THE PALLISERS: 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

I have read all six of the books in The Palliser series of novels by Anthony Trollope, one of my favorite English writers. This 40th Anniversary Edition has eight discs divided into twenty-six individual chapters. Each filmed chapter corresponds to a book in the six book series. We start with Can You Forgive Her, the weakest novel in the series, in my opinion, but necessary to establish our cast of characters and one ongoing problem that remains alive and well throughout the entire series.Lady Glencora McCluskey is in love with a ne'er-do-well named Burgo Fitzgerald, a penniless fortune seeker who schemes to elope with the young lady, who is to be married against her will to the wealthy Plantagenet Palliser, the most important and enduring character in the entire series of novels and films. This theme of love's labor lost will continue until the last novel in the series, The Duke's Children.In the second novel, Phineas Finn, the Irish member of Parliament, the story and films become genuinely interesting. Finn is an engaging and energetic young man liked by Lady Glencora and Plantagenet and taken up by them. Finn is loved by some and hated by others. His adventures give the entire series continuity and genuine interest.Plantagenet Palliser, our most important character and good friend to Finn, is a member of the House of Commons; it is fair to say that the entire series of Palliser novels may be called political in nature as can all the films in the series. Plantagenet is nephew to the Duke of Omnium, an old man and one of the wealthiest people in England. The Duke intends to make Plantagenet his heir and Lady Glencora worries that the Duke's attachment to one Madame Max Goesler may put those plans in jeopardy. Like Finn, Madam Max becomes an ongoing player in all the novels and discs of the films.We take a side step with the third novel and discs in the films with The Eustace Diamonds. Some humor is provided in this interlude as Lady Eustace attempts to keep diamonds left to her by her dead husband. More important than the diamonds is the introduction of one of the villains in the series, the Reverend Mr. Emilius. He will figure prominently in the story and films when we begin the next novel and film chapters called Phineas Redux (Latin for again).Finn is accused of murdering a hated enemy in Parliament, a Mr. Bonteen. The trial of Finn is genuinely interesting from beginning to end. No spoilers here. The reader of this review must read the book or see the films to find out what happens.Politics takes front and center with the fifth book and series of films with The Prime Minister. Plantagenet becomes Prime Minister of England, the highest office in the land and now Lady Glencora, who has become Duchess of Omnium, is at the center of all the entertainments Plantagent, the newly made Prime Minister and Duke of Omnium, must give to manage the political scene and his constituents.In the final book and series of films, The Duke's Children, twenty-five years have passed and now the duke's children take center stage as we close this engaging and entertaining story of the Pallisers. We have watched the Lady Glencora mature as an individual as she comes to truly know and love her husband, one of the finest men in England. Plantagenet Palliser may be a bit of a stuffed shirt, and he is, but he is a stuffed shirt who is a genuinely hard working, competent man who has the best interest in the people of England in his mind and heart and works tirelessly in their behalf.This brief summary of almost six thousand pages of reading material and twenty-six evenings of watching each episode of the series gives the readers of this long review, my apologies, a good idea about what to expect if they decide to buy this series, as I did, a good decision on my part, I think.The filmmakers have lavished time and expense on everything related to this production. We step back in time one hundred and fifty years to the England of Queen Victoria. The sets, the costumes, the physical locations are all meticulously prepared to allow us viewers the feeling that we are actually experiencing what it might be like to live in Victorian England.As mentioned, the story is often compelling. We are able to take a genuine interest in some of the characters, particularly Phineas Finn, and we have plenty of time to watch as they resolve their many problems. The acting is also excellent in every respect and the cast of characters is large, but never are we confused in any way by what is happening to them over the twenty-five years of the story.I thought the transfer of film to DVD was competent. The producers of this Anniversary Edition warn us that we will not have the clarity we expect with high definition television, and this is correct. That said, I thought the color, definition, and sound were good enough not to distract me from the ongoing story.What impresses me most about this Anniversary Edition of The Palliser's is the faithfulness of the adaptation to Anthony Trollope's six Palliser novels. Never once did I think that the producers were taking liberties with the story. If anyone reading this review thinks that he/she will not be reading the six thousand pages of the novels but still wants to become acquainted with Trollope's ongoing story of the Pallisers, this series of films does justice to Trollope's vision for this major work of English literature. Highly recommended.

Bottom line first, I enjoyed reading the six Pallser novels more than watching them. It was interesting to compare the problems of writing to a contract that required each book to be 80 chapters and several 100 pages, as opposed to the problem of crushing those thousands of odd pages of reading into 8 hours of programming. But mostly I felt that the director made it hard for the characters to live and breathe. I get that the period being portrayed was one of reserve and the gentility of the gentles required much of that stiff upper lip stuff, but too many of these people seemed stuffed. For something advertised as an Anniversary edition the lack of festive or almost any bonus content was underwhelming.I had started watching the 40th Anniversary Edition of The Pallisers after having read the first two of the 6 novels. I got further ahead in the reading when I discovered that disk 5 had a major crack. The seller (themediaoutlet) made a one for one replacement with zero fuss, but this was well outside the time limit to give them the credit deserved. As is I finished the books and the set within a few weeks of each other.Over all I think a good job was done in skipping non-essential characters and thinning out/compressing plot lines. I have a major problem with the decision near the end to allow the actors to have a major dramatic scene, one that was distinctly not in the books. But that scene fell flat. It added little to the emotional depth of the story and the time could have been better used.The Pallisers is not just another Victorian era costume drama. It is almost a polite soap opera, except that the original author, Anthony Trollope was a better than average writer and very insightful in his treatment of a number of complexities in the life among the titled and political.It is important to recognize that while we are watching the story of the very rich and politically powerful Pallisers, one to become Duke Omnium and Gatherum ( Duke of everything and getting more), all of the major characters work and many are on the edge between maintaining social standing and not being able to keep in high society.This is not another series about people with too much time and nothing to do except seek out marriages that grantee that they will never need to do anything.Much is made that this is a story about British politics of the period, but the real politics are the politics of the heart and the family.This is a very genteel story, no language or sex and almost no violence. Technically it is the very model of family friendly, but I cannot imagine the younger ones having the patience to sit through 8 CDs. I am glad I have the set, but it is hard to think of when I will sit through it all again. If you are a Trollope fan, maybe you can rent it once before adding the CDs to your shelves.

If you like British period series, this is worthwhile to add to your collection. It took me a while to get into the characters (the wife's mannerisms were a little weird in a playful way and the husband not at all attractive) but they all grew on me and I ended up with an affection for all. The series quickly takes us from the youthful beginnings of their marriage where in those days and in that circle people married, not for love, but for what would be most beneficial socially. Each is in love with another but are open and honest about that while being physically faithful to each other and honoring their vows. They learn to love each other as the years roll by. By the time the series ends, their children have all grown up and become betrothed to others. The series carries the viewer along on the ups and downs of an arranged marriage, the loneliness at times, the growth from immaturity of youth to the settling in that comes with years of companionship. And in the end they do love each other----not with an infatuation but a mature love that comes with endurance and facing challenges together. All in all a series that I have already watched a second time and will do so again.

Waited for decades to see this series.

I agree with most of the reviews that this series is a gem for many reasons: beautiful period costumes, superb acting, entertaining plots in most of the episodes, interrsting portrait of the mores of Victorian English society .This series however will only appeal to those who enjoy historical novels and period movies. The manners of these characters are those of the people of that time; they are precious, highly obedient to the established ways of the upper class. The younger generation which is more used to coarse language and most casual ways may find this series very old fashion and stiff. My husband and I enjoyed it very much and I was most sad when it ended.Highly entertaining and recommended.

An epic series! A little dated but hooks you from the start and pulls you into all its plot twists and turns. Has a strong political focus. If you like period dramas and don't mind older versions, this is a must.

This is a lengthy re-working and dramatisation of Trollope's parliamentary novels. The result is a beautiful costume drama, frequently well-acted. The dramatisation omits about a third of "Can You Forgive Her?" and chops out the trip to the Continent between "The Prime Minister" and "The Duke's Children." This means that Lady Glencora lives nearly to the end and that the brilliant ironies of Planty Pall who has run the Empire having problems (as a widower) with his sons and daughter. Susan Hampshire is a stunningly beautiful Glencora.

This DVD has appalling image quality, although it is supposed to be an improved version.

This rather dated series is about character and its role in political life.