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Rating: 
Summary: Actually 3 ½ stars
Review: Death of an Expert Witness (295 minutes- originally aired 1985)
Shroud for a Nightingale (251 minutes - 1986)
Cover Her Face (291 minutes - 1987)
The Black Tower (287 minutes - 1988)
A Taste for Death (291 minutes - 1990)
Unnatural Causes (120 minutes - 1994)
Original Sin (151 minutes - 1997)This reviewer has never read P. D. James' works; comments are based on these TV productions. James created these largely (witty and tense) dialog-driven, convoluted plots with a large cast of suspects, on whom she lavishes character developments like their idiosyncrasies, motivations, interactions, and sexual preferences. From the running times, the presentation of these seven episodes is mostly faithful to the originals. Unlike Agatha Christie's work, where one is kept abreast of facts as they are uncovered and the murder(s)' resolution is a logical re-ordering and summation, James withholds information from the viewer that is already known to Scotland Yard's Adam Dalgliesh. She also has a penchant for springing critical information and new suspects out of nowhere, late in the proceedings amongst a "cast of thousands", when the only forewarning, if any, is a vague and thoroughly buried name reference in an earlier scene. Days, weeks or even months can occur between consecutive scenes; one must surmise time's passage based on background detail or conversation. At the end, lesser loose ends abound, perhaps concessions to the inevitable filming process for even a PBS Mystery! production. There are red herrings and murders galore, to be expected in any good mystery. But this reviewer feels that James engages in unfair tactics for a mystery writer. Story quality varies, this reviewer watching them in order presented (generally recommended as there is a continuing thread), and found quality improved from episodes 1 through 4. Episode 1 had little action, rather mostly detective musings and talking head exchanges, with endlessly dry, he-said-she-said suspect interviews, an unfortunate characteristic of episodes 1, 2, 3, and (to a lesser extent) 5, where events are talked, rather than shown. The high point was episode 4, a thriller-adventure mystery, where Dalgliesh, sustaining gun-shot wounds in an opening scene drug bust, goes on recovery leave when both physical and mental wounds won't heal. He visits his old friend to recuperate and hopefully relax.... The last two (much shorter) episodes are far better presented and directed (show as opposed to tell). "Original Sin" is a close 2nd to "Black Tower" quality-wise, with production cleverness likely not in the James original. Major concentration is required. Replaying Part 1 and even Part 2 (three parts per first five episodes) before proceeding further helped to clarify the morass of detailed relationships and indecipherable conversations (see below). After enjoying the clever banter and nuances of a Holmes-Watson-LeStrad-Hudson or a Poirot-Hastings-Japp-Lemon relationship, which so enriches those stories and enhances their re-viewing, the Dalgliesh characterization is a shock. In the early episodes, Dalgliesh (well acted by Roy Marsden, likely as portrayed by James) is an authoritarian, cold-blooded, distant, and unsympathetic investigator; a loner with a brusque and banter-free sidekick. As the episodes proceed, Marsden's characterization softens markedly; in the last episode his is an almost likeable character. The acting of the supporting cast ranges from good to excellent, the suspects (in their multitudes) more than sufficiently devious, suspicious and conniving, including such as Wendy Hiller, James Wilby, and Ian Bannen. An exception is detective sidekick Massingham (the stiff-acting John Vine) who only appears in the first three productions. Wellspring's-Lance Entertainment's overall packaging deserves comment. This monumental grouping (28 plus hours) is contained in one nicely slip-cased 14-"page", central-spine "book" (no awful fold-outs!) containing 12 single-sided discs, each page mounting a single disc. No DVD contains more than parts of one episode and related material like still-images, (some redundantly between discs), Marsden's and James' biographies, a James bibliography, and credits. The inner front cover "page" mounts a summary brochure with original airing dates, one-line synopses, chapter breakdowns (there are legion), and other credits. Would that other such collections were so efficiently and conveniently packaged! Picture quality, while a bit fuzzy with muted color, is generally good if one understands that the source is likely the original color video tape, with rare minor picture glitches not worth mentioning. The stereo DVD sound is another matter. This reviewer speculates the soundtrack for at least the first five episodes was recorded simultaneously with picture with no subsequent studio re-dubbing: What sounds like low frequency wind blowing over an open microphone together with incessant background traffic noises, footsteps, twittering birds, banging pots, boat and plane motors blurs, obscures and distorts almost all conversation. (Emphasizing treble over base helps, but results in harshness.) Likely this is an original production artifact reaching a pinnacle of awfulness in "A Taste for Death. (The sound track of the last two episodes is much improved, perhaps because of better technology and sound management.) When struggling to deal with English accents, unclear diction, rapid-fire speech, and convoluted inter-relationships of characters and storyline, this added obstacle made it impossible for this reviewer to understand at least 50% of goings-on in first viewings, necessitating backups, replays and annoying "what-did-he-she-say" asides to a co-viewer. Given the nature of mysteries, especially James', where such dialog is always crucial, this is truly a major deficiency! For this reason alone, this reviewer has docked this offering one star. What a pity! Another star is docked because of James' writing tactics and her work lacking the crispness of a Doyle or a Christie; other viewers may disagree. One-half star is added back for the packaging and Roy Marsden's performance. THIS PACKAGE IS FOR MYSTERY AFICIONADOS ONLY. For such, this collection may be "essential." Qualified thanks are due to Wellspring and Lance Entertainment!
Rating: 
Summary: PD James collection
Review: I found this collection to be very entertaining. The
first five movies were presented in the old Master-
piece Theater syle which I especially like. I find the
over done sound tracks distracting. It's like you're
watching "real life". If you like this type of mystery,
the collection is a real bargin.
Rating: 
Summary: PD James collection
Review: This collection provides a good illustration of the way British TV drama has changed over the years. The first five mysteries (Death of an Expert Witness, Shroud for a Nightingale, Cover Her Face, The Black Tower & A Taste for Death) each comprise of six 45-minute episodes although the episodes are sadly joined together in these DVD presentations.
These serials were made between 1983 - 1988 and were shot fairly cheaply, on videotape as opposed to film, which was quite uncommon at the time. As a result, they appear a little cheap, but the upside was that books could be dramatized in a more drawn-out fashion and the characterisation (one of James' great strengths) could be fully brought out on screen.
The last three adaptations (Unnatural Causes, A Mind to Murder & Original Sin) were made between 1992 - 1996 and were shot on film as opposed to video tape. As a result these later adventures look much more modern and slick. However the additional expense of making these films mean they are much shorter and there is very little by way of characterisation compared to the earlier stories. As I say it is an interesting barometer of the way that TV drama has changed in the UK over the years.
The Black Tower is excellent and certainly my favourite of the earlier adventures. Art Malik and under-rated actors John Franklyn-Robbins & Richard Heffer excel in their guest roles.
Original Sin fares the best of the later adaptations, being slightly longer than the other two (145 mins as opposed to 100) and directed very nicely.
The major disappointment with this set is that it's not "the complete works". The last of the six-part adventures, Devices & Desires (shown in early 1991 in the UK) is absent from this collection, which is a real shame since it is excellent and the only one of the earlier serials to rival The Black Tower in my view.
The final PD James mystery starring Roy Marsden, A Certain Justice (made around 1998), is also missing from this collection for some reason.
DVD extras are unfortunately minimal. Picture quality is good, given the limitations of the source material.
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