(4)THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN
Ironically, there are no video clips available for this 1984 British mini-series, which runs for 14 50 minute episodes. I think this is, hands down, the best television drama ever filmed. Based on the "Raj Quartet" novels by Paul Scott, it is set before, during, and after WWII, in India, as the British Raj fades. There is the heart-wrenching romance between Hari Kumar and Daphne Manners, the evil Police Captain Merrick, the emotionally fragile missionary Barbie Batchelor, the mysterious Count Dmitri, the handsome and tragic Ahmed Kasim, and so many others. The story sweeps across India and the history of the era. Originally costing a small fortune when it was first released on VHS years ago, it is now available for a small price on DVD. This story and the people it is about will stay with you for a long time after you finish watching it.
(3) MCLEOD'S DAUGHTERS
I love, love, love this show. It ran on Australian television from 2000 to 2009, and I snapped up each season as they were released here in the states. [They are all available on region one dvds, from amazon, ebay, borders, etc.] This series had it all...drama, humor, romance, adventure, etc. The scenes below are not the best ones, because the best ones involve info that will give plots away. But, they are still great and give you a taste for the show. The premise is that rancher Jack McLeod had a daughter, Claire, with his first wife, then another daughter, Tess, with his second wife. When he divorces and Tess and her mother leave, the two sister, then children, are out of touch until Jack dies when they are adults. Claire has remained on the ranch, Drovers Run, and Tess is a big city girl, hoping to own a restaurant. Notified of Jack's death, she assumes they'll sell the ranch and she'll get half the money. But, it doesn't work out that way, and she moves to Drovers. We meet the wealthy Ryan neighbors and all sorts of other locals. When the male ranch hands revolt at the thought of taking orders from females, they're all fired, and Claire and Tess build up an all female team to run the place. This is a wonderful show.
(2) SEACHANGE
I recently finished watching the third and final season of this Australian show, and let me tell you, it was sad to say goodbye to the little town of Pearl Bay and the characters I had come to be so fond of. You may recognize the lead actress, Sigrid Thornton as the star of the old "Man from Snowy River" movies. In SeaChange, which aired from 1998 to 2001, she plays Laura Gibson, a successful and ambitious city lawyer. The clips below show you the important parts of the pilot that set up the premise of the show. Basically, Laura wakes up thinking its the day that she is going to be made a partner in her big law firm, but, everything that can possibly go wrong that day, does, and then some. Laura will end up moving to the Pearl Bay, with her reluctant children, and becoming the town judge. [Technical note - This show has never been released on region one, the region that US dvd players use. But, I took a chance and ordered this set from Australia, hoping it would play in my non-region dvd player. Not only did it play perfectly, but it also plays perfectly in my friend's dvd player which is not non-regional. I've read some articles that claim that newer and more current dvd players are more forgiving of region differences, so that's the only explanation I can think of.]
(1) COUPLING
This UK sit-com ran from 2000 til 2004. Hollywood tried to make a US version, but, it was so awful it was pulled after only one episode aired. The British original reminds me a bit of "Friends"...it revolves around a group of 20 something friends in London, and instead of the coffee house, they spend a lot of time on the couch at a neighborhood pub. Hilarious show, with some of my all-time favorite sit-com scenes. It aired sporadically on BBC America for awhile, but not always in the correct order, and not the complete show.
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