Monarch Of The Glen – Series Seven (BBC Home Video DVD)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: C- Episodes: C+
The
lively, melodramatic Monarch Of The Glen
finally ended its hit run after five years in 2005. Series
Seven wraps up the show with six final hour-long time-slotted shows led by
the great Tom Baker (Dr. Who) on
this double DVD set. Set in Scotland,
the show is pretty good, but still an upscale soap opera.
To its
advantage, it is smarter and more energetic than most of its counterparts on either
side of the Atlantic and that is part of its appeal. The Michael Chaplin-created series plays up
its locales almost to the extent of making it a character too, though not
enough to eclipse the work of the ensemble cast. However, it is best to begin with the first
shows or you will be cheated out of the story arch.
The anamorphically
enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is very soft, motion blur-filled, has some aliasing
issues and could be much better for a recent production. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has no
surrounds, but is well recorded. Extras
include text cast bios and a behind the scenes farewell featurette.
- Nicholas Sheffo
