The Onedin Line (Set 1)

Rating:
Summary: An Outstanding British Seafaring Period Drama!
Review: The Onedin Line is an outstanding 1971 BBC production set in 1860s England. The story is compelling and exciting, full of intrigue, ingenuity, suspense and scandal, and it is one which will appeal equally to men and women. It revolves around James Onedin, a shrewd and ambitious but honourable and fair sea captain. James is a no-nonsense man with a head for business. He is also a risk-taker with big dreams--and he has his heart and mind set on being master of his own merchant shipping line. This is no easy task when one is up against established shipping lines who have no desire to relinquish even a part of their business to an upstart. The establishment, in this case, takes the form of Mr. Callon, James' former employer, and James faces an uphill battle as he attempts to horn in on Callon's business.

James has a brother, Robert, a very nervous, cautious man who in many ways is James' polar opposite. A soft-hearted, responsible, and conscientious man, Robert inherited their father's grocery business, and he wants no part in James' grand plans. Robert lives above the shop with his wife, Sarah, and his beautiful but fickle and headstrong sister, Elizabeth. Elizabeth is afianced to one Daniel Fogarty, a swarthy seaman with a devilish temper who is in the employ of James' rival, Callon. But Elizabeth is also the object of much interest on the part of handsome, charming, and wealthy Albert Frazer, the son of a successful ship builder. Certainly, James would love to ally his family with a family of prosperous ship builders. But whom will Elizabeth ultimately choose?

This set contains four 50-minute episodes, and so does the second set. I'd never seen this series before; but it is one our entire family absolutely loved from the first episode. One can only hope BFS will release it in its entirety. I enjoy the British productions of the 90s, but I've seen few whose stories even approach the quality of those produced in the 70s (and I speak as one who did NOT see any of the British dramas when originally broadcast in the 70s). Though the production values in the 90s may surpass those of the 70s, the stories in each episode combined with faultless acting on the part of all involved more than compensates. I have no hesitation in saying that if you enjoy other classic British 70s productions--shows like Poldark, Upstairs Downstairs, or the Duchess of Duke Street--you will love this one. Go ahead and get both sets, you won't regret it! Just hope and pray that BFS will continue to release more episodes in the future!

Very, very highly recommended to all fans of quality British period drama.

Rating:
Summary: COSTUME DRAMA AT ITS BEST
Review: This is a magnificently produced series, with wonderfully cast actors, music and direction. Formula soap, with spectacular location footage on the high seas and picturesque English coastlines. Tall ships and romance abounding. Run out and purchase these, sit back, and be transported.

But when, o' when, will BFS release more of the 91 total episodes?!!

Rating:
Summary: First rate DVD transfer of this classic series!
Review: This tremendous British-Australian BBC series from 1970 was always like nothing else -- one third sea adventure and two thirds high-class Victorian soap opera, beautifully acted and produced.

Somehow it manages a seamless mix of shrewd realism about human motives with the plot twists and suspense of good escapist entertainment.

This is the story of rough-hewn James Onedin's attempts to start a shipping line from nothing at the very end of the age of tall ships, his humanizing marriage to the plain but sterling Ann (originally, to obtain her father's ship), and the complicating affairs of his relatives, particularly his exquisite sister Elizabeth. There's a nice balance between the masculine adventures at sea and some very strong women's parts on land. (Thirty years ago, and the writers understood how to give women good, gutsy parts that still feel right for the period, not just modern women grafted in -- why are current historical dramas so much less sophisticated?) The dialogue is a tad expository at times, but at least it has a good feel for the Victorian milieu.

And those ships! The outdoors shots are a tad grainy (they always were -- transferred from film to tape?) but do not spoil the spectacle of these beautiful vessels. And the indoor scenes are of dazzling, direct-broadcast quality.

If you've seen DVDs of other BBC classics from the '70s, like I, CLAUDIUS or the Shakespeare Plays, you know how mysteriously bad they look -- like video tapes you made yourself from the PBS station one town away, over a hill. NOT THIS TIME. This time they've done it right. This is an excellent transfer. Good show, good DVD, grab it.