
Summary: The Next Best Thing
Review: I doubt if a filmed version of a play can ever produce the satisfaction of sitting in a theater as part of an engaged audience watching a wonderful drama unfold before ones eyes. Nicholas Nickleby was a unique theatrical experience. I am happy to have a record of it and the wonderful performances and creative staging that made it such a memorable day in the theater.
The DVD would have been even more satisfactory if the audio had been more consistent. I found considerable fluctuation in the sound levels. Some of the actors dialects were also difficult to understand (how about subtitles?) I also would have appreciated a list of the names of the actors and the parts that they played somewhere on one of the DVDs.
All in all, this is a keeper. A theatrical experience that was a joy to experience both first hand and through the DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic...Not to be missed!!!
Review: I first saw this production when it aired on KCET and I was hooked. When the production came to L.A. I jumped at the opportunity to see this magnificant show live. I opted for the whole day performance and I was stunned by the brilliance of the production. A few years ago I bought the Laser Disc of the production. Even though it's nine hours, I played the Laser Disc over and over. I have a portable DVD player and was lamenting the fact that this truly wonderous show was not available on DVD. Then I found it was!!!! I have been watching again and it brings back the sheer joy of great acting!!! I can not recomended this DVD set enough!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: i'm a dickens convert!!!!!
Review: i loved this version of nicholas nickelby!!! roger rees and emily richard portray nicholas and kate nickelby to perfection. a performance often overlooked is edward petherbridge as newman noggs, ralph nickelby's clerk and good friend of nicholas.
definitely worth seeing over and over and over. just imagine - 39 actors manage to breathe life into more than 150 characters.
Rating:
Summary: Only technical flaws, otherwise immortal
Review: I saw 'Nicholas Nickleby' about 20 years ago and have never been able to forget it. It is the best theatre I've ever seen or will ever see again. The sheer facts are astounding: nine hours long, 39 actors playing 150 parts. Only Roger Rees has one part as Nicholas Nickleby, and it's easy to see he could have hardly taken more, being so much on stage. He is a bit old for Nicholas, but creates a very convincing, somewhat naive but - when needed - passionate young man. And his part is heavy for the mere fact that he has to carry Smike and fall down on the floor with Fanny Squeers around his neck - twice, because they do it again on one of the 'what has happened so far' -scenes in the beginning of acts. Edward Petherbridge has only two parts, but makes such a wonderful work as Newman Noggs, that he is one of the most memorable actors. His droopy, worried face is absolutely priceless! There is a lot to listen in this version, it starts with the whole cast telling, what happened before Nicholas, Kate and their mother came to London to seek help from Uncle Ralph, in the beginning of other acts there are 'what has happened' -scenes (which are wonderful!) - and at times the actors comment or fill in the facts - and then again become clouds, walls, poor people watching in from behind the windows or rich people eating well inside the same windows. This is smooth working, flawless, yet clearly something that they love to do and have fun doing it. Everybody's been telling, how much they love John Woodvine as uncle Ralph, but I still want to praise him - and wonder about how effortlessly he becomes an opera singer and a few moments later appears again as Uncle Ralph. David Threlfall is a heart-breaking Smike, twisted from head to toe, o-u-t-cast whose only home is Nicholas. And Alun Armstrong deserves his place in the closing credits for more than alphabetical reasons, his Squeers is wonderful, horrible, hilarious as the whole Squeers family. He later appears as a drunken actor, who saves the day as king in 'Romeo and Juliet', the Crummles' production with happy endings for everyone. Men who play Cheeryble brothers looked so much alike that I had to check they weren't twins, but had completely different family names. And their fury was something to see: when they decide to take ultimate measures to lighten to work of their clerk, they threaten him with making him a partner. I would still like to mention other Squeers: Lila Kaye, Mrs. Squeers and later Mrs. Crummles, both wonderful performances which I still remembered well after all these years, and Suzanne Bertish, who has to be admired and envied for such delicious, different parts as Fanny Squeers, Miss Snevellici and Peg Sliderskew, the old hag who has a big part in the happy ending. And yes: the technical transfer to DVD could have been much better done. As wonderful as these actors are, we don't need to see their names so many times. But even if I had to skip and fast forward, this was still a delight. Dickens is one of my favourites and this is one of those very, very rare occasions, when one can say: the movie (or play) was as good as the original book.
Rating:
Summary: An experience not to be missed
Review: I saw the original broadcast years ago and was hooked then. When the VHS tapes came out, I bought them immediately and they are worth every penny. Yes, it's Dickens and it's funny, sad, moving, and melodramatic...coincidences abound as they can only do in Victorian novels..and even if you can't stand reading the books, you will love every moment of this. Be prepared to give up a few nights (willingly) to savor every moment. And by the way, it's finally out on DVD, too!
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