First off, my apologies to the fans of the US rock group Dramarama, who inadvertently opened this article hoping to read something recent on the band who gave us that unforgettable ‘80s classic, “Anything, Anything.” This piece has absolutely nothing to do with them. Instead, the purpose of this “Catching Up at the Video Store” entry is to inform those of you who love a little British television drama that you boat has just sailed in from the other side of The Pond — and all of the passengers that are now disembarking have made their way to us courtesy the folks at Acorn Media.
Enjoy.
· Garrow’s Law: Series 2 (2010)
Garrow’s Law proved to be a big enough hit with UK audiences (and us fussy Americans, too) that it would have been a crime not to continue manufacturing this award-winning 18th Century legal drama. Andrew Buchan returns in Garrow’s Law: Series 2 as real life barrister William Garrow, who continues to revamp the English judicial system by taking on divisive cases involving the less-fortunate, and bucking those in authority who would rather condemn the poor to death. In this Series, Garrow continues to make an enemy out of Sir Arthur Hill (the incredibly handsome Rupert Graves) by wooing his wife, Lady Sarah (Lyndsey Marshal), which leads to Garrow himself being on trial for adultery — leaving his longtime colleague and mentor, John Southouse (Alun Armstrong, New Tricks) to save him!
· Brideshead Revisited: The 30th Anniversary Collection (1981)
In 1981, ITV aired what has since been hailed as on of the greatest British television series ever: Brideshead Revisited — the timeless tale of a young penniless lad’s friendship with an aristocrat’s son, and his subsequent introduction to religion, love, war, and other horrors. Based on the acclaimed Evelyn Waugh novel of the same name, this multiple award-winning 11-part series not only took audiences around the English-speaking world by storm, but also successfully launched the careers of stars Jeremy Irons (The Borgias) and Anthony Andrews (who hasn’t too terribly much of interest since). Though Acorn Media had already released it on DVD, this “30th Anniversary Collection” is a welcome improvement (and is also available on Blu-ray), and boasts several special features, including a documentary, episode commentaries, outtakes, a 20-page viewer’s guide, and more.
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