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Ghost Canyon

'The House of Eliott - Complete Collection'
(Barbara Jefford, Victoria Alcock, et al / 12-Disc DVD / NR / 2007 / Acorn Media)

Overview: From the creators of Upstairs, Downstairs (Jean Marsh, Eileen Atkins) comes an addictive drama series set in the era of flappers and suffragettes. Louise Lombard (Hidalgo, CSI) and Stella Gonet (Nicholas Nickleby) star as Evangeline and Beatrice Eliott, sisters born into wealth and privilege who must support themselves after their profligate father dies and leaves them penniless. They have no education or training, just a passion for fashion design. As suitors try to woo them and scoundrels try to trip them up, they make independent, exciting lives for themselves and the women they employ in their house of haute couture.

DVD Verdict: Family secrets, scandal, thwarted love, intriguing characters, and great clothes: what more could an Anglophile want for a satisfying series of evening entertainment? 'The House of Eliott' TV series, which originally aired in the U.K., has it all. Stella Gonet and Louise Lombard star as Beatrice and Evangeline Eliott, two free-spirited, talented sisters whose lives come unraveled when their father dies and leaves them unexpectedly broke. Their discovery of where his money went is just the first of several betrayals that befall them as they struggle to start their own fashion business.

Yes, it's about women and clothes, but The House of Eliott is much more than a chick flick. Bea and Evie's determination to make it on their own terms reflects every artist's struggle, and the fact that they are women trying to start a business in 1920s England adds another layer to that challenge. They are helped and hindered by a wide-ranging cast of characters: a freewheeling photographer, an impostor half-brother, a stuffy cousin and even stuffier aunt, temperamental bosses, and a handful of dedicated employees. Several of the supporting characters face their own struggles in subplots that are seamlessly woven into the main story.

Series creator Jean Marsh's introductions helpfully remind the viewer where the last episode left off and also providing valuable historical background on fashion, politics, and women's rights. The characters that Marsh and the actors have jointly created are so compelling that watching the closing credits feels like bidding farewell to old friends.

All 34 hour-long shows are here in this wonderful slipcase/digi-pak book box set dubbed The Complete Collection. Needless to say the picture, sound and extras are the same and they are good for their age, though an HD upgrade would be nice. I liked the show to begin with, but to have a box where you can watch the show nonstop is the best of all. If you are interested in the series or already a fan, this is the volume you want. This is a Full Screen Presentation (4:3) and comes with the Special Features of:

Exclusive Interview with Louise Lombard
Production Notes
1920's Fashion Background
Photo Gallery
Cast Filmographies

www.AcornMedia.com





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