Customer Reviews

The Duchess of Duke Street - Series 2

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Excellent chance to watch again a programme that truley shows the 2 tier system of victorian england.It is remarkable the indifference shown to those consisdered to be in the poorer classes and how they were manipluted,but with Louisa Trotter there was a difference,she plays the game to her on benefit,but never dening her past.Inter woven in these video's is a remarkable love story that if it were to happen to day,the ending would have been very different.Louisa Trotter is an example of what makes a hotel/cafe/restaurant a sucess,it is not just the product,but the charactor behind it that makes the difference. I have watched this several times and the attention to detail is excellent,even down to the cooking style that is true Victorian. Enjoy,perfect for a rainy afternoon.

The Duchess of Duke Street is loosly based on a real character, a woman who started out as a basic scullery maid, the lowest position in "service", and worked her way up to being a celebrated cook.She eventually bought her own hotel in London which was famous for its food and naughty reputation.The acting is top rate and so are the stories. It is an excellent illustration of class and society in general into the 1930s. It is also a touching reminder of what a horrific war WWI was and how it literally changed British society on every level. Highly recommended for winter evenings and rainy afternoons with a brandy or a glass of Mrs. Trotter's favorite champagne.

If anything, this second series is even better than the first. You have to own the whole series to get the full effect: each time I watch, I notice something different.

Series II brings home the horrors of the World War and the often tragic, often humorous byproducts of the class system. While the lower classes were used and abused, the upper classes too faced restrictions...

The closing scene is near-perfect...

The only downside to the series is that it's unmatched. Upstairs Downstairs (at least the first season) doesn't move as quickly and the characters seem cardboard in comparison, at least to me. Only Brideshead Revisited comes close and that's a far gloomier story.

This is one of the all-time best television series ever broadcasted! It is based on the true life story of Rosa Lewis, who set out to become the best cook in England. She became the best in all of Europe!

I bought the Rosa Lewis biography book here on Amazon. The title is The Duchess of Jermyn Street. It is truly fascinating. Rosa Lewis was definitely in "a league of her own." I have never seen such a character in real life or in movies. Talk about the liberated woman- she was liberated long before her time.

Every time the doors open at the Bentinck Hotel, we have another story. It never becomes dull or slow. We also get to see just how The Prince of Wales (and most of England's royalty) can influence a commoner's life, "in more ways than one".... thought provoking. The Duchess handles every situation in life with finess, intelligence and downright gall. She was a "stright shooter". In real life as well, Rosa Lewis kept up this unusual personna.

There are some hilarious parts, especially with her family. Her mother and brother had me literally in tears. And the scenes were serious! God forbid anyone to have such biting relatives.

Gemma Jones is a wonderful actress. I totally missed her in Sense & Sensibility. She was very quiet and low-key. I couldn't believe it was her. In Bridget Jones Diary, she was again, completely different. A truly great actress.

We have viewed it with different relatives and everyone agrees on the quality of the acting, the sets, plots and storyline. Superb!

If you like The Duchess of Duke Street, you would no doubt enjoy another BBC series: THE GRAND. (Not the Grand Hotel movie of the 1930s.) It is similar, but completely different. Another hotel setting that is a family business. We have the "upstairs, downstairs" scenario again. Excellent acting, more upscale than The Duchess' hotel. Again, each time the front door opens, another story walks in. It is delicious!

The Grand comes in Series One and Series Two, 5 dvds in all. About 18 parts in all.

I love the entire series of this priceless show - both "series" or "seasons". The story to supreme, the acting is first-rate and the writing is as good any anything the BBC has ever done.

If you read my review of the first series on DVD, you'll note that I had issued with the surprisingly poor video quality of that set. It's still worth getting, but it blurry in spots and too dark in others.

I'm happy to report that this Series 2 box is a great improvement quality-of-transfer-wise. I have watched the first 2 discs and it had none of the problems encountered in the first box.

My suggestion......get 'em both.

While not nearly as good as the first series, it still captures you and keeps you hooked all the way through. If you're a lover of such series as Berkely Square and Upstairs Downstairs, you'll love this. It has all the elements that were major issues of the time:Class structure, expected female roles, irony, mystery and so much more. You'll watch it a dozen times!

As a totally devoted fan of series 1, I was thrilled to find that series 2 has just the same high standards of excellence. The period is just after WW1 and entering the flapper age of the twenties. Louisa uses the Bentinck as a convalescent home for wounded officers but, because she refuses to cash their cheques, is soon on the brink of financial ruin, with the staff distraught at the prospect of being thrown out on to the streets. Relief comes in the form of a large legacy from Charlie, Lord Hazelmere, which enables her to refurbish the now shabby hotel and to put Lottie, Louisa and Charlie's daughter through finishing school. As the century progresses through the twenties, Louisa is forced to recognize that the old standards of Edwardian times have given way to a more lax set of rules for Society, forcing her to realize that her plans for Lottie will come to nothing. Again, in this series, the costuming is utterly superb, second to none seen either on the TV screen or in major movies, and the dressing of the rooms is absolutely spot on. It is a magnificent series, and one which I'm loath to finish.

My husband and I relished our Sunday evenings watching Masterpiece Theatre together. Our favorite was The Duchess of Duke Street. We were so happy to be able to see it again after nearly 30 years. It is as fresh now as it was then.

Now, if we can just get a copy of the original Poldark! I had a bit of a crush on him!

I loved the first season and I loved this second one. Following Louisa's life taught me that is possible to reach our dreams.

This is the BEST. Great show, great acting. Worth every penny. Just wish
there were more in the series.