The Anthony Trollope Collection (6 Disc BBC Box Set) [DVD] [1982]

I love Trollope’s novels. This box set is based on several novels. “the Way We Live Now” is about a banker who arrives in London from Vienna with a bit of mystery about him. He quickly sucks the great and the good into his get rich quick schemes which inevitably do not end well. If only David Cameron had had John Major’s love of Trollope, he would have seen Greensill coming. “He knew he was right” is about a man whose insane jealousy towards his wife drove him mad. “The Barchester Chronicles” are a gentle satire on Church of England Clerics in a fictional cathedral city. Vintage stuff.

Barchester Towers beautifully done in the best BBC style. True to the story, but Mr.Arabin was a much more sympathetic character in the book than in the film and it was also clearer why and how Eleanor fell in love with him in the book. It seemed as if there were certain omissions of story-information in the film. Nigel Hawthorne excellent as the Archdeacon.'The way we live now' was very well done, an indictment of greed and materialism that was very convincing and David Suchet excellent in his role of the wicked capitalist.'He knew he was right' was very dark, as it explored a man's descent into madness and death through insane jealousy. Although there were the usual wonderful period effects, the actions of the main characters were not entirely convincing and the story was very depressing.

If you enjoy an absorbing TV drama, beautifully produced with top actors, then this is the set for you! This collection contains 3 dramas produced by the BBC and each one is an absolute joy to watch. David Suchet in " The Way we live Now" is a tour-de-force and brings this love him-hate him character of Mr Melmotte to life so vividly that even though he is a monster you can't help having a sneaking sympathy for him. "The Barchester Chronicles" introduces the incomparable Alan Rickman in a very early role and his on-screen battles with Geraldine McEwan are wonderful. Finally, in "He Knew he was Right" you have a chance to watch a lesser known novel that was Trollope's favourite. This is a heart-breaker of a plot when your sympathies will swing from the husband to the wife throughout the story. All together, this is one of the best value DVD box sets I have ever bought and I can't recommend it highly enough.

The Barchester Chronicles is excellent, but The Way We Live Now and He Knew He Was Right aren't quite in the same class. The acting from some of the younger actors in these fails to be convincing. I just wish in these modern productions of classics that they would try to remember that most middle upper class persons spoke with eloquence and social engagements were a play of manners and polite/witty conversation. The Way We Live Now is particularly unconvincing with regard to this. I can't therefore believe either Director or Actors have studied A Trollope's novels properly.

Three series in one boxed set makes this collection excellent value. The casting throughout is particularly good. Of special mention is the young Alan Rickman as Obadiah Slope in the Barchester story (like Dickens, there are great character names here); David Suchet as the crookedly ghastly Mr Melmot in 'The Way we Live Now', surely a very apt tale for today(and for which he won a TV award); and a pre-Dr Who David Tennant as the cringingly awful curate fought over by a pair of scheming sisters, each determined not be left an old maid - Barbara Flynn their excellent mother.These stories, particularly Barchester, are slower paced than many of todays 'productions', but you get character development and delightful nuances as a result. There are some flaws - the railway engineer in 'The Way we live Now' seemed miscast, but overall we enjoyed the lot and would recommend them.

Watching these episodes was a real treat, and also, I have to admit a wallow in nostalgia. The theme of 'The Warden' is one we are familiar with these days. Trollope manages to bring it to life through a whole cast of memorable characters. Top of the list is Mrs Prouie the bishop's wife played with tremendous gusto by Geraldine McEwen. Alan Plater adapted the books for television, which is a guarantee of excellence. This is a superb production.

I hadn't seen the Barchester Collection since its first showing on BBC - but I had never forgotten it and was delighted to renew my acquaintance with the series. It was apparently the beginning of sucess for Alan Rickman who is as oily as I remembered in the role of Obadiah Slope. I was delighted to discover the other discs in the package and look forward to reading the books later (He knew he was right and the Way we live now). The items concerning Trollope himself were very interesting. I thoroughly recommend all these DVDs - are there any others available of other Trollope novels? He is easier to read than Dickens but just as enjoyable.

Film-makers aint necessarily onto a winner just because they choose to adapt a literary classic for the small screen: They need script-writers who are almost as gifted as the author, whole cast-loads of character actors who are individually great and collectively excellent and finally the creative gift to direct all that talent into one small-screen production. The whole Anthony Trollope Collection has all of these necessities and more, with every single scene in every single story being proof positive that, when the BBC puts its mind to giving us something good, it just can't help but be brilliant: Even if you're in the majority who've never read Trollope, please watch this Collection - you'll loveevery minute of it!