Customer Reviews

Flambards Collection Set

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Have you ever encountered a TV series which, from the first episode on, became an irreplaceable part of your identity, moving you in ways impossible to describe but felt profoundly? FLAMBARDS was that beautiful a series. Set in the years surrounding the First World War, the story depicts how Christina, a young orphan sent to live with her cousins and uncle at a decaying country estate, Flambards, comes of age amid the conflicts, passions, loyalties, and tragedies which follow from her new life. Her uncle Russell, wheelchair-bound for life due to a fox-hunting accident, compounds his misfortune through heavy drinking by the fireplace, and takes his sole pleasure in life from the vicarious adventures in the hunting field which his rugged son Mark shares with him. They are callous to their servants, and cannot understand anyone who does not share their absorption in the world of hunting, hounds, and endless leisure. Mark's brother William could not be more different. Gentle, sympathetic to the servants and the plight of their class, and passionately devoted to the design, building and flying of planes, he too is injured while engaging in the one sport he hates - fox-hunting - and must now walk with a limp. Christina, in her late teens like William, prefers his gentle company, yet thrills to the excitement of the fox-hunt. And she soon learns that her ample inheritance, due when she is twenty-one, has been earmarked for the restoration of Flambards - and that she is to marry Mark, who, among other brutalities, has provoked the firing of Violet, the kitchen maid, after making her pregnant! The rest of the series portrays the growing attraction of Christina and William, their escape from Flambards into the world of the early aviators, and the disruptions in their new life resulting from the epic slaughter of the First World War. Everything in this series is just right: the casting of Christine McKenna and Alan Parna by as Christina and William, the stirring footage of restored early airplanes in glorious flight (set to the haunting background music of David Fanshawe, itself worth the eleven-and-a-half hours you'll spend loving this series), the tenderness of the scenes where William and Christina discover their love for each other, the portrayal of a bygone age of English social life help make FLAMBARDS a series with something for everybody. But what lifts this series into the realm of the extraordinary for me is its unaffected embodiment of human goodness and innocence, of nobility and the heroic, and of how these qualities can move us still, in a time when we need them more than ever. I've seen dozens of TV shows since I first caught episode 6, "Cold Light of Day," on PBS during a collegiate summer vacation almost twenty years ago. None have found their way as close to my heart as FLAMBARDS. I hope you agree. And I wish you the very best. END

I first saw this series on PBS in 1980; in fact, with two different PBS stations, I ended up watching each part 3 times a week! Each subsequent viewing was as wonderful as the first. Christine McKenna was simply luminous as Christina Parsons, the orphan girl sent to live at her uncle's Essex estate in the years preceding World War I and coming to know her two cousins, arrogant Mark and brilliant, scientific William, as well as Dick, the gentle stableboy, as William took steps into the new world of aviation despite the abuses of his wheelchair-bound father. This is a beautifully-filmed series that is unfortunately not really showcased by the DVD transfer, but it doesn't matter, it is Flambards complete and unedited (unlike the 1980 PBS broadcast that combined parts 1 & 2 into a single hour-long episodes and A&E's "chopped-to-flinders-for-commericals" version). Actors Edward Judd (as the choleric Uncle Russell), Alan Parnaby as Will, Steven Grives as Mark, Peter Settelen as Will's fellow-flyer Sandy, and Carol Leader as the unconventional Dorothy are also outstanding. And there is David Fanshawe's memorable soundtrack as well, with haunting themes, sprightly interstices, and the nostalgic "Song of Christina" ballad. I was lucky enough to find the LP soundtrack in the Harvard Coop many years ago and play the music with delight even today. Not to be missed!

Have you ever encountered a TV series which, from the first episode on, became an irreplaceable part of your identity, moving you in ways impossible to describe but felt profoundly? FLAMBARDS was that beautiful a series. Set in the years surrounding the First World War, the story depicts how Christina, a young orphan sent to live with her cousins and uncle at a decaying country estate, Flambards, comes of age amid the conflicts, passions, loyalties and tragedies which follow from her new life. Her uncle Russell, wheelchair-bound for life due to a fox-hunting accident, compounds his misfortune through heavy drinking by the fireplace, and takes his sole pleasure in life from the vicarious adventures in the hunting field which his rugged son Mark shares with him. They are callous to their servants, and cannot understand anyone who does not share their absorption in the world of hunting, hounds, and endless leisure. Mark's brother William could not be more different. Gentle, sympathetic to the servants and the plight of their class, and passionately devoted to the design, building and flying of planes, he too is injured while engaging in the one sport he hates - fox-hunting - and must now walk with a limp. Christina, in her late teens like William, prefers his gentle company yet thrills to the excitement of the fox-hunt. And she soon learns that her ample inheritance, due when she is twenty-one, has been earmarked for the restoration of Flambards - and that she is to marry Mark, who, among other brutalities, has provoked the firing of Violet, the kitchen maid, after making her pregnant! The rest of the series portrays the growing attraction of Christina and William, their escape from Flambards into the world of the early aviators, and the disruptions in their new life resulting from the epic slaughter of the First World War. Everything in this series is just right: the casting of Christine McKenna and Alan Parnaby as Christina and William, the stirring footage of restored early airplanes in glorious flight (set to the haunting background music of David Fanshawe, itself worth the eleven-and-a-half hours you'll spend loving this series), the tenderness of the scenes where William and Christina discover their love for each other, the portrayal of a bygone age of English social life help make FLAMBARDS a series with something for everybody. But what lifts this series into the realm of the extraordinary for me is its unaffected embodiment of human goodness and innocence, of nobility and the heroic, and of how these qualities can move us still, in a time when we need them more than ever. I've seen dozens of TV shows since I first caught Episode 6, "Cold Light of Day," on PBS during a collegiate summer vacation almost twenty years ago. None have found their way as close to my heart as FLAMBARDS. I hope you agree. And I wish you the very best. END

I, like many of the other reviewers, stopped everything, to the annoyance of my parents, to watch this mimi-series when it aired almost 20 years ago on PBS! That it is now available on Video is bringing back to me a lost part of my coming of Age. The Trails and Travails of Christina, the Heroine, who loves the Bookish brother but foollishly falls for his Cad brother Mark, tells the story of all women everywhere who are tempted by dash and bravado only to realize too late that it is the quiet adventurers of th mind that we really love. When she finally comes around to realize that her groundbreaking Aviator is the one she loves, our hearts sang with relief until he is lost.. LOST! in World War One, and then we must get on with our broken hearts as Christina does to learn harder lessons of adulthood. Oh.. I hear the music now as I write. I had a cassette of the unforgettable soundtrack that finally broke with overuse and never managed to replace it. "I'll sing me a song of Christina, christina, christina, I'll sing me a song of Christina, Christina AT FLAMBARDS! La, la la la, la la la"

For those of you with daughters over age 10, buy this classic and watch it with them. Perhaps they too will become as obsessed as we were with antique Edwardian clothing, horses, Biplanes and READING. There are worse things for girls to obsess about!

Also then, refer your darling daughters to the original books, also available here at Amazon and let them see what wonderful stories brought tears to their mothers' eyes when they were young and what stories made them dream.

Lucky is any viewer who encounters Flambards! It's one of Masterpiece Theatre's best series ever. Another reviewer did a great job outlining the plot. But this is a cinematic experience that literally blows you away. The scenes of horses on fox hunt, flashing along the fertile countryside with speed and excitement, are beautiful beyond imagination. There's a great, forward sweeping movement to each episode, an Edwardian country grandeur that's irresistible. It's Christina's series, and Christine McKenna never falters in creating the captivating heart of a story not without its ruthlessness. An ever present human sadness tracks the story like a stalker, but one never tires watching; redemption always comes at a price. The aeroplane scenes are as majestic and vital as the ubiquitous horses, and William is the sweet relief to the mongrol aspects of his beleagured family. As fine as it is, I'm convinced this series would be noticably less without its absolutely magnificent music, an essential component from the get go. The theme music alone will live forever! Get this beautifully done DVD version and make a date with forever.

Yes, I, too, agree with Scott Lahti. I saw this series for the first time nearly 20 years ago when I was 10...PBS aired it over 13 weeks in the summer a couple years in a row. My older sister and I were enthralled, mesmerized. We literally stopped everything to watch Flambards. The characters were, and are, so touching, so real. The music stayed on our mind for years. As we didn't have a VCR the first few years that this was aired, we were left without it for about 10 years, mind you, still talking about the characters as if they were people we know! Humming/whistling "the Song of Christina!" We were so excited when A&E aired it, finally, in the early 90's, albeit with commercials. Even better another local PBS station aired the originals a couple years later (FINALLY!), and we both have them on video now. The astonishing thing is, I've seldom met anyone else who's ever seen it! I introduced my college roommates to Flambards, though, and shortly afterward would come home from class to find everyone in the living room, mesmerized, watching Flambards; I was so happy that someone besides myself "got it"! Soon everyone was quoting lines from the film! Yes! A couple years ago, my friend and former roommate had just had a baby and was staying home. I sent her the "Flambards" videos and she was so excited beyond belief. The point of all this is, this series has the uncanny ability to enter your psyche, leaving a warm contented feeling. I have read the trilogy by KM Peyton, and, though they were quite good, they really can't compare to the series...the casting was terrific (where ARE these people now, I'd like to know...they were incredible) the costuming, the flying machines were fantastic and I can't say enough about the musical score. I'm so happy that it IS available on video and hope it continues to enthrall people for years.

I loved this series as a teenager and had searched the internet to purchase it, but at the time, it wasn't available. Imagine my excitement when I found it on Amazon! I bought it immediately and eagerly awaited its arrival.
I fell in love all over again. My husband, who had never heard of Flambards, enjoyed it as well. We looked forward to viewing each installment and were satisfied with the quality of the discs and the "corny" music. In fact, I found myself humming the "Christina" song for several days afterward and my husband was cheerfully whistling the theme music.
I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a great story, fantastic scenery and characters that will steal your heart. I give it "two thumbs up."

The best dramatic series ever aired on television, December 2, 1998 Reviewer: A viewer from Phoenix, Arizona This is the headline from the review I wrote on December 2, 1998, and left anonymous. It was my first review on Amazon.com. I haven't done many to date, but the reason I started came from the joy and inspiration from this fine television series. Those who know this series are passionate in their praise. Years after seeing it, most remember the scenes, faces, and music from this show more vividly than almost any other film experience they've had. Many agree that they "lived" the show moment by moment, as if it were really happening. This kind of power in cinema comes from true artistic performance, across the board; the writing, the acting, the settings, the music, were as perfect as could be. Lovers of this series of books and TV episodes cried out for tape versions and reprints. They have been overjoyed when the VHS set was released and re-released. But now the series has been released on DVD, for any videophile, the preferred medium for video archive.

Is the DVD set what you would expect? Well, it is not perfect. The blemishes of an old film master show less forgivingly on DVD, particularly in some early episodes. Sometimes, there is a flicker or a scene that seems a little blurry. Sometimes, the up and down sound master also requires the DVD sound remote to be close at hand. DVD sparkles on new technology-driven movie masters. For a 22+ year old film set, without a pure master, the DVD images are less crisp and the sound has less punch. But for those who know and love Flambards, this DVD set is still a blessing, worth every bit of its price. I hope through this DVD release (long overdue) more people can discover and experience the overwhelming beauty of this fine series.

So, I'm 50 years old; I've always loved the kind of quality BBC programs that we see on masterpiece theater, and complained about the fact that most american tv (with rare exceptions) is such garbage, comparatively. Now this particular series, however--It is in fact simply unforgettable. I must echo so many of the other reviewers' sentiments. There we were in the early 80's when this series first aired on PBS (i.e., not able to just google it and buy it like nowadays), and as soon as I saw the first episode, and building with each one, I was simply awed by it. During all this time from then until now, "Flambard's" would flash through my mind occasionally because of how much I fell in love with it. I hoped for the longest time that PBS would show the series again (as they do with some other series) but alas, it seems they haven't seen fit to do so. I have intended ever since the 80's to try to locate and buy the tapes. Finally, I am in a position to do so, and thanks to the internet... I just ordered the VHS tapes AND the DVDs. It tells something about a miniseries like this when someone can see it in their 30's (or with other reviewers, age fill-in-the-blank) and the impression of it stays so strong for the rest of their life. It is a precious example of the type of show that is so good it is art; conceived and written by the original author, and transformed by everyone involved in making the show itself into a production that so magnificently conveys the essence of the human experience it mesmerizes you. Finally, I'll have Flambards again! And not just for myself--it's the type of media that one wants to pass on to friends and family...

Like the other reviewers here, Flambards formed a part of my life as a young teenager and that of some of my friends. I watched captivated from the first episode, and have read through the trilogy and the sequel "Flambards Divided" to the very last line many times since. The beautiful music of David Fanshawe has stuck in my mind ever since. I never forgot it. Since recently purchasing the videos (and aquiring a video recorder with US playback) to view them, I looked at the early episodes as an adult for the first time after 13 years. There is definitely something for everyone in this beautiful series, child and adult alike. It is such a pity that not many people remember or know of the series. It is great to read others' appreciation of Flambards. Spread the word...