Berkeley Square

Starring:Clare Wilkie, Victoria Smurfit, Tabitha Wady, Kate Williams, Rosemary Leach, Ruth Sheen, Maggie McCarthy, Jason O'Mara, Sophie Walker, Catherine Terris, Julie Watson, Laurence Owen, Judy Parfitt, Sarah Kirkman, Georgie Glen, Scott Leadbeater, Peter Forbes, Rosalind Knight, Maurice Yeoman, Emily Canfor-Dumas
Director: Richard Signy, Martin Hutchings, Richard Holthouse
Studio: Bfs Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
A classic coming-of-age tale on par with Anne of Avonlea and Little Women, Berkeley Square is worth watching over and over again. This 10-episode British miniseries will awe you with its erudite script, wonderfully believable characters, high-caliber production values, meticulous Edwardian details, and topnotch acting. In fact, you will join the growing multitudes who puzzle over why the BBC decided to stop after only 10 episodes.

Amazon.com

A classic coming-of-age tale on par with Anne of Avonlea and Little Women, Berkeley Square is worth watching over and over again. This 10-episode British miniseries will awe you with its erudite script, wonderfully believable characters, high-caliber production values, meticulous Edwardian details, and topnotch acting. In fact, you will join the growing multitudes who puzzle over why the BBC decided to stop after only 10 episodes.

Customer Reviews:

Bygone days in jolly old England.......2007-06-03

This is a delightful miniseries. It depicts the class distinction between the haves and the have-nots and how defined the caste system was back in those days. The experiences of the Nanny and other servants in the household was dependent on the degree of compassion, or lack of it, shown by the family for whom they worked. This series does an excellent job of depicting this. It also illustrates the disassociated attitude of most parents towards their children, and the dependence of them upon their Nanny for love and security. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys the days of yore in jolly old England.

A Good But Not Great English Drama.......2007-05-13

English produced drama is one of my passions and this is a good representation of the genre. I enjoyed watching it the first time, but find that when I look over my collection to find something to watch once more, I pass it by. The acting is good, but the story is just a bit too unbelievable, a bit too pat. But if you love English drama, give it at least one look. You won't be sorry even if you, like I, feel it could have been even better.

A Soap-opera which leaves you empty in the end........2007-04-06

Three girls become nannies in London in 1902. Each works for a different household. The three become friends as they meet in the park with their strollers.

The first five episodes of the ten are a pleasant, yet lively pace of intrigue within attractive English homes and parks.

The pleasantness gives way to intrigue as the scandals, which have been building, explode in episode six. You find you have been lulled into a soap-opera abounding in sin: fornication, adultery, lying, deceit, manslaughter, seduction, extortion, child endangerment and neglect, to name just a few. The film is far from the "warm-hearted family drama" advertised on the cover.

It is an enticing film. The story is intriguing. The film balances intrigue with pleasant dialogue; the actors are attractive in attractive costumes; the acting is fine within attractive surroundings. Children are present. All the good characters weakly display some virtue.

It is helpful to know that Laudanum is morphine derived from opium mixed with alcohol, sold over-the-counter then, to relieve pain and induce sleep. Doctors knew it was addictive, and deadly in too large a dose.

The characters draw you into the soap opera by displaying promising virtue, but then betraying that virtue (moving back and forth). Opposing minds within the same person. Science says that one mind must eventually win out.
« Red-head, Nanny Hannah Randall opposes child endangerment in one instance, but fails to inform the parents in another instance, who were due informing; and the endangerment continues. Hannah appears to wish to do Right, but fails to consistently act with the resolution of one with single mind to see Right through.
« The aunt expresses her good moral principles, but later gives way to extortion.
« The older nanny stands against the bad guy, but later makes a subtle statement justifying the seduction, extortion, and malice.
« The first half is pleasant, but in the end, a couple of the "good characters" have lied and deceived, causing devastating harm to another, taking away all the pleasantness. In the end, you have not experienced a world of cheer, humor, music, singing, fun, and characters to admire.

A thoughtful film does not need all the scandal. It is interesting enough with the three girls starting jobs as nannies, as servants, the pretty London parks, difficult bosses, other servants, friendships, the charm and mischief of the children, working at doing a good job, what a good nanny is. Add some fun, humor, music, singing, adventures, and characters coming to values to admire.

The lack of many good period films makes this pretty, intriguing, soap opera of technical ability, in which good does not win out, appear desirable. You will enjoy the 8 hours, but be left empty in the end, (Romance without Love). I will not keep it.

I recommend these better films: "Pride and Prejudice-2005, 1996, & 1940", "Wives and Daughters", "North and South", "Middlemarch", "All Creatures Great and Small", "Pollyanna-2002", "Heidi", "Anne of Green Gables", "Under the Greenwood Tree", and "Road to Avonlea seasons 1-6".

Could have been..........2007-03-16

Better. It didn't meet my expectations. I think it was the way it was played out. It almost got a little bit monotonous. Wives and Daughters was way more to my liking and style.

Costume Soap Opera but a Darn Good One!.......2007-03-10

Berkeley Square is a well made, very watchable soap opera and each episode ends with an exciting cliffhanger that makes you glad you have all ten episodes handy on DVD. Some of the plot lines do swing toward the improbable but hey it's great entertainment. And to the reviewers who found it too dark, it may be compared to Little Women and Anne of Green Gables but not to those who regularly view modern television and movies. Perhaps billing it as family viewing is misleading. Like others I wish the series had a more satisfactory conclusion and close captioning would have been nice but the DVD is still well worth watching especially for lovers of Britain in the Edwardian era.

Average customer rating:

KINDA INTERESTING
wow

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
Starring: Michael Angelis , Dicken Ashworth , Minah Bird , Peter Cartwright , and Brian Croucher
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BGH2I6
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Customer Reviews:

KINDA INTERESTING.......2005-12-28

Although it's suppossedly based on a true story, it's hard to believe the robbery occured the way it's portrayed. Security is non-existant. If you can suspend logic then it's an o.k. caper film. As a bonus you get to hear two versions of the titled song. One the classic and the other a disco version. There is also a cameo by John Rhys-Davies. This is above average DVD for the money but the image quality is pretty bad. The colors are dull and murky. The sound is just o.k. Geneon [Pioneer] ver.

wow.......2004-10-21

STARS: Richard Jordan, Oliver Tobias, David Niven, Elke Sommer, Gloria Grahame, Richard Johnson, Michael Angelis, Dicken Ashworth, Brian Croucher, Derek Deadman, James Galloway, Charlie Hawkins, Anthony Heaton, Davy Kaye, Brian Protheroe

DVD:

DVD

Un, Deux, Trois Soleil (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Rapunzel/Six Servants

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