Customer Reviews

To the Manor Born: Silver Anniversary Special

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

 

 

For those, like me, who bought the original series DVD box set, the producers have decided to be nice and release this special seperately. Thank-you!!!

For the most part, the gang is back. Penelope Keith, Peter Bowles and Angela Thorne return 25 years later for an hour Christmas special. It's Audrey and Richard's silver wedding anniversary and the couple prepare to celebrate in style. However, something is about to disturb life at the estate and Audrey, with the help of her old friend Marjorie, has to rescue 400 years of history. She also has to defend a community and save her marriage at the same time.

This show has not been shown on American TV (maybe this year on BBC America or PBS.) But if you cannot wait, buy the dvd! What is amazing that everyone is still around.

This new episode was truly a delight! It was like a reunion of old friends who have not seen each other for years, but once reunited all time between seems to have vanished and it was only yesterday. The sets and use of the manor house interior were handled very well, like any home would change through the years. The actors lost none of their magic and had the same repoir as they had all those years ago. They handled the absense of Mrs. Poo and Bravenger extremely well and they were mentioned, although they had passed away. Those who already have the entire series appreciate that this episode has been made available by itself.

I am so very excited to see this reunion special.
For longtime fans of this series it's the best present ever.
To new fans, well, watch the original series from the beginning and you'll soon understand why the rest of us are thrilled to see these characters once more.
Penelope Keith can do no wrong in my book!

"You are cordially invited to celebrate the silver wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Richard DeVere." "To the Manor Born Siver Wedding Anniversary" takes us once again to the Grantleigh Estate, this time to celebrate the silver wedding anniversary of Richard DeVere and Audrey fforbes-Hamilton. As Richard and Audrey are making surprise party plans for each other, Richard's long kept secret comes out into the open.Where upon Audrey leaves him and Grantleigh Manor to return to "the lodge" which is now occupied by old school chum, Marjorie until things blow over. From here we have the classic comedy of Penelope Keith, Peter Bowles and Angela Thorne written brillantly by Peter Spence and directed by Gareth Gwenlyn. On a sad note many of the series character actors have passed on, John Rudling as Brabinger, Daphne Heard as Mrs. Polovicka, Micheal Bilton as Old Ned, and Anthony Sharp as Brigadier Lemington.
In the end true love does prevail Audrey and Richard style of course and the couple celebrate their silver wedding anniversary amongst family, friends and a new addition to the family, Bertie II.

Beautifully captured. Characters have really aged gently. First class production. Genteel, Upperclass Brit.
Enjoyed the humour as always.

This was as good if not better than the original series. Outstanding in every way. I was riveted to the T.V for the duration of the show.

Brought back memories. Watched the early episodes on PBS and hoped this would continue the kind of fun we enjoyed then. It was a great ending to a long, entertaining, experience.

This was a sad ending to an otherwise-wonderful series. I mean SAD - I couldn't even bring myself to give it to my parents, for whom the DVD was originally bought since they adored the original series, to view; it went straight to resale.

Please understand: this series was the first VCR set I ever attempted to purchase, and I've worn out the tapes watching them over and over again because of the many facets that made the recordings great.

What possessed Keith and Bowles to give in to the making of this "special" with the writing and the directing offered is a mystery to me. It was an amateur fabrication with an obvious plot lacking the timing and the character-appropriate approach of the original production, contrived to meet the Silver Anniversary criterion only. Even worse, it gave cameo appearances to two of the remaining original characters that were ridiculously patronizing considering the amount of line(s) given them.

I'm not even going to read the others' reviews, since people are giving this four- and five- stars. Me'thinks the reviewers are like me, sentimentally longing for more of the greatness that is normally a Keith and Bowles performance set in a traditional British background.

With apologies to the four returning stars: please don't buy this DVD - you'll not get tears of laughter but of regret for these perennial performers for not being given a more mature group of experts to make this idea actually work into something worthwhile for everyone involved.

For waiting 25 years it could have been a bit better. It was good to see the old characters and missed the ones no longer with us. It's inexpensive enough to purchase, but think you may only watch it the once and pass it on. Great ideal, very lackluster execution.

I love this series and missed it when it went off the air. I was so excited when I saw this dvd. I rented it from Netflix but I couldn't resist adding it to my library. I already own the series. Since I'm an Anglophile I love most of the Britcoms. This special about their 25th anniversary was fun and they still have the chemistry. If you love the series you will love the 25th anniversary special. Watch and see!