Rating: 
Summary: Please sir, may I have some more?
Review: OK, OK Dickins was a little earlier, but I found the series so compelling I really did want more. Six hours did not satisfy my thirst for more information and commentary. As a history freak, it would be a fantasy come true for me to do something like this, but since I haven't, this is the next best thing. Of all the "House" series so far, this has proven my favorite, although I did enjoy 1940's House, 1900 House, and Frontier House as well. Colonial House is due to air in May 2004, and the BBC is filming Regency House (think: Jane Austen).
Rating:
Summary: More than just a good show... a lesson for all leaders.
Review: This is definitely a great collection from purely a reality show entertainment point of view. However, what struck me even more than just my amusement was the lessons this show articulated about leadership and management. I've done quite a bit of reading about leadership, everything from "Think and Grow Rich" to "Primal Leadership", and one the overriding themes is always communication in all its various forms and in all the directions it flows. This series does a suburb job of illustrating exactly what can do wrong and how if different levels of an organization, or in this case, a manor, do not know, do not understand, or do not choose to care to understand what's going on in the hearts and minds of the people around them. Sir John publicly insults the butler, and you get to see first hand how much more devastating that is than respectfully pulling someone to the side. The lady of the house's biggest complaint at the beginning of the show was about how she never saw her children. By the end she didn't seem to care, which shows us how quickly our minds can change if we don't maintain focus. Sir John kills a couple of birds for the lowest servants to cook for themselves as a treat. However, there's a big party coming up, and there's no way the servants are going to have time to fry the birds, so the apparent act of kindness is received by those whom it was directed at in completely the wrong way, which shows how important it is that we understand what the people around us need. The best example for poor leadership in the house, however, probably occurs at the end. Sir John and the family are so distraught about leaving the house. They breakdown in front of the servants while saying good-bye, and they feel awful about leaving everyone whom they've come to feel so close to. At the same time, the servants are rather glad to be leaving aside from missing other people in their group, and most of them have developed a strong dislike for the family, of which the family is completely oblivious. The implication? Well, first, this shows how easily the same situation can look to two different groups of people on different sides of a situation. Secondly, if that was an organization, it would be on the brink of having its workforce walk out on it, even though, to the eyes of management, everything was splendid and, as they understood it, everyone was very connected to everyone else at all levels. I've done my best to describe what I saw in this review, but I'm sure I've done it poorly as I am not well trained at critiquing this sort of thing. Also, there is plenty more going on that I didn't even come close to touching on. Please believe me on this point, though: if you are even at least a little bit interested in buying this title, do it! You will be so happy, and perhaps enlightened, that you did!
Rating:
Summary: More than just a good show... a lesson for all leaders.
Review: This is definitely a great collection from purely a reality show entertainment point of view. However, what struck me even more than just my amusement was the lessons this show articulated about leadership and management. I've done quite a bit of reading about leadership, everything from "Think and Grow Rich" to "Primal Leadership", and one the overriding themes is always communication in all its various forms and in all the directions it flows. This series does a suburb job of illustrating exactly what can do wrong and how if different levels of an organization, or in this case, a manor, do not know, do not understand, or do not choose to care to understand what's going on in the hearts and minds of the people around them. Sir John publicly insults the butler, and you get to see first hand how much more devastating that is than respectfully pulling someone to the side. The lady of the house's biggest complaint at the beginning of the show was about how she never saw her children. By the end she didn't seem to care, which shows us how quickly our minds can change if we don't maintain focus. Sir John kills a couple of birds for the lowest servants to cook for themselves as a treat. However, there's a big party coming up, and there's no way the servants are going to have time to fry the birds, so the apparent act of kindness is received by those whom it was directed at in completely the wrong way, which shows how important it is that we understand what the people around us need. The best example for poor leadership in the house, however, probably occurs at the end. Sir John and the family are so distraught about leaving the house. They breakdown in front of the servants while saying good-bye, and they feel awful about leaving everyone whom they've come to feel so close to. At the same time, the servants are rather glad to be leaving aside from missing other people in their group, and most of them have developed a strong dislike for the family, of which the family is completely oblivious. The implication? Well, first, this shows how easily the same situation can look to two different groups of people on different sides of a situation. Secondly, if that was an organization, it would be on the brink of having its workforce walk out on it, even though, to the eyes of management, everything was splendid and, as they understood it, everyone was very connected to everyone else at all levels. I've done my best to describe what I saw in this review, but I'm sure I've done it poorly as I am not well trained at critiquing this sort of thing. Also, there is plenty more going on that I didn't even come close to touching on. Please believe me on this point, though: if you are even at least a little bit interested in buying this title, do it! You will be so happy, and perhaps enlightened, that you did!
Rating:
Summary: I can't say enough good things.
Review: This series is wonderfully entertaining. It is reality televison with class. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of each episode. One of my favorite parts is when the kitchen maid attempts to defend herself against the lecturing master of the house and he quickly reminds her that it is inappropriate for her to address him directly. When the Olliff-Cooper family gets overly comfortable with their borrowed status, they ruffle plenty of downstairs feathers.
The show is educational and fun for everyone...except for the hallboy and skullery maid that is.
Rating: 
Summary: show deserves 4 stars, but DVDs are lacking and expensive
Review: This show will enthrall most, its very easy to follow and hooks you in with little interesting tidbits about that Era of England and how people supposedly lived.
However i think the casting was poorly done, by that i mean that alot of the younger people who came in just didnt "get it". They were there to act like they would have done in that time period, not to show what it would be like if you threw modern people into an differnt time period. That aspect will be inevitable, but some of the participants didnt even try and just complained in ways that did not make sense to us (the audience) from what we came to expect from all the rules layed out.
The show is better in the beginning before people start talking back and breaking rules (if they broke rules in a manner that was prevelant to the time period that would be fine, but again they just had modern day complaints that were not valid in that setting)
The DVD's themselves have 2 1hr eps on three discs and one very short behine the scenes featurette. Considering the price, i expected more.
Rating:
Summary: Manor House on PBS
Review: What a wonderful 3 part program! I had often wondered what it would be like to go back in time and experience the customs and every day life of the early 1900's. PBS makes it happen in this reality show. Set in Scotland at a rambling Manor of the era, ordinary people are transformed into Edwardian servants and their masters. It is interesting to see how they all adapt (or don't) to their roles and bond together, especially that of the servants. If anything, it is well worth the money to see the devilishly dashing Kenny and his wild antics at work!
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