Product Details

• Actors: Sean Bean, Julian Wadham, Juliet Aubrey, Jack Davenport, Honeysuckle Weeks
• Directors: David Wheatly
• Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: ACORN MEDIA
• DVD Release Date: March 28, 2006
• Run Time: 551 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000E8N8OS
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,265 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Catherine Cookson Collection - Set 1 (The Wingless Bird / The Moth / The Rag Nymph / The Fifteen Streets)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

With evocative settings in Cookson’s northeast England, eras from the mid-1800s to World War I come alive in these four powerful dramas that portray the harshness of the English class system and the redemptive power of love. Stars include Sean Bean, Julian Wadham, Juliet Aubrey, Jack Davenport, Honeysuckle Weeks, and Ian Bannen.

The Wingless Bird—On the brink of World War I, three very different families are linked by a shopkeeper’s daughter who is determined to make a better life for herself. Seen on Masterpiece Theatre. Approx. 148 min.

The Moth—In 1913, a talented carpenter leaves the Jarrow shipyards to work in a small village where an encounter with an ethereal girl-child changes his life. Approx. 151 min.

The Rag Nymph—In an impulsive act of charity that changes her life, a rag and bone lady in the slums of Victorian Newcastle takes in the 10-year-old daughter of a prostitute. Approx. 148 min.

The Fifteen Streets—A rugged Tyneside dockworker and the daughter of a wealthy local shipbuilder fall in love and try to bridge the social gulf that divides them. Nominated for an International Emmy® Award. Approx. 104 min.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An interesting tale of three eccentric families during a period in which war is nearing, April 4, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Catherine Cookson Collection - Set 1 (The Wingless Bird / The Moth / The Rag Nymph / The Fifteen Streets) (DVD)

Presented in dramatic and superbly crafted productions, The Catherine Cookson Collection: Set One is a four disc DVD collection of film adaptations from Cookson's four powerful novels: The Wingless Bird which is an interesting tale of three eccentric families during a period in which war is nearing, all intertwined with the daughter of a shopkeeper who is hard set on making for herself a better life. The Moth, based in 1913 about a carpenter who leaves his home for work in a small village where his encounter with a peculiar young girl changes his life and understandings. The Rag Nymph is the engaging story of a prostitute's daughter being taken into the home of the main character, a rag and bone lady living in the slums of Victorian Newcastle. The Fifteen Streets depicts a rugged dockworker's love for a wealthy local shipbuilder's daughter and the struggle between the social contrast they share. A welcome and popular addition to community library Video/DVD collections, The Catherine Cookson Collection is very highly recommended to fans of the work of Catherine Cookson, as well those with a particular interest in British drama.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Long-Awaited Treat, May 31, 2006

By 

Alison Leigh - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Catherine Cookson Collection - Set 1 (The Wingless Bird / The Moth / The Rag Nymph / The Fifteen Streets) (DVD)

I am glad to welcome the Catherine Cookson Collection-Set 1 into my period film library, and while I have not read any of Ms. Cookson's books, the films are vastly entertaining and will hopefully open up a new legion of fans. The boxed set contains four films: The Wingless Bird, The Moth, The Rag Nymph, and the Fifteen Streets.

The films, produced by Granada television, are well done overall, however they are not quite as sumptuous as many of the BBC productions everyone loves so much; they also tend to be a little bit darker. Despite this, I believe the Catherine Cookson films educate viewers on the behaviors and conditions of England's lower and middle classes and are for the most part highly realistic. They also boast many fine actors: Juliet Aubrey, Sean Bean, Justine Waddell, Honeysuckle Weeks, Jack Davenport, and Crispin Bonham-Carter, to name a few.

My favorite movie out of the collection was The Rag Nymph, the story of a prostitute's young daughter being taken in by a rag and bones lady. Afterwards, The Moth followed by the The Wingless Bird, and finally, The Fifteen Streets.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SOME OF THE BEST OF COOKSON'S STORIES, November 5, 2008

By 

Harold Wolf "Doc" (Wells, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Catherine Cookson Collection - Set 1 (The Wingless Bird / The Moth / The Rag Nymph / The Fifteen Streets) (DVD)

Catherine Cookson was a master storyteller. Her books continue to sell well. Her movies were hard to find. Now...GREAT NEWS, the British television adaptations of some of Cookson's best stories are here on DVD.

There is usually some violence involved in these Victorian stories as Cookson wrote about the common and poor people of the Victorian era, not the aristocrats. Their life style was much harsher, dirty, and troublesome. Cookson was able to show romance, love, and family value in many of her characters as well. You will get quite a mix of characters, and many will be as unforgettable as the story itself.

The settings for all these story portrayals will give you the urge to travel to the Newcastle area of England to see the sights for yourself.

Warning: Keep this set on the adult shelf. Almost all of the stories, because of the people and region portrayed in the tale, offer segments unacceptable to younger children due to language, sexuality, violence, nudity, or content. But the other 97% is "BANG-ON."

5-stars for each movie in this set.