Product Details

• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Acorn Media
• DVD Release Date: November 8, 2011
• Run Time: 347 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B005K8QIS0
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,802 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Based on the novels by Kate Atkinson

"Splendid" --The Guardian (U.K.)
"Perfectly entertaining" --The Independent (U.K.)

Jackson Brodie (Golden Globe® nominee Jason Isaacs, Harry Potter, The Patriot) used to be a soldier in the British army and then an officer in the Lothian and Borders Police. Now the tough detective has turned private investigator, compelled to bring peace to victims and their families. Based in Edinburgh, the good-hearted Brodie finds himself looking into everything from lost cats to wayward spouses and killers on the run. He does a lot of running himself, partly to unwind from the stresses of his work, but mostly to escape the memories of his own traumatic past.

Seen on Masterpiece Mystery, this "more than successful adaptation" (The Guardian, U.K.) of Kate Atkinson’s award-winning novels also stars Amanda Abbington (Agatha Christie’s Poirot), Natasha Little (Vanity Fair), Phil Davis (Vera Drake), and Keith Allen (Robin Hood). Created for television by Ashley Pharaoh of Life on Mars, this character-driven drama features sharp scripts and an outstanding lead performance by Isaacs, all set against the ruggedly beautiful Scottish scenery.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

101 of 107 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Bristish Mystery October 12, 2011

By Dr Mike C

Format:DVD

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this series. The acting is quite good, and the cast consists of many veteran UK actors who are recognizable from other dramas. The series is well written. It weaves together multiple investigations within each story line. For example, the first drama consists of three investigations, as well as developments in the private life of the main protagonist, Jason Isaacs. I watched the UK episodes without captions and the PBS episodes with captions, and the use of captions greatly helped me understand the dialogue. I strongly urge using the subtitles.

The structure used by the BBC in broadcasting this series was to air twin one-hour episodes on consecutive nights; resulting in a single drama consisting of approximately one-hour and 55 minutes. The only problem that I have with this structure is that you have a climax in the middle of the drama, which seems unnecessary when the two episodes are viewed back to back (as opposed to on consecutive nights.)

Beginning next week, PBS will start to show these dramas in two-hour blocks (the twin UK episodes joined together). When watching the series, keep in mind that PBS has redacted approximately 5 minutes or so in order to fit the episode into the allocated time slot. The DVD, which is not produced by PBS, contains the full UK episodes. The 5 minutes or so cut are substantive (e.g., (i)in the first drama - scene where father abuses daughter is drastically cut, and (ii) in the third drama, the kidnapped victim's escape is drastically cut), and don't include the additional non-substantive cuts (e.g., one set of credits and titles, as well as the scene at the start of the second hour of the drama that remind the audience of what transpired on the previous night).

My only complaint regarding the DVD is the price. $36 is a bit steep for less than six hours of TV. I will wait until the price comes down. For example, I purchased Downton Abbey for under $20 when it first came out, and it is cheaper now. I expect a series like this to sell for $25 or so. Considering the limited content (under six hours), I don't think that a higher price is justified. (NOTE TO AMAZON: $40-$50 FOR A SEASON OF NEW TRICKS IS OUTRAGEOUS.)

59 of 66 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Blue mouse September 30, 2011

By H. Schneider

Format:DVD

We all know that film adaptations of books are rarely up to the mark. There are exceptions.
Kate Atkinson has written some superior crime novels around English private investigator Jackson Brody, a former police man. The novel called Case Histories has him involved in 3 diverse cases at the same time, all related to mysteries about missing or dead girls.
A little girl has disappeared 30 years ago. Now her father has died and the girl's sisters find her Blue Mouse toy in father's desk.
A young girl starts an internship in her father's law firm. On her first day in office, a man shows up with a knife, kills her, and disappears.
While a woman is in jail for murdering her husband, her little girl disappears from foster care.
Lots of problems for Brody.
This is the only book of hers that I read myself. My daughter tells me that her others are also good.
A BBC series with 6 episodes based on 3 of Atkinson's Brody novels has been produced and shown on TV in summer 2011. This is brand-new stuff. I watched it with my wife and I was very impressed. If you like the genre, you will appreciate this as top of the class. The production added some local charisma by transferring the location from somewhere in England to more remarkable Edinburgh, with all the available options on the language side.

31 of 41 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Great Jason Isaacs Unravels Mysteries That Are Overly Reliant On Convenience And Coincidence October 25, 2011

By K. Harris HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWER

Format:DVD

First off, I think any show that has the wherewithal and good sense to cast the underrated Jason Isaacs in the leading role is worthy of a look. As a fan of these imported detective/mystery programs (this originally aired in the U.S. under the PBS Masterpiece Mystery banner), the BBC produced "Case Histories" seemed like a solid proposition. Adapted from the fourth novel of Kate Atkinson's popular Jackson Brodie series, "Case Histories" showcases six episodes (each is a two-parter) with interconnected and overlapping storylines. A typical individual show may introduce three or four disparate groups of characters with absolutely no relationship, but through happenstance and absolute coincidence will be tied together into the program's central mystery. Sadly, this overly convenient plotting really detracted from the show's allure for me. It's just too tidy, too written. In other aspects, the episodes are reaching for a brooding and realistic feel with a grounded Isaacs and better than average character development for guest stars. But oftentimes, the show's tone suffers as these "real" character types play out rather elaborate and fanciful plot lines. Sometimes dour, sometimes comedic, sometimes gritty--the feel of the show veers rather wildly all over the place.

Isaacs plays an ex-cop in Edinburgh, Scotland who separated from the force amidst a controversy and now makes a living as a private investigator. Haunted by a trauma in his past, Isaacs seems continually drawn to cases in which young women have been harmed. In the first major case, he deals with (among a myriad of other things) the 30 year old mystery of a girl who went missing as new evidence is uncovered by her now adult sisters. In the next episodes, he deals with a Russian crime syndicate, unscrupulous business, and a mysterious dead body that he alone has seen. And in the final installment, the major action centers around another missing child--this one seemingly abducted for unknown reasons. Throughout, Isaacs is plagued by bad memories of a tragedy in his youth and his connection with these cases really can get personal. We get repeated flashbacks and, if that weren't enough, he is also dealing with a big change in his relationship with his plucky daughter.

If anything, there is too much going on. And it is all too coincidental. Take, for example, a moment from the second case. Isaacs witnesses a attack in a parking structure that happens to eventually tie to EVERYTHING else that he is working on. Within this one scene, he happens to be in the exact location as a hitman that will prove pivotal to the plot, an author with a past that connects him to the case, and the police chief's son. Wow! A matter of good timing put four central but relatively unrelated characters together in one spot! And this is but one example of many. Coincidence is the unifying theme that drives all of the narrative momentum. That said, this is still a pretty entertaining watch. It just misses out on the complexities that would have made it terrific. Isaacs is a dynamic leading man, both tough and suitably hardened but with a unexpected softness. I liked the characterization a lot. The supporting cast and guest stars are uniformly excellent. But as a Masterpiece Mystery fan and lover of detective fiction, the fact that I never really believed in the cases left me wanting a bit more. Good enough if you enjoy the genre, but a long way from its pinnacle. About 3 1/2 stars. KGHarris, 10/11.