Berkeley Square

Rating:
Summary: berkeley square
Review: ....there is only one word that goes along with this dvd... wonderful !

Rating:
Summary: Superb (slight spoiler contained)
Review: A slight correction to Nina's comment below that apparently some episodes of this series were dropped. This is not quite true. She may be referring to a second series which never actually reached production stage, but all the plot strands are tied up at the end of this, the one and only series of Berkeley Square.
It's such a shame it wasn't continued as it is, as everyone else here has said, fantastic.
One thing I really admire about the show is that the production team decided to end the show on a downbeat note (I'm trying hard not to give too much away here!).
The last episode, in particular, will ensure that you don't forget Berkeley Square in a hurry..

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: All I can say is that this is an excellent example of an English series. The series is captivating.

Rating:
Summary: Simply Pleasurable Costume Drama
Review: Berkeley Square is a perfect blend of costuming, sets, characters, acting and plot. The storyline is sinfully extreme--- an aspect that may not be carried off well in most films, but thanks to a solid and perfectly cast ensemble, the plot flows seamlessly and without an hint of tack. I must rave about the costuming in this piece--- anyone who adores historical eye candy will wilt for the high necklines and stunning interior sets. The BBC has done a fabulous job on this mini-series... except for the decision to stop there! You want so much more of everything Berkeley Square: its wonderful cast, costumes, plot, setting and... well everything is perfect. Recommended for any fans of historical drama, especially those interested in costuming and good acting. This production does not suffer from a lack of well-known talent. The three ladies of Berkeley Square are talented, gorgeous and solid. Some of the best acting I've seen. You will get lost in the beauty of Berkeley Square.

Rating:
Summary: Actually, 4 and 1/2 stars......
Review: Berkeley Square was definitely a joy to watch. I found it interesting to see how all the members of the house lived..not just the rich. I loved watching all of the girls grow together..my only complaint about his movie was its ending..I would have liked more closure, but other than that,this was definitely worth the money.

Rating:
Summary: great series
Review: Despite what a few have said, the plots in Berkely square are entirely believable - as well as representative of the Victorian Era. The ten episodes address many problems that were prevalent in the Victorian and Edwardian era such as: baby farms, the easy access of laudanum (and the overdoses and addictions associated with it - and it actually was used to quiet babies in addition to treat illnesses), women hoping to better themselves by employment in wealthy families, people given unfair trials because of prejudice, women having to hide pregnancy out of wedlock so that they can have good references to be hired at decent wages - or even at all, etc...

There is just so much addressed in these ten episodes that were actual issues in this era. The only thing that surprised me was how well behaved the children were towards their nannies and governesses. From my research on these periods, it was not unusual for the children to be absolute horrors towards governesses and nurse maids. Also the employers were nicer to the servants than I would have expected. It was interesting, however, that not one of the married men had a mistress - actually one of the upper class wives was shown cheating (though not unusual of the period, I would think it would be more likely in the men, who were more likely to be encouraged to behave this way).

Overall, anyone who has actually researched the period knows that this series is pretty accurate in its portrayal. Yes parts of it are dramatized - but that's just good TV. I highly enjoyed the 10 episodes that I saw and I only wish that there was more to see.

Rating:
Summary: Try to stop watching it!
Review: Don't be put off by the "fancy" period costumes or the fact that three women drive the story. This is just great, fast paced story-telling! Along the lines of "The Grand," as opposed to "Brideshead" (both of which are great, but the latter is richer and former, more fun).

It's an Edwardian Valley of the Dolls!

Rating:
Summary: Perfect viewing
Review: Fantastic, brilliant and excellent. It was so absorbing, you wanted more after it had finished. Brilliantly cast, directed...a truly captivating story. WORTH BUYING and watching again and again. You won't regret it at all.

Rating:
Summary: Addicitive Television Viewing!
Review: Following in the tradition of such fantastic BBC mini-series brought to the U.S. via "Masterpiece Theatre" as "The Grand," "The Pallisers" and "Upstairs, Downstairs," "Berkeley Square" holds up well for lovers of Victorian/Edwardian-era costume dramas cum lavish soap operas.

"Berkeley Square" focuses on the very end of the Victorian era, and the begining of the Edwardian phase, taking place in 1902, when all of Britain was celebrating the coronation of a new king. Like "The Grand" (my personal favorite) or "Upstairs, Downstairs," "Berkeley Square" focuses on the difference in the classes, highlighting the lives of three nannies: Mattie, Hannah and Lydia, all of whom work in the stately homes on Berkeley (pronounced "Barkley" by the Brits) Square. It's also a fairly accurate depiction of a subject little discussed in most series--the fate of children in Victorian England. Watch "Berkeley Square" with a modern sensibility and you'll be shocked how the "privileged" class looks upon their children. (Something like children speaking when presented at an adult social event is enough to cause "extreme embarrassment" for their parents and the possible dismissal of a nanny and, like real upper class Victorians, these parents rarely see their offspring, generally leaving 100% of the child-rearing to servants.)

You first meet Mattie, the goodie-two-shoes of the group, as she starts her new job as nanny to the Sinjin family. Mrs. Sinjin is less than happy in her marriage and is carrying on a flirtation--that could so easily lead to more--with the dashing, and quite possibly diabolical, Captain Henry Morgan. Mattie's nursery maid, Pringle, is less than thrilled with her lot in life (she wanted to be named nanny herself) and tends to take it out on the children, including often obnoxious, eldest son Tom. Further downstairs, the cook and the housekeeper have problems of their own and don't really need a new nanny bossing them around. Among other things, Mrs. McClousky, the head housekeeper, is trying to keep her son, Ned, from being arrested for murder.

Hannah's life is equally in flux. A former ladies maid who fell in love with a Lord, Hannah is content to live with ridicule as long as she has her illegitimate son, who is doted on by his aristocratic father, William, who flouts convention by openly loving Hannah, though he can't marry her. All that changes when William dies in a horse race (I'm not giving anything away--this happens about 2-1/2 minutes after we first meet Hannah). Suddenly, Hannah, already an outcast and deemed a "wicked woman" by Victorian standards, is alone in the world with a child to raise.

Lydia is a country girl and moving to London to become a nursemaid will make her the most successful member ever of her family--that is if her uneducated father lets her go. But naive Lydia has a lot to learn about the big city, not the least of which is how touchy the elderly nanny can be when Lydia starts to invade her turf AND how so-called "gentlemen" of the household, like Lord Hugh, can make a country girl's life very unpleasant indeed.

This 10-hour mini-series follows the lives of Mattie, Hannah, Lydia, and the families they work for, and will keep you engrossed throughout (each episode ends with a cliffhanger, making you glad you've got the DVD and don't have to wait for the next TV airing to find out what happens next). My main complaint, and why I didn't give this series five stars, is the lack of early character development. People pop in an out of the series rather randomly, and with little introduction. The nannies also become "fast friends" by episode two even though they've supposedly only met once, during a walk in the park where they spoke less than two minutes to one another. Despite this they suddenly know each other inside and out, including knowing everyone that each other knows. It's almost as if the episode where they bonded ended up on the cutting room floor. Despite this, you do quickly become engaged in the character's lives.

Also frustrating is the innumerable loose ends just left hanging at the end of the series. Many characters outcomes are left unknown and several story lines simply disappear. The series could have quite easily, and entertainingly, been extended. (Apparently, the writers didn't know it was over at episode 10, assuming the BBC would order more episodes.) But, all in all, "Berkeley Square" is a great way for an Anglophile to spend a weekend!

Rating:
Summary: delightful high-class soap opera!
Review: For those who like long stories, plenty of characters, and human entanglements galore, this one's for you. Three young women from quite different backgrounds go into service as Nannies to three upper-crust households in exclusive, respectable Berkeley Square. How will they manage? those who like BBC-style period drama will be glued to the screen as we find out.

As upstairs staff and caretakers of the offspring, our girls are in the midst of the family and, of course, ideally placed to observe the family dramas... infidelity, marital discord, and of course the "goings on" among the servants. This miniseries harks back to the best of the "women's films" of the 30's, with strong, appealing female leads who struggle with all the traditional female burdens: a rigid class hierarchy, Edwardian morality, harsh and unjust employers, and their troublesome, love-hungry charges.

We've got everything here: illegitimate children, forged references, baby-swapping, baby-farming, handsome but none-too-bright young man in trouble with the Law, Dickensian old women with terrifying personalities, dashing young Guardsman angling for wealthy marriage, children made to recite the colours of vanished Regiments before they are given a present, cuckolded husband trying pathetically to keep up appearances, frigidly vicious Society grandes dames, poor little rich boy terrorized by nasty governess, horrid young ne'er-do-well trying to molest the help -- In a word, it's lavishly "dishy" and great fun as our heroines cope with one crisis after another.

Period setting and costume seems very consistent and well mounted, and the interiors are delightful (with appropriate soundstage too, a point on which British TV drama used to be a bit weak). The young actresses are a treat -- nicely cast, charming, true to type, and quite individual -- and the supporting cast is a pleasure. Some of the minor roles are so well played as to steal all their scenes ("Mrs B" comes to mind), and if a couple of the characters seem a bit wooden -- well, it is Edwardian, don't you know :-)

This is a wonderful boxed set with which to regale yourself and the family (if the children are not too young) on a series of chilly winter nights. A hot cuppa, a blanket to cuddle under, and the riveting adventures of Our Heroines -- fine, simple, old-fashioned story-telling fun!