New on DVD: Poldark
Posted on July 7, 2015 at 12:00 pm
Winston Graham’s Poldark
Mr. Selfridge — Starring Jeremy Piven
Posted on March 30, 2013 at 3:55 pm
Emmy-winning actor Jeremy Piven (“Entourage”) stars in Mr. Selfridge
Harry Gordon Selfridge came to London from pioneering retailer Marshall Fields in Chicago. What he found was a culture that expected shopping to be a chore. Browsing was discouraged. Customers were supposed to know what they wanted, come in and buy, and leave. Merchandise was not displayed; customers had to ask for what they wanted and each item would be taken out one at a time. Selfridge thought that shopping should be not just fun but an event. And he thought customers could not know what they wanted until they saw it. His emporiums were filled with dazzling displays. He trained his salespeople to engage with customers. He hired a beautiful actress to advertise the store.
The rollicking, romantic, and surprising “Mr. Selfridge” begins on PBS Masterpiece tomorrow night, and will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray on April 22.
Downton Abbey is Back!
Posted on January 5, 2013 at 3:31 pm
The war is over, but intrigue, crisis, romance, and change still grip the beloved estate in the thrilling new season of Downton Abbey. Written and created by Julian Fellowes, with its all-star returning cast and Oscar-winning guest star Shirley MacLaine as the American mother of Cora (Elizabeth McGovern), Downton Abbey, Season 3 premieres tomorrow night on Masterpiece classic!
Years earlier, Cora rescued Downton Abbey with her New World riches by marrying Robert, Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville). Now, New World and Old World are about to clash as Cora’s mother locks horns with Robert’s redoubtable mother, Lady Violet, played by Maggie Smith.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95tjLcrBvmMLast season closed with the reluctant heir to Downton, Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens), recovered from his war wounds and ready to tie the knot with the eldest of Lord and Lady Grantham’s daughters, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery). Meanwhile, Mary’s youngest sister, Sybil (Jessica Brown-Findlay), has eloped to Ireland with the political-minded chauffeur, Branson (Allen Leech), and is expecting a child.
A tantalizing glimpse ahead: Downton’s impeccable butler, Carson (Jim Carter), breaks in a new footman, who happens to be the nephew of the scheming lady’s maid O’Brien (Siobhan Finneran). Following Matthew and Mary’s engagement, Robert sticks to his duty to maintain Downton more firmly than ever — even as other great houses are crippled psychologically and financially in the wake of World War I.
In this changing landscape nothing is assured, and could it be that even the war-weary Crawleys must fight a new battle to safeguard their beloved Downton? I’m looking forward to the the Maggie Smith/Shirley MacLaine confrontations, of course, and hoping Lady Mary and Matthew will finally get married, but what I am most looking forward to is some good news for Bates!
Refresh your memory with this guide to the characters and a recap of the first two seasons. (Wonder why we see it so much later than the Brits?)