Product Details

• Actors: Colin Firth, John Castle, Gillian Bevan, Neil Boorman, Mike Edmonds
• Directors: Alan Grint
• Writers: Ian Curteis, J.B. Priestley
• Producers: June Howson
• Format: Box set, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 6
• Studio: Goldhill Home Media
• VHS Release Date: March 12, 2002
• Run Time: 416 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005UF8I
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #301,421 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

This extraordinary Masterpiece Theatre featured production based on the novel by JB Preistley, and featuring one of the last performances of Sir Laurence Olivier, takes you to the last days of Britain¹s innocence and the glamorous and magical world of the great music halls - which once brought entertainment to millions. In 1913 young Richard Herncastle, played by Colin Firth ("Bridget Jones¹s Diary", "The English Patient", "Pride and Prejudice") escapes from a stuffy provincial English background in to the glitter and excitement of the theatre world. Funny, sad, nostalgic, - LOST EMPIRES follows Richard from his safe but dull job to join his uncle Nick Ollanton (John Castle), a famous music hall illusionist ­ known as the ŒIndian Magician¹ Ganga Dun. As assistant in his uncle¹s act, Richard is soon thrust headlong into a world of heightened experience, love, passion and adventure on the English provincial variety circuit. As LOST EMPIRES opens, looming on the horizon is World War I, which will destroy so much of Britain¹s tradition, including the great era of the Empire music hall. Soon the cinema will replace the eccentric and colorful performers whose home is the world of variety. The series was filmed in a number of authentic music halls around the United Kingdom and co-stars Gillian Bevan, Carmen De Sautoy and Beatie Edney.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

123 of 124 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lost Empires Brings Characters, English Stage to Life!, July 10, 2002

By 

Aging Disgruntled Snob "Jeff-Bob" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lost Empires (DVD)

Granada Television's 1986 "Lost Empires" is a series that proves that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Starring a sullen young Colin Firth, this eight-hour, three DVD set has held a place in my heart for the last 16 years. It was with much anticipation then that I opened this package and watched it anew with my family. Would it stand the test of time? Was it as great as I recalled?

Based on the novel by JB Priestley, LE chronicles the adventures of young Richard Herncastle (Firth), an aspiring landscape painter, who in 1913 accepts an offer from his hard-nosed Uncle Nick (John Castle II) to join his magic act and tour the great `empire halls' on England.

Uncle Nick promises "I'll show you the world lad!" In the process young Richard gets more than he bargained for in the way of life adventures. . Firth's Herncastle finds himself thrown together with magicians, dwarfs, sad-sack comedians, flirty torch-song singers, suffragettes and aging Sir Lawrence Olivier. And he also quickly becomes the lightning rod that somehow touches all their lives.

The first half of LE, featuring Sir Lawrence Olivier as pathetic comedian Harry Barrard, Carmen du Sautoy as sultry Julie Blaine, John Castle's riveting Uncle Nick and Beattie Edney as love interest Nancy Ellis is where Lost Empires shines! We feel the whole world opening up for Richard as he is torn between Nancy and Julie. Every night this travelling company performs authentic song and dance numbers as we see World War I looming in the background.

Of special note is John Castle. Playing master illusionist "Ganga Dun" Castle's Nick Ollanton creates a character so vivid and steely that he virtually steals the DVD.

The second half of LE slows down a bit after young Richard has learned a few life lessons the hard way. The vibrant personalities of first half give way to more outrageous, less believable ones.

The DVD transfer is what you'd expect from most Granada product of the 80's: film grain is a bit much, but the colors are good, and I quickly "saw beyond" the grain of film. The sound is actually quite clear and vibrant with a large dynamic range. I frequently was "riding" the volume control to back off the volume when the director cut from quiet dialog scenes to the Empire performance scenes. There is no info booklet to speak of with the three discs which was a bit of a letdown (Brideshead Revisited ships with a rather informative booklet by contrast.) ...

If however you are looking for a group of clearly drawn characters desperate to hold onto a way of living, performing and loving as "The New World" is about to crush them under war and the onset of "talking movies" then LE is for you. If you've got the dough to spare, get it. If you're unsure, pick up Brideshead Revisited instead.

Me, I'm happy now that my "Masterpiece Theater" DVD shelf contains the three things I've always wanted: Brideshead, Prime Suspect and now Lost Empires.

44 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lost Treasure is more like it., March 17, 2003

By 

P. Hall "zansma" (usa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lost Empires (DVD)

What a pleasure to watch these dvds. The story flows and moves gracefully through each chapter. Firth is magnificent. Awards should have been given for this production. All the actors put so much into their performances. And to have Colin Firth narrating the entire story was music to my ears. We need more Colin Firth.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Colin Firth's Big Television Break, March 10, 2006

By 

Carl Hufton "Merlin Music" (Nottingham, Notts United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lost Empires (DVD)

Colin Firth's first memorable TV role - and doesn't he look young! This series links the beginning of the decline of the British Empire with beginning of the decline of the British Music Hall - the former with the First World war and the latter with the advent of cinema. The script is superb and Colin Firth and John Castle's performances are excellant. There is a cameo role in the first episode from Sir Laurence Olivier but it is obvious that his skill is in decline.
The main story is Colin's (Richard Herncastle's) coming of age - as he certainly learns about life in the music halls before he is shipped out to the horrors of the War. He loses his love but miraculously regains it in the trenches when fate decrees that she turns up to entertain the troops, Colin gets wounded and she saves him.
It is a wonderful story to get lost in on a cold winter's night and I greatly recommend it.