Customer Reviews

Regency House Party

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I caught about 15 minutes of the second or third episode a few months ago and just knew I'd never keep up with viewing the show (and I really wanted to watch it from its begining) so I've been planning on buying the DVD ever since. I'm so glad I finally did!

The 'players' in this history re-inacting "reality dating show" drama are people from modern England who agreed to play 'themselves as they might have been during the Regency'. They were given a summary of 'themselves' to go by. For example, in reality, the Countess is an actual countess who works in a coffee shop - at the House Party, she is a countess who is trying to cover up the fact that she has no money. The 'players' (I can't think of them as "contestants") play this 'game' in a sort of blurring of fantasy and reality - to the point, I believe, where they were reacting quite naturally as a Regency-era person and less like a modern-minded person.

The transition from modern-England to Regency-England was rough for many of the 'players' and they supported each other through the trials. Many hearts were touched and broken or bruised throughout the process and it was quite facinating to watch, even without the added bonus of doing so in Regency costume.

Fans of Regency (or Edwardian or Victorian) England or just history buffs should enjoy this show for what it is. I, being a huge fan of Jane Austen (particularly "Pride and Prejudice"), was used to the methods of speech and manner and had a grand ol' time.

My mother, who is more of a reality show fan than a history or lit enthusiast, lost interest not even halfway through the first episode. If you have no interest or even basic knowledge of the time period, I'm not sure you'd enjoy it, even if you love reality/reality dating shows. Fights between 'players' are not shown on camera (though they are discussed in some depth) and the romantic... liasons... between the 'players' are merely implied, which would also account for disinterest from those accustomed to American reality tv.

The only thing I could have asked from PBS was an update on the 'players', particularly those who made 'matches' toward the end of the show. Did the couples stay together? Do any of them keep in touch? A reunion show would be a bonus. Heck, if a "Regency Party 2" were produced, I'd buy it immediately!

The only problem I think anyone could have is a sometimes-poor audio, caused by the difficulties of shooting in a historic house rather than a studio. A remote to adjust the volume should probably be in-hand at all times, along with the 'rewind' button on your DVD player remote. Anyone who has watched period movies (such as Jane Austen adaptations) is probably familiar with this and should have no problems with knowing how to follow the dialogue.

Regency House Party is another entry in the PBS "House" series canon. The project takes ten young, single people (five men and five women), four chaperones, dozens of servants, and various other characters of the day, and transplants them from modern life into an early 1800-era English estate. They are there for one reason - to play the dating game as it was played in 1811. What follows is nine weeks of flirtations and frustrations, hookups and breakups, and even a few cat-fights and illicit affairs.

It's a wonderful spin on the reality TV genre and, for the most part, gives the viewer a pretty good idea of what life must have been like in that age. The men spend their time drinking and playing war games while the women are condemned to a tedious monotony of embroidery and gossip. The couples are allowed to socialize for only a few hours a day - always under the watchful eyes of the chaperones. The setting and the costumes are fantastic and everyone looks like they've stepped straight out of a Jane Austen movie - although they are a great deal plainer and dirtier than Hollywood would ever portray.

I really enjoyed the series; however, I do wish the rules had been better explained. Several couples formed partnerships while at the house - were they under any real obligation to one another after filming was over? Also, I got a bit bored with the boxing, exercise, and military drills the men engaged in, and some of the scenes featuring period experts seemed to drag.

A few of the players were duds, but most took to their roles with gusto and stayed true to their 17th Century persona (at least on camera). However, almost all showed their 21st Century roots by listening to their hearts when it came to finding a match, contrary to the stated goal of the project - which was to find the best possible match in social and financial terms. Not that I would have done any differently, but it did sort of muddle the point of the experiment.

Overall, it's very entertaining and a lot of fun. I highly recommend.

I have watched all of the PBS "house" series. The 1900 house, colonial house, frontier house, 1940's house, and Manor House, For some reason i am a sucker for ripping away modern Convieniances from poor helpless people and plunking them smack dab in the middle of chamberpots and candles. This installment in the series, Regency House Party, is a 6 hour frustrating repetitive anti climatic mess. Five men and Five women are given status in the house based on thier real life families and jobs, we are supposed to see them form relationships and than agree or disagree to a "fake" marriage, The goal of the women is to marry rich, and marry up, the goal of the men is to bag a good breeder, preferably marry for money and stuff thier trousers. I suppose we are meant to observe how frustrating it was for women back then, stuck with strict chaperones confined to the house, never to jump and run about with the men, oh its so unfair that they are to have "lots of babies" and "one in three" will die in childbirth. One of them decides that instead of being a "baby machine" she will become a "courtesan"...a prostitute, because thats so much better and its "her" choice. yep Syph, starvation, and millions of abortions is my kind of life. I would have taken the 1 in 3 bet.
None of these people, not one really got what it was all about. The men were too busy trying to seduce chaperones, out drink eachother, and oggle all the pushed up busoms they seriously didnt care about marrying these women, even if it was fake. The women were too busy complaining about the lack of feminine hygiene, and how they had to be chaste, and how it was ultimately boring being them. One of them, the "industrial hieress" Victoria Hopkins see sawed between "snogging" mr Everett and slobbering all over mr carrington, I swear 5 hours of this series was devoted to her "dilemma" and how she should think with her head not her heart, she goes back and forth so much that by the end when she goes for the money, you wish she had choked on all the rose petals these men threw at her.
The Chaperones were pitiful as well, grown women throwing slaps and demanding apologies left and right, fans and plates across rooms, meeting men in the barn for a "ghost watch" (presumably the ghost of supple past)
I read an interview with Chris Gorell Barnes who was the "top" man, that he didnt learn a thing and that he was getting it on with the chambermaid who was actually his valets girlfriend.
I suppose i really wanted these men and women to seriously act thier parts, follow through, leave the 21st century BS behind. Embrace the lifestyle and in turn learn something about modern romance through regency relationships, but NONE of them came out of this with an Iota of clarity.
So I lost 6 hours, these people lost two months and not the better for it.

Let me start off by saying I really enjoyed "Manor House" and felt it gave me a good feel for what Edwardian country house life was like, so that is the bar I am comparing "Regency House Party" too.

I did not feel like I learned nearly as much from "Regency House Party": There was a lot of focus on interpersonal relations, but it was more from the "problems a modern woman has fitting into the regency role" rather then the problems the participants are experiencing that reflect problems a regency woman experienced. There were multiple times where the viewer is told "and now the host is doing something that no regency man would ever do" which I felt was a cop-out. Yes, his reactions in trying to ease tensions among the women were absolutely what a modern manager would try to do. However, I would've preferred the modern anachronistic behaviors to have far less prominence in the show.

"Regency House Party" is, too some extant a dating show, but I felt that the editing of the show made if very hard to track who was who and who's interested in who and why. I kept referring back to the character summary provided in the associated book (which does not come as part of the DVD) to try to sort the characters out. I'm not sure if the problem was that there were too many people to follow or if the problem was the show trying to be both a dating show and a "slice of life in the Regency".

The show did point out some features of Regency life that were very interesting/novel to me (especially as a fan of Regency romance novels): How sharply divided men's and women's activities were, how central the evening meal was to social life, and to some extent how hobbies and activities fit into the "courtship process".

Ya gotta love any show that includes a man arising from bed in the middle of the night to make a huge "B Happy" sign (out of hay and rose petals) on the lawn to cheer up a young lady. Romantic gestures like that one, as well as having servants sneak love notes into the room of your amour, arranging a fireworks display, and reenacting the naval battle of Trafalgar happen aplenty in his entry in the historical "House" series, and I found it enchanting.

I felt that most of the volunteers genuinely did their best to put aside their modern personas and to react and behave as they would have in 1811. Of course there were some jarringly anachronistic displays of swearing, inappropriate flirtations and young girls sneaking off for secret rendezvous with men. But all in all, up until the last night (when the chaperones had gone), the modern young men and women did a fine job of behaving as was expected of them. As luxurious as their surroundings were, it couldn't have been easy to spend nine weeks using a chamber pot, having one bath a week, or sitting for three hours at the dinner table during those hot summer nights wearing elegant but stifling clothes.

I would like to have seen the DVD include a special features section with an aftermath, or update, of the participants. I would especially love to know what became of Jeremy Glover, who played the Naval Captain elevated to the peerage. I felt that he deserved considerably better than to be "settled for" by anyone. Also, I'm curious as to whether Mr. Foxsmith found happiness at last.

I first watched part of Regency House Party on PBS (I think) over New Year's several years ago. It was pure luck that I came upon it again and was able to watch the whole series through Netflix.

It's certainly the best reality TV show I've ever seen. I know that's a dubious honor, but I usually hate reality TV. What's so refreshing about this miniseries is that there are no prizes for which the individuals are competing, and no silly challenges or eliminations. It works as an interesting study into the social dynamics of the past, because although the main participants are all thoroughly modern and not, for the most part, very excited about following the social mores of the Regency period, the conduct of the chaperones (who are meant to, and usually do, uphold the social structure of the period) and the house servants is enough to change the behavior of the main players.

I haven't seen any of the other "House" series, but I'm eager to, and I've watched this series more than once. I even purchased it as a gift for a family member a week or so ago.

While it might not suit everyone, I found it funny, interesting, and beautiful to watch.

I saw various bits of this series on PBS but due to schedule and forgetfulness I missed some chunks of the program. Despite this, the parts that I did see were enjoyable enough that I knew I would purchase the DVD set, and I was not disappointed.

I generally don't care for reality shows, but the PBS "House" series are an exception, and among those that I have seen this is the standout. The setting (an 1815 country house) and the scenario (young people and chaperones convening with the goal of being coupled by the end) were very appealing, and the players -- charming host Mr Gorell Barnes, determined Captain Glover, tenacious Mr Everett, frustrated Mr Foxsmith, suave Mr Carrington, enigmatic Countess Griaznov, saucy Miss Conick, flirtatious Miss Hopkins, aspiring Miss Braund, somewhat-excluded Miss Martin and stately Miss Samuels, along with older female chaperones Mrs Rogers, Lady Devonport, Mrs Hammond and Mrs Enright, as well as an army of very professional servants -- are for the most part likeable and certainly interesting to watch. The fact that the "characters" are based on their modern-day counterparts is a particularly clever idea. In addition, some visiting characters such as the posturing dandy and the humorous hermit, as well as experts in Regency subjects from phrenologists to personal trainers, add exciting interludes for the somewhat isolated country party.

The one frustration (which is common in these programs and is certainly understandable, but nonetheless sometimes irritating) is that some of the individuals seem to have a hard time remembering that they are to some degree playing characters, and they do not always react as they would have had to within the protocol and restrictions of the time period. Rather than declaring, "I would never do that in real life," the thought should have been "If I had really lived in this time and situation, these would have been my options and my lot" and historical conclusions drawn accordingly; a more anthropological approach from some quarters would have been appreciated. This is especially true of situations which in reality would have jeopardized one's reputation. But, this was of course an unscripted endeavor (though surely some suggestion and provocation must have been put in from the sidelines), and human nature is wont to invade. Still, when for example a young charge demands a written apology from her chaperone to smooth over a row, it seems that Regency etiquette and heirarchy have been completely abandoned.

The action in the first half of the series (that is, disc 1) is somewhat slow-moving as everyone adjusts to their new personas; it is also somewhat dominated by clashes in the female group, most likely due to the culture shock of being removed from independent 21st century lives and plunked into comparatively torpid days of sewing, gossip and the occasional archery practice, generally always in group. The gentlemen seem to get on better, but their days are accordingly occupied with more activity and less stagnation.

The diversions and added characters and visitors in the second disc make the activities more dynamic, though nearer to the ending things start to feel rushed, presumably due to the nature of the editing. The plot certainly never gets boring, what with the intrigue, rumors, trysts, battles, attitudes and gestures that form a web of the group. The mounting romantic and sexual tension (in a time when ladies and gentlemen touched rarely and always under the eyes of a chaperone) adds intermittent frissons to the plot, and also exemplifies the elaborate ritual of past courtship, where anticipation and flirtation were an extended prelude to dating and mating.

If you are a history buff, the setting and costuming alone are worth your time, and the players all genuinely look the part, especially compared to the glimpses of them in their modern-day lives (though several of the girls by the end are looking significantly sunburned, which would have been a horror for a well-bred lady at the time).

In summary, this is definitely a worthwhile investment for "historical reality" fans as well as anyone who'd like to lose themselves (briefly) in another time and place. Enjoy it.

The Regency House Party brings together 10 men and women from all walks of modern day British life to spend nine sunny weeks living and breathing the life of a regency house party complete with chaperones, servants, and 19th century rules of behaviour. I loved them all, from the very handsome and witty host, Mr Gorrell-Barnes (Mr Darcy, eat your heart out!) to Zebedee the Hermit( a man with an excellent line in ironic humour). There is a real life penniless russian Countess with her sights set on Mr Gorrell-Barnes as a suitable match, aided and abetted by her shrewd chaperone Mrs Rogers, an undeniable attraction between real life aristocrat and chaperone Lady Devonport and Mr Foxsmith, not to mention the no-nonsense Miss Hopkins and rivals for her affections Mr Everett and Mr Carrington. In fact, by half way through the DVD you have to remind yourself that these are 21st century men and women simply being observed for nine weeks in an unusual setting, so captivating are some of the ongoing storylines (Mr Everett and Miss Hopkins for one). Its educational, historically accurate and a great watch for anyone with an interest in the regency.

Excellent for information on period detail and life in the Regency tidbits, marred by a boring cast who seemed unable to get into the spirit of things and kept comparing Regency life to the 21st century. Barring the Countess, few others seemed to want to play along with the game. Wish they'd chosen more interesting, intelligent, charismatic, creative and dramatic people who were knowledgeable about the time period, instead of merely good-looking ones.

I recently discovered the PBS House series and watched all of them. Regency House Party was very good compared to most drivel on television, but was only moderately entertaining for a House show. I agree with the earlier reviewer in that they focused much too much on the "romance" between the participants (which all seemed very forced and completely chemistry-free)and not enough on the period details. I also missed the preparations for the show that were so prominent in the 1900 house. And why on earth is there no follow-up on the participants and how they felt about the experience after returning to their modern life?
It was still a very enjoyable show, I really thought it was quite funny how the men embraced their lifestyle of leisure, and how bored out of their minds the women are. I would recommend particularly to anyone who enjoys Regency history.