Lynmal I loathed Trollope as a child, I think I was introduced to him far too early. My son, knowing my love of Alan Rickman, purchased this DVD set for me. I later paid him back(that is another story!). I watched it over two days with my husband(a bit of a non-literary person), and I cannot comment on the faithful adaptation. I can only say we enjoyed it so much, we identified with the corporate Church of England, we gasped,we chuckled, we laughed aloud. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Simply cannot recommend it enough. A triumph. And dear, talented Alan Rickman. He was amongst the greats - Donald Pleasence, Nigel Hawthorn, Gereladine McKeown, and more than made his own. Superb, beastly little creep! (Slope, not Rickman!!) Why was he not snapped up then and there for future glory? He had to wait for "Die Hard"? For shame! I count this as one of the best DVD's I have ever purchased, I will watch it again and again - and, yes, I will be revisiting the books! Even if you do not know Trollope, even if you do not know the machinations of the C of E, this is a must-have for a superb piece of a by-gone age. In more senses than one!

joanmarieherbers I have been waiting more than a decade for this version to be released in the US, and finally my wait is over. When it first aired on Masterpiece Theater, I was transfixed by the story, the acting, and the sets. Watching this production 2 decades later confirms my earlier opinion that Barchester Chronicles is one of the very best of the Brit adaptations ever to appear in America.The story concentrates on the private and public lives of clergymen and their families in a cathedral town of the Victorian age. Political intrigue, romance, and situation comedy are deftly interwoven by Trollope's magical hand. What makes this production so wonderful, though, is the acting. Can anyone imagine a Machiavelli more accomplished and doomed than Alan Rickman as the bestial Obadiah Slope? Could anyone else play the awful Mrs. Proudie as well as Geraldine McEwan? Could any other actors than Donald Pleasance and Nigel Hawthorne make believable their affection despite persistent differences of opinion? A host of minor characters rounds out the cast, including the wonderfully irresponsible Bertie Stanhope (Peter Blythe) and his scheming sister Madeline (Susan Hampshire), the marvelously weak pawn of a bishop (Clive Swift) and the delightfully vague Susan Grantly (Angela Pleasance). Absolutely splendid!The first two hours are on the slow side, to be sure. However, once the new Bishop and his entourage arrive on the scene, there is nonstop action and amusement for another five episodes. If you have never read Trollope, this production will send you to the library!

fionapymont Alan Rickman was apparently the second choice for the part of Obadiah Slope. I have no idea who the original selection was - but I bet he's been kicking himself ever since!In the book, Slope is portrayed as a somewhat uneasy cross between a buffoon and a disturbing snake in the grass. Every time he threatens to become too dangerous, Trollope proceeds to undermine him again.I believe that the reason why Rickman was offered the part is because the director wanted an actor who could come across as amusing and sleazy, yet plausibly creepy - and sexy.Slope HAS to possess a great deal of animal magnetism, as this is what explains the extremely strong reaction he produces in otherwise respectable ladies of whatever age.Rickman certainly gets THAT across - in spades. He may not be conventionally good-looking - but he's totally incapable of playing an asexual character.Problem is, he ends up completely overwhelming Mrs Bold's other two suitors. Any heterosexual female viewer with any sense will keep shouting at the screen: "You daft bat! Forget Arabin! It's Slope you want!!!!!"I agree, Arabin is far better served by the book than this adaptation.

hgallon This was another historical series of novels, which the BBC faithfully adhered to (and they managed to run two unequally-sized volumes, "The Warden" and "Barchester Towers", together without the join showing).Donald Pleasance, normally noted for playing Bond villains, played the modest and unctuous Septimus Harding brilliantly. Nigel Hawthorne, as his son-in-law Dr. Grantly, provided the perfect combative foil. However, Alan Rickman, in one of his first major roles as the scheming Obadiah Slope, may have stolen the show. Clive Swift, as the henpecked Bishop of Barchester, established and refined the character he was later to play as the husband of Hyacinth Bouquet in "real" comedy.The location shots in cloisters give a very real impression of a withdrawn and contemplative clergy, obsessed with its own affairs and internal squabbles. The jarring note of the first two or three episodes, when John Bold questions whether a long-established tradition connected with a charitable bequest is indeed in the interests of the recipients of that charity, shows the how uneasy the various clerical characters are when dealing with the world outside.Many of the shots in scenes in a flat countryside seemingly locked into August throughout the eight episodes which covered a span of several years, also give the impression of withdrawal from the day-to-day life of any activity but that of the church.As an examination of the mores and attitudes of his period, Anthony Trollope produced a brilliant pair of novels. The BBC have produced an equally brilliant adaptation, although slow enough in pace to be almost soporific in parts.