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To Serve Them All My Days

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To Serve Them All My Days is a BBC production originally shown on Masterpiece Theater in the early 1980s. I saw it then and admired the wonderful acting, the lovely settings, and the excellent story. I am so glad it is finally available on DVD.

The story revolves around young David Powlett-Jones, a shell shocked and wounded veteran of World War I who is hired to teach history at Bamfylde School in the last days of the war. David is from a Welsh coal mining family, and he has strong socialist convictions as well as a large chip on his shoulder about the priviledged youths and men he now finds himself among. This is a subtext that runs throughout the series, but the primary story deals with David's growing self confidence and abilities. There is also a romantic subtext, with David being involved with three women, a wife who dies tragically, a brief fling with another woman, and finally a second wife who is both upper class and a Labour politician, thus combining the two disparate elements in David's life.

John Duttine is wonderful as the star of the series, but there is an excellent supporting cast led hy Frank Middlemass and Alan MacNaughton. Another nice aspect is the depiction of Bamfylde School itself, giving us Americans a pretty good idea of life in a British public school.

Those who saw this 13-episode miniseries in 1984 or read the Delderfield book won't be disappointed in the adaptation, finally released on DVD.

David Powlett-Jones, invalided from World War I by shell-shock and a leg injury, is encouraged to take up a career as a schoolmaster. He is hired by the headmaster of a boys boarding school in Southwestern England, and under the gentle encouragement of that headmaster, Algy Herries, finds he has quite a knack for teaching. His leftist (for their time) political views shake up the school, but he is quickly accepted.

The series covers the period between near the end of World War I to the start of World War II, and in that rapidly changing world, we see David evolve and gain confidence in himself and what he believes in. Perhaps this is best brought out in the relationships he has with three women, his first wife, Beth, who is tragically killed, Julia Derbyshire, with whom he has a romance, and his second wife, Christine, a would-be Labour politician. All recognize his genius and encourage him, and it is with their help that he finds fulfillment.

This was definitely a low budget affair (you see the same boys over and over again, even though over twenty years transpires!), with few outside scenes, and when the school catches on fire, the effects are minimal. But it doesn't matter. The acting is spectacular. John Duttine is spectacular as David. Frank Middlemass, who is probably the most familiar name to American audiences due to his part in "As Time Goes By", also excels as Herries. Look for an excellent small part as the disciplinarian Cordwainer by longtime British character actor, John Welsh. Again, though, the British showed their knack of putting together a large cast using actors, few of whom have been heard of beyond their shores.

There are few extras on the DVDs. A text biography of Delderfield, the lyrics to the Bamfylde school song (custom written, though it sounds like a hymn), an explanation that the school scenes were filmed using a school in Dorset, as well as the students there. That's the sole disappointment. Though the series was filmed cheaply, more extras on the DVD wouldn't have cost much.

Excellent. Highly recommended.

Simply put, TSTAMD is 11 hours of riveting drama, being without a doubt one of the best mini-series ever produced by the BBC. I first saw it on TV in 1980/81, and have been waiting ever since for it to be released either on tape or DVD. And now it's here, and well worth the wait. The acting is superb. The story is always interesting. Such is the exceptional level of production that you actually feel like you are really there; the characters and story being so well portrayed.

The DVD picture quality is superb; however the sound is only average by today's standards but quite acceptable.

If you love fine acting, deep character development and a great story this is a must see.

BUY 'TO SERVE THEM ALL MY DAYS' TODAY!

Like others who have commented here, I was quite taken with this mini-series when I saw it on PBS in 1984. Seeing that it had become available on DVD recently, I revisited it, wondering if my fond memories from 20 years ago would prove accurate or had taken on an unrealistic glow over time. Not to fear: I found the show's quality *surpassed* my memory of it. The series scarcely ever strikes a false note, and is bursting with poignant, funny, compelling and honest moments and characterizations.

The writing is very sharp, often surpassing the source material. I read the book after my first viewing 20 years ago -- Andrew Davies' script really improves upon Delderfield's portraits of the women in David Powlett-Jones's life, especially Christine Forster. I thought the direction was very strong as well, with pacing that moves along, yet lets us linger over important moments in ways that 21st century television rarely does. But the acting trumps all -- what a remarkable cast, always note-perfect.

The story follows David Powlett-Jones, a shell-shocked veteran of WWI. As we learn in the first of 13 episodes, David was the youngest son of a Welsh coal-miner. Unlike his three older brothers, two of whom died in a mining accident along with their father, David was "kept out of the pit" to attend the local grammar school. At age 18, instead of heading to Oxford as planned, he was shipped to France, where he spent three years fighting in "the Great War." His arrival at Bamfylde school in what appears to be early 1918 is part of a recovery program prescribed by an army neurologist: a closed community in a rural setting to help mend both the physical and the mental wounds David endured in the war.

At first David is skeptical that someone of his limited formal education, working class roots, and Socialist political leanings really belongs at Bamfylde, a public school where the boys "have an unconscious assumption of privilege." But the gentle yet insistent persuasion of headmaster Algy Herries convinces him to give it a try. His first day in the classroom provides an immediate challenge as the schoolboys test his mettle. But despite David's outwardly shy and soft-spoken ways, he soon shows that he can be as tough as any situation demands.

The series follows the intertwining of David's personal and professional growth, and the recurring conflicts between these two facets of his life. Along the way, there are loves, friendships, triumphs, and tragedy. Through it all, John Duttine is a marvel of sensitive and compelling acting, as are many of his cast-mates.

Be forewarned that the series was produced in 1980 on videotape and with a limited budget (reportedly less than $2 million -- in comparison, "The Blue and the Gray," a 1982 Civil War saga about 2/3 as long, cost between $16 and $18 million). Hence, the production often has the look of a filmed play, with few outdoor scenes and no special effects. But what it lacks in "gloss," it more than makes up for in substance.

I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys quality drama.

I spent the long weekend getting reacquainted with an old friend, so to speak. I got the boxed set of the wonderful miniseries, 'To Serve Them All My Days', based on the novel of the same name by R.F. Delderfield. I saw this first when I was barely a lad of sixteen or so, just at my school-leaving age and going off to university. I was amazed then at how much from 'before the war' remained true to form for school, and watching it again now twenty years later, it stands up to the test of time perfectly well (and I was once again amazed at the true-to-life nature of the whole enterprise). The series won the BAFTA award for the best television series of its year, and rightfully so.

The miniseries is done in thirteen parts, each just under an hour long, as a co-production of the BBC and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It was filmed in a real public school, Milton Abbey School in Dorset (not too far from part of the country where the mythical Bamfylde School resides), and many of the 'extras' in school shots are actually school boys of the Milton Abbey School. The settings didn't have to be changed too much to accommodate the inter-war period décor, and of course the architecture for the most part was hundreds of years older.

However well done the sets and images are, this is still a teleplay about relationships and the coming of age, not just of the boys in the school, nor even of the lead character, Mr. Powlett-Jones, but really of the whole of society. The inter-war period in Britain was a fascinating time of societal development, particularly in terms of politics. Delderfield introduces this as an ever-present but never centre stage idea through the dealings of Powlett-Jones, son of a Welsh coal mining family, some of his out-of-school relationships, and the clash that this inevitably sets up with the privileged corps of boys at the school.

In the first episode, David Powlett-Jones has just returned from the trenches in the first world war, wounded both physically and spiritually. He is suspicious of the job offer at this upper-class bastion, but the gentle understanding of the headmaster, Algy Herries, encourages him to stay. His relationships with the other teachers are a fascinating study, particularly the gung-ho-warrior type Carter (whose not-always-disabled knee seems to have kept him out of the war) and the cynic-with-a-good-soul Howarth, who becomes Powlett-Jones' best friend over the course of their life together at Bamfylde.

Howarth chides Powlett-Jones at one point about the kind of monastic life that one can fall into at a remote school such as Bamfylde.

Howarth: Some men can live the celibate life. I don't fancy you're one of them.
David Powlett-Jones: What did *you* do about women all these years?
Howarth [pausing, smiling]: Your appetite for sordid revelations never ceases to astonish me.

Howarth reveals some of his indiscretions (remember, this is post-Victorian England, and the revelations, such as they are, would be considered exceedingly mild by television standards today). Powlett-Jones over the course of his twenty years at Bamfylde ends up with three primary loves; Beth, a young wife who dies early; Julia, someone not to be tied down to a school (or even the island of Britain), but keeps regular if long-separated contact with David over time; and Christine, the failed Labour candidate who becomes his second wife, taking on a role at the school as well, not the least of which is to remind the now-headmaster Powlett-Jones that there is a world outside the still-privileged halls of Bamfylde.

The teleplay is exceedingly well done, with the acting and the writing supporting each other in such a way to give real insight into the psychological make-up of the characters. John Duttine played David Powlett-Jones with a good amount of passion; however, I am torn between Frank Middlemass (as Herries) and Alan MacNaughtan (as Howarth) as to who my favourite actor is in the series. Both bring so much to their roles, and I can see myself in each of them in many ways more so than I can identify with Powlett-Jones. For the women, David's first wife Beth is played by Belinda Lang; Julia is played by Kim Braden (trekkies may recognise her from bit parts both in Star Trek film and series work); Susan Jameson plays Christine, David's second wife (fans of 'Coronation Street' may recognise her from that show). Each of the three is very well suited for their respective roles - Lang plays the young, optimist; Braden plays the worldly, ambitious but sensitive soul; Jameson plays the idealist who comes down to earth, managing to keep her ideals intact.

The play does a good job also of keep the boys from becoming a faceless, anonymous mass (a decided danger, given their uniformity in dress as well as age). There are particular boys who stand out, but one gets the sense from the watching that they are all individuals, and treated as such, both by the careful and caring headmasterly type Harries and Powlett-Jones, as well as the cynical Howarth (and even by the more scathing of the teachers, whose style is no longer in vogue).

The situations are credible, interesting, and instructive. The characters are fully formed and worthwhile. The production values are not to cinematic standards, but hold up very well over time (the lack of lavishness befits the nature of the school and the nature of the time as well).

This remains one of my favourite series of all time. The DVD has few extras, but among them are photographs, background information both on the school and on Delderfield, and the lyrics to the school song (which opens each episode, sung by the congregation of boys), by Kenyon Emrys-Roberts: 'Look ahead to a life worth living, Full of hope, full of faith, full of cheer,...'

Thank goodness this has at long last come out on DVD. It's well worth the long wait, compulsive viewing. The casting is unsurpassed, the acting superb, locations great. A tiny wobble with the digital picture on occasions - perhaps a problem with translating the signal to NTSC, but it doesn't spoil one's enjoyment of the series at all. This is a wonderful story, well dramatized, and well produced. I recommend you to buy the DVD, I just wish they still made series this good.

This one surpasses even Upstairs & Downstairs. Unfortunately the visual quality of the DVD is poor, as was U&D. It looked better on a small screen tv rather than a 65 incher. A great shame when this is such a superbly acted series. I had never heard of any of the cast, one would have thought that they would have been academy award winners by now. Maybe this series was shown on PBS or A&E, but I missed out on it before.

This is British Public School as it should have been. I attended uppercrust British schools, and remembered characters as depicted in this series. I have to admit that I have not read the book, but was surprised that no boys were caned in the tv series when in fact beatings were a normal part of the British school day, and I cannot believe that in the early 20th century it was any different. I do not believe that the series would have been better by dwelling on the negative aspects of British school life too much, but for the sake of authenticity it should have been acknowledged.
Apart from that I still give it 5 stars because of the quality of the acting.

I've had been looking out for this DVD, To Serve Them All My Days, ever since I read the book over two years ago. I saw the miniseries on PBS Masterpiece Theatre back in the early eighties and didn't have the foresight then to tape them. So after reading the book I searched and searched for the VCR tape or DVD, until last year when Amazon finally offered it. Since then we have watched it at least 3 times, every 4 months or so, and find it as enjoyable each time around. It's like visiting an old friend and it seems that you get something else new out it with each viewing. We find ourselves immersed in the time, the culture, the values of the period, and the passion of the characters. There are 13 episodes in all and although not as complete as the book or totally faithful, it captures the essence of the story wonderfully and adds another dimension. The casting couldn't have been better (just as I would have envisioned them), and the acting is terrific. The book and video complement each other superbly. I highly recommend both to propel you into another warmer compassionate place, for whatever brief time, escaping the turmoil and superficiality of the present. I'll leave the narrative to the other reviewers who have done a super job of detailing the story. Enjoy!!!

Deep character development, the hallmark of other excellent BBC productions, is very much in evidence here, as we accompany a schoolteacher through the eras of his career. The boys school where he teaches becomes the forum for exploring human nature and English history in the inter-war era of the 20th century. Dialogue is credible, compelling and poignant. Acting never deviates from high standards. If you like BBC and other British style dramas, seriously consider this one.

To Serve Them All My Days, really is a powerfully moving series and, like most film and television surrounding wars, speaks powerfully about its subject while keeping it firmly embedded in a tale appealing to those on either side of the fence.

The first episodes, depicting the young, limping shellshocked soldier David Powlett-Jones arriving at Bamfylde, and slowly making his way, growing stronger and forging bonds while earning respect with the students are powerful and moving.

If the later episodes involving romance, marriage and political machinations of the school system become a tad "soap operatic" - the same can be said of the best series today (The Sopranos, Dead Like Me, etc.) - and like those, the level of acting and commitment to the telling of the story at hand is impressive and never less than entertaining.

The cast is impressive, with affecting performances: John Duttine captures every bit of nervousness and one cannot help but route for his Powlett-Jones. Frank Middlemass and Patricia Lawrence as Algy and Ellie Herries are strong, sympathetic and make a formidable team. The brilliant Alan McNaughtan is amazing as Howarth keeping things from ever turning maudlin or saccharine and injects a beautifully jaundiced eye into the proceedings.

You can't go wrong with this set.