The Pallisers, Set 1

The story tells of a young heiress who lives life to the fullest, has her flirtations and falls in love with what appears to be a fortune hunter, but before he gets his hooks into her she is made to enter into a betrothal and marriage with a 'no-nonsense', very staid peer of the realm (Philip Latham) and heir to the Duke of Omnium - who, by the way, was interested in another as well. It goes on to show their struggles to adjust to one another - with I might add, the female having to make the most adjustments as the fact that her being in love with another just "....did not signify!"

The trials and the tribulations of their struggles, and eventual accommodations to one another amidst the politics of the day are a rare treat and a masterpiece of brilliant acting.

I highly recommend this set and recommend picking up Sets 2 and 3 in order to perpetuate your total enjoyment of a magnificently brilliant series!

If you've read the novels, you won't be disappointed as the series plays them out faithfully.

Susan Hampshire is stunning.

Perfection.

We are first introduced to Plantagenet Palliser, nephew and heir apparent to the Duke of Omnium. Plantagent is a liberal member of parliament who is a true patriot. He wrestles with many of the problems of 19th Century England, first as an MP and later as Prime Minister. He is a man of enourmous integrity and will power. What he lack in intelligence he more than makes up for in hard work. He and his wife, the Lady Glencora, played by the usually reliable Susan Hampshire, are the center of this series.

Lady Glencora marries Plantagent against her will. She would have preferred to elope with a young gambler, but her sense of duty saves her from what we know would have been a disastrous mistake. She comes to love and respect Plantagenet in time and is totally loyal to him and his various causes. Lady Glen is all heart and not much head. Even so, her heart usually leads her in the right direction and much of the series dramatises her arguments with her always rational and sometimes unimaginative husband. Lady Glen gives as good as she gets.

Into the family of Lady Glen and Plantagent comes Phineas Finn, a brilliant but sometimes headstrong member of parliament from Ireland. From the first introduction of Finn, the series takes on added dramatic intensity. Finn gets himself into a variety of scrapes and even is accused of murder at one point. Both Lady Glen and Plantagent and their good friend, Madame Max Goesler, never lose faith in Finn and support him with all their resources. Madam Max, Lady Glen's confidant and trusted guide, falls in love with Finn and waits patiently for him to learn of her devotion and friendship.

All the stories are interesting and those involving Finn are genuinely engaging. The acting is first-rate by a huge cast. I think most viewers will be hard pressed to find a false note anywhere. The setting is 19th Century England and the cast of characters comes from the aristocracy and upper class. Much time and money has been spent to take us inside the various castles and homes of the wealthy English gentry. Finn is an outsider in this world and his background and situation provide the contrast we need to understand the enormous difference between the aristocrats and their friends and the common people they are supposed to care for. Plantagent is all the more remarkable because his great wealth does not blind him to the service he owes to those commoners he represents.

Brideshead Revisited and Upstairs, Downstairs remain my favorite extended series of films for television, but The Pallisers is not far behind -- a truly exceptional program.

Susan Hampshire's Lady Glencora is without doubt the center of this series. Forced into a marriage with the wealthy but distracted Plantagenet Palliser, who seems far more interested in becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer than in his marriage, Lady Glencora must balance her relationship with her husband against that with another man, whom she has truly loved. Watching as the two Pallisers adjust their relationship to find their love is an absolute delight.

But this story is more than just the Pallisers. As the six lengthy novels are boiled down to 26 episodes (8 in the first set), we meet Phineas Finn, an Irish MP who is the title character of two of the books--one deemed a fine political novel, the other a suspenseful masterpiece. Both are well incorporated into the series. Barbara Murray amazes as Madame Max Goesler, a wealthy widow who interacts with the aristocratic Pallisers without ever letting her great good sense be overwhelmed by the privilege of associating with the creme de la creme.

Six novels boiled into a series requires a great ensemble cast, and one is provided. Such noted British TV actors as Derek Jacobi (later of I, Claudius) and Penelope Keith (of To the Manor Born) play small but important parts as the foppish Lord Fawn and his sister.

But in the final analysis, it all comes back to the relationship between Hampshire's Lady Glencora and Philip Latham's Plantagenet.

Well worth watching.

Susan Hampshire's Glencora is perfection. She is the pivotal character who lights up the entire production. All of the characters are developed at such a comfortable pace, you're surprised when you find you've begun to love some you detested at first glance.

If you're not a great fan of Masterpiece Theater-type programs, you might find the first few episodes a little slow-moving as they set the stage for the gigantic group of characters and subplots to follow. But bear with it. The payoff is some of the best television ever filmed.