Description

Part lawyer, part detective, Rumpole's brilliant mind and sly sense of humor have solved many a case and delighted families across America for over ten years. Volume 2: "Rumpole and the Supporting Life" and "Rumpole and the Blind Tasting". ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Part lawyer, part detective
This series closely follows the feel and the sarcasm of the written stories. The stories are not in the same order as the book however each one stands alone. In a brief time there is posed a mystery or a problem and then some recognizable interaction with people that I am sure you can say you know someone like them. A little drama and it is finally wrapped up in short order. More than the stories that do not leave you hanging it is the comments that make the episode interesting to watch.

Volume two covers:

Episode 3. "Rumpole and the Sporting Life" Watch closely especially everyone's expression as the clues start from the first. A man (who everyone knows is obnoxious) is found dead. His wife is standing over him with a shot gun and says it was an accident. Rumpole has to defend her with a known hanging judge. Everyone has their own agenda including Mrs. Rumpole who wants to move to the country.

Episode 4. "Rumpole and the Blind Tasting" Once again watch expressions for unsaid clues. Rumpole delves into the world of wine tasting and collecting which assists him in a case of insurance fraud. In the process he gains an understudy (24 years old and female) which Mrs. Rumpole's friend suspects that Rumpole is studying. ... Read more

Description

Part Lawyer, part detective, Rumpole's brilliant mind and sly sense of humor have solved many a case and delighted families across America for over ten years. Volume 5: "Rumpole and the Female of the Species" and "Rumpole and the Official Secret". ... Read more

Reviews (1)

My applause for Rumpole.
Leo McKern star as a British barrister named Horace Rumpole. Somehow, John Mortimer (the author of the Rumpole stories) masterfully combines drama, humor, mystery and social commentary in a fascinating way that has now been carried over into the visual medium.

From the box:

Episode 9. Rumpole and the Female of the Species - Rumpole finds himself playing two roles at the same time: defending a small time thief charged with armed robbery in court while orchestrating a promotion behind the scenes for a young female barrister who thinks she's being discriminated against.

Episode 10. Rumpole and the Official Secret - Rumpole discovers that things aren't always what they seem as he defends an eccentric Defense Ministry clerk accused of leaking secrets to the press and confronts his own wife about a visitor who may or may not be part of a terrorist organization. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The first episode of the third season finds the irascible antique hunter and scam artist Lovejoy (Ian McShane) returning home six months after the windfall from his biggest commission ever. The money's gone, spent on ill-advised schemes, high living, and a flat for his daughter, but like a cat he lands on his feet, even inheriting a friend's country villa for an open-ended housesitting gig. Quickly putting his loyal team back together and reconnecting with gal pal Lady Jane Felsham (Phyllis Logan), he finds himself pulled into a dangerous plot involving a possibly invaluable ancient Incan gold ring, a desperate South American government official, Jane's alluring aristocratic friend Victoria (guest star Joanna Lumley), and a kidnapping in Lovejoy's own backyard. Lovejoy is not quite the cad his reputation suggests in this episode, but his skills as a con man come to the fore in a ploy to save both the girl and the gold. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Another wonderful Lovable Lovejoy
In the opening episode of the third season, Divy Lovejoy find in all sorts of complications. When we last saw him, he had left everyone square money-wise, and was off for a much needed vacation. Now he is broke. All the money gone for various reasons and he is house-sitting for a sleaze Freddie the Phone.
He quickly gathers Lady Jane, Tink and Eric back and is ready for action.

Only Lady Jane has company, a old school chum, Victoria (Joanna Lumley). She is a widow of a South American political. Jane get him involved in brokering a deal for an ancient Inca gold ring for Victoria. For safe keeping, Eric convinces Lovejoy to use a new safe that works on eye identification instead of combination. Lovejoy sets up the deal, but find out there are some very nasty people after Victoria. This becomes apparent when Lady Jane is accidentally kidnapped instead of Victoria.

Lovejoy cannot get the safe to open, to get the ring as ransom for Lady Jane, so they pop over to Eaton to get the top safe cracker out of school. It's up to Lovejoy, knight-errant, to safe both damsels in distress.

First of four episodes to feature a romance between Lovejoy and Victoria.

Great fun. Just wish BBC would get off their duff and release lovejoy on DVD! ... Read more

Description

Part Lawyer, part detective, Rumpole's brilliant mind and sly sense of humor have solved many a case and delighted families across America for over ten years. Volume 3: "Rumpole's Last Case" and "Rumpole and the Judge's Elbow". ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Part lawyer, part detective
This series closely follows the feel and the sarcasm of the written stories. The stories are not in the same order as the book however each one stands alone. In a brief time there is posed a mystery or a problem and then some recognizable interaction with people that I am sure you can say you know someone like them. A little drama and it is finally wrapped up in short order. More than the stories that do not leave you hanging it is the comments that make the episode interesting to watch.

Volume Three covers:

Episode 4. "Rumpole's Last Case" As usual several overlapping stories interacts as Rumpole may even over react. Mr. Rumpole has parlayed a two pound bet into 100 pounds. Strange his wife also spends that amount on a new rug. Well anyway he gets a tip from his client that is in for burglary and possible carrying a gun. Why not 100 to 30000 and hence his last Case. Going out in stile he lets everyone know what he thinks including the judge.

Episode 5. "Rumpole and the Judge's Elbow" A judge has a bit of tennis elbow. Doctor's advice does not seem to be working so on other advice he visits and alternative clinic (massage parlor). Some one paid with a credit card. And guess who gets to defend a massage parlor owner and rummage through credit card receipts? Yep Rumpole for some reason is offered the Deputy Circuit Judge.

A note on the side you will recognize many of the actors from both Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers movies. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Before there was Quincy and The Practice, there was Rumpole. Rumpole of the Bailey is, quite simply, one of the best television series ever and has served as a model for all law dramas that followed it. Edgy and satirical, Rumpole is based on John Mortimer's books of the same name. A determined and committed criminal defense barrister at the Old Bailey, or criminal court (whose clients have included three generations of the Timson family, among others), the antihero Rumpole is portrayed by esteemed actor Leo McKern. As champion of the downtrodden, the self-righteous Rumpole finds himself again and again in trouble variously with his wife Hilda, his peers, the head of chambers, and judges, to name but a few. A connoisseur of Wordsworth, cigars, and cheap liquor, McKern's usually disheveled Rumpole belies the character's dry sense of humor and astute skill as a barrister. The upwardly mobile Hilda is played by Peggy Thorpe-Bates, known for her Miss Toliver in Alcatraz Island (1933), and Justice Sir Guthrie Fetherston is played by Peter Bowles, known for his Richard DeVere in TV's To the Manor Born.

Rumpole's Return is the 1982 two-hour special that started off the third Rumpole series after 1980's original Rumpole of the Bailey and 1981's Trials of Rumpole.

Typical of British drama, production values are low while the caliber of script-writing and acting is unsurpassed. A rare example of a television serial that is as appealing and engaging after watching it 10 times as it was the first. --Erik Macki ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Rumpole's Back
This Rumpole is a longer tha the episoses of Rumpole. It is a wonderful story that has Rumpole at his best in the Courtroom. Leo McKern is Rumpole. From the cigars to the poerty quoting it is hard to imagine anyone else as Rumpole. The story proceeds at a good pace. The acting is very good with McKern and the actor who plays the criminal defendant taking top honors ... Read more

Amazon.com

This is the Lovejoy we've come to fear and love. This fourth season episode finds the quick-thinking rascal broke, despondent, and uncharacteristically bored with antiques, but he suddenly comes to life when he plots an old-fashioned auction scam. Whetting his appetite by conning a naive young antique dealer (for a little operating cash), he proceeds to gather a group of retired pros to run a variation of an auction ring, but when a snag threatens the plan he pulls Lady Jane into the "only slightly illegal" scheme as an unwittingly accomplice. Lovejoy has always been at his best with his back against the wall and Ian McShane rises to the occasion with one of his most spirited performances. With a twinkle in his eye and barely suppressed grin on his face, McShane lets his audience know that the antique game is more fun when Lovejoy bends the rules. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (1)

McShane is a charming rogue
McShane took Jonathan Gash's books are made Lovejoy his own, a kinder, gentler character as it were. The Ring is one of the best episode of the series.

This picks up after Lovejoy is released from Jail (a set up) but he served time anyway with a roomie - a biker named Mavis. Lady Jane, Tink and Eric are concerned because Lovejoy seems rather depressed and not accepting help from them. He goes to an auction and find a series of watercolour in the cottage style. He decides if he can get one sold at a high price he can sell all 22 paintings so he resorts to his old shifty ways to bump the bidding. He goes to his old Ring - partners that conspire to drive up the price. Only one duffer takes a powder at the last instant leaving Lovejoy in the lurch. So he recruits Lady Jane without her knowing. And she is not a happy camper when she discovers how he used her.

It brightly written, with the devilish twinkle in McShane's eye...absolute gems for his fans. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Young women in strict Muslim households used to send their pledges of love to young men through messages woven through the knots of a carpet in an Arab tradition that continues to this day, explains a dryly intoning narrator. "What, you may ask, has this to do with Lovejoy?" Plenty, as it turns out, when he agrees to sell an Anatolian carpet for Lady Jane and winds up sniffing out a plot when the bidding war over a seemingly ordinary Berber rug is followed by that carpet's theft. Lovejoy shows that for a rascal he too has a heart. While he seems to lose money every time he turns around in this episode, he becomes Cupid to one young lover, a guardian angel to a high-spirited eccentric with a house full of antique treasures, and an uncharacteristically sensitive friend to Lady Jane when her rocky marriage is suddenly put on the line. Not bad for Britain's most notorious, trouble-prone antique hunter. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (2)

another Lovejoy treasure!
It's musical chairs with rugs for Lovejoy, Tink and Eric.

It starts with Lady Jane buying an expensive Anatolian carpet she really loved her bedroom. Her husband blows his stack, but we soon see the is only the "excuse" for the real problems in their marriage. Rug #1

Rug number #2 comes into play when an elderly lady buys a carpet for her dog, unaware that particular carpet held a special meaning for a lovesick lad. When it is stolen, Lovejoy, Tink and Eric have to suss out why an ordinary Berber carpet is causing such a flack.

Lovejoy must solve the riddle, sell Lady Jane's carpet and find a replacement for everyone. So, not only is Lovejoy a divee, an antique dealer like none other, but he is forced into being Sherlock Holmes, Dear Abby, Cupid and a Guardian Angel to a dear old lady and her dog. A man of many hats!

Charmingly directed, acted and written. JUST PLEASE PUT THEM ON DVD!!

Lovejoy is a Joy!
Lovejoy mysteries deal strictly with the world of antiques. There is plenty of British humor here as well as adventure and mystery. This episode is typical of Lovejoy finding his way into things to make a lot of cash only to blow it to satisfy curiosity and to help a friend in need (Lady Jane). This episode sees the end of Lady Jane's marriage which is unfortunate but not unexpected. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Peter Rabbit Lives On!
Absolutely wonderful...not only for young children but for their worn-out parents as well! I bought this video for my son's 3rd Easter and was marvelously surprised at how good it was. My little boy loved it so much, he wore out the tape within 3 weeks. Anyone who thinks Beatrix Potter's classic story is too old-fashioned to captivate a child of the new millenium, they couldn't be more wrong. With the combination of live video scenes of "Beatrix Potter" writing letters and conversing with her animal friends interspersed with beautifully rendered still and animated illustrations from the book, it's a treasure. Gotta buy another one and all the rest as soon as I can.

Voices re-recorded!
We originally got a 'free' copy of this video from Enfamil as a part of a promotion they were having. Our oldest son (two at the time) watched it so much that the tape literally wore out. It is wonderful, gentle show, with delightful animation and music. I guess while Enfamil was distributing it it was otherwise unavailable, so I was very glad to see it for sale, and purchased a copy for our youngest son.

Much to my surprise, some of the voices have been rerecorded! Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Mr. MacGregor, Robin Redbreast and the sparrows are all by different actors. Mrs. Rabbit, her daughters and Mr. Bouncer are the same. This is to the detriment of the video, particularly if you have seen the previous version. The new voices sound more American than English, and are not nearly as expressive with the script.

If you have never watched it you can be assured that it is a perfect video for young children, but if you saw a copy a few years ago then this version may have minor disappointments for you.

We watch this every day!
Our 2-year-old absolutely loves watching "the bunnies" and comments on every scene in the video. The opening scene in England showing a live-action Beatrix Potter with all the countryside animals (a nice segue which introduces how the stories began as illustrated letters), the music, and the charming true-to-Beatrix-Potter animation make this a gentle, lovely film to share that doesn't require fast-forwarding through any "scary" parts.

tale of peter rabbit
This is an excellent video series. Excellent animation. Excellent story lines for toddlers/children to follow. (Some of the "Peter Rabbit" videos on the market are NOT animated, but merely narated stills from the books.)

Best Animated Version
This is a wonderful Animated version of Beatrix Potter's stories entitled "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" and "The Tale of Benjamin Bunny". The 2 books are tied together to make one continuous story that has common rabbit characters such as Peter Rabbit. Also pairing these two stories together helps tie up all the loose ends from reading them independantly; ie. at the end of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Peter has lost his clothes while escaping Mr. McGreagor garden; In the Benjamin Bunny part of the video Peter & his cousin Benjamin endevour to get Peter's clothes back off of the scarecrow in Mr. McGregor's garden. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Another Riotous Rumpole!
Horace Rumpole, the scourge of the Old Bailey, in top form in these two outstanding stories. Wittily written scripts peppered with Rumpole's elegant renditions of Wordsworth make the stories a never ending source of amusement. All the characters, from 'She who must be obeyed' to 'Soapy' Sam Ballard are as strong and memorable as anything Dickens could offer. A couple of hours of sheer pleasure! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Lovejoy's independent-minded daughter Vicki (Amelia Shankley) finds an 18th-century Scottish commemorative sword in her attic and puts it up for auction, inadvertently bidding up her own dad. Lovejoy is about to chalk it up to experience when a Scot named Kinloch (Edward Hardwicke) offers him more than double the value, which only sets his opportunistic mind whirling with possibilities. After a series of robbery attempts Lovejoy decides to investigate Kinloch and witnesses a bizarre dinnertime ritual at his palatial estate. The episode rings with offbeat humor and irony as fate takes an even stronger hand than Lovejoy in the final revelations of the sword's secrets. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A gem of a Lovejoy episode
This episode finds Lovejoy at odds with his grown daughter. To make up for not being the best of absentee fathers while Victoria was growing up, Lovejoy creates a London showroom for his antiques and set daughter up in the showroom as helper and a place for her to live. Victoria wants a real job and to own her own apartment, which sets daughter and father on collision course.

Further complicating matters, Victoria discovers a very rare and unusual Scottish claymore, which she puts up on the sly at an auction and Lovejoy buys not knowing his daughter is the seller!

18th-century Scottish commemorative sword draws the interest of a Scot named Kinloch (Edward Hardwicke) who offers him more than double the value. Instead of taking the officer, Lovejoy -ever ready to turn a sale into an even better sale - sets about to suss out why someone would be offered 3 times the price for the Sword. This leads to Lovejoy being followed, a break-in of the London flat where Lovejoy has to climb on the roof to escape, and in turn leads Lovejoy to break into Kinloch's castle. It's Men in Kilts and Lovejoy out to find out wha' ha' ye!

Great fun - especially when Eric and Victoria trade clothes to fool the people spying on Lovejoy and Eric ends up with a Pink t-shirt saying "so many men...so little time". Sharply, directed, acted and written. Vintage Lovejoy where McShane shines!

Just PLEASE release all the Lovejoy's on DVD....NOW!! ... Read more

Description

Part lawyer, part detective, Rumpole's brilliant mind and sly sense of humor have solved many a case and delighted families across America for over ten years. Volume 1: "Rumpole And The Genuine Article" and "Rumpole And The Old Boy Network". ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Poor video for children who like Peter Rabbit
This video reminds me of a poor rendition of an Apple II video game. Purchased it for my son and threw it away after the first viewing. ... Read more

Description

Part lawyer, part detective, Horace Rumpole is one of the most colorful characters ever to approach the bench.With his brilliant mind and sly sense of humor, Rumpole's adventures behind the scenes and center stage in the British legal system are a delightful mix of comedy, mystery, and courtroom drama.Justice has never been served with such style and wit. ... Read more