Customer Reviews

Dennis Potter: 3 to Remember

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Dennis Potter created several widely acclaimed British TV dramas, including "The Singing Detective" and "Pennies From Heaven." "Dennis Potter: 3 to Remember" is a box set featuring a trio of 1980 dramas produced by Potter for London Weekend Television. "Cream in My Coffee" tells the story of an elderly couple (Lionel Jeffries, Peggy Ashcroft) who return to the hotel where they began their affair in the early 1930's. "Blade on the Feather" stars Donald Pleasance as a reclusive, elderly author living a quiet life with his wife and daughter. The household is soon turned upside down when a young man (Tom Conti) proclaiming to be a longtime admirer shows up for a visit. Neither the author nor the admirer are really who they say they are, and a secret world of British espionage is revealed. In "Rain on the Roof," a bored, sexually frustrated housewife (Cheryl Campbell) flirts with Billy, a mentally challenged young man, but her advances trigger aggressive behavior in Billy directed toward her philandering husband. The one extra in the three-disc set is the last interview with Dennis Potter, recorded three months before his death.

Dennis Potter is perhaps not a household name in the US, despite notable successes like his two landmark miniseries, namely Pennies From Heaven ($49.98; BBC Video) and The Singing Detective ($39.98; BBC Video). But he towered over the UK TV industry with the combined genius of, say, Steven Bochco, David Lynch and Joss Whedon. In fact, his last work was shown by both the BBC and Channel 4, which is like ABC and FOX airing the same TV movie, which is unimaginable. Despite overwhelming acclaim, far too few of his films have been seen here. So I'm chomping at the bit to watch Dennis Potter: 3 To Remember ($39.98; Koch), which contains three TV films shown on consecutive weekends in 1980. Stars include Donald Pleasance, Peggy Ashcroft and Denholm Elliott. But I doubt any of them will equal the extra included: the riveting final interview with Potter that aired on Channel 4 in 1994 just three months before his death, with the deeply ill Potter literally drinking a morphine cocktail while talking about his life and work and desire to finish one final teleplay before he died. Visit me at michaelgiltz dot com.

Read the biography of Dennis Potter on Wikipedia in order to begin to understand these three films. The poor man was sick of body and soul. He was overcome with loathing, both of himself and others. And so, in his agony, he wrote dramas. The three here, aired on British television in 1980, are fascinating examples of Potter's work.

Each of the productions is masterfully acted and directed. Some of Britain's very best may be seen at their very best. But then you come to the writing. Rain on the roof may be the sickest, nastiest, most vicious play I've ever encountered. Cream in my Coffee is maddenlingly nasty, and it's sad to see the great comedian Lionel Jeffreys playing an utterly loathsome old man who tortures his wife verbally and endlessly.

The jewel in this collection is Blade on the Feather. It is magnificent. The casting is perfect, starting with Donald Pleasance. The drama falters a bit only at the ending, with corny lightning effects and a somewhat muddled exchange between Tom Conti and Denholm Elliott. In any case, no serious fan of British drama would want to miss this production. Alone, it is worth the price of the boxed collection.

In short, 3 to Remember is a mixed bag. Perhaps it should have been called 1 to Remember and 2 to Forget.

Dennis Potter was one of the greatest TV writers of the late 20th century, creating such timeless classics as THE SINGING DETECTIVE and PENNIES FROM HEAVEN. This collection features 3 early works which laid the path for his great successes. A great find.

I am a huge fan of British TV and films. I wanted so much to like this set of DVDs but alas, for me the films had long, tedious scenes which put me to sleep midway through. I also purchased Potter's Pennies From Heaven with Bob Hoskins, I expect this one to be so much better.

I purchased this set as a gift for a Dennis Potter fan who reported that he enjoyed it; I have not watched the DVDs myself.