Thomas & Sarah (British TV mini-series)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: D Episodes: B
As a
follow-up to their huge DVD set of the complete Upstairs, Downstairs, A&E has released its 13-episode spin-off Thomas & Sarah. The title characters, as played by John
Alderton and Pauline Collins, is almost naughty in deciding to focus on two
characters who were “lower” part of the caste system that was part of the
original uppity soap opera Upstairs, Downstairs
was.
It also
was a huge surprise hit for PBS in the early days when many still considered
public television somewhat of an experiment.
The huge record ratings it had stunned the Big Three networks and
experts alike. “Quality television” was
not supposed to be hit TV, hip, or successful beyond a small group of adults
and masses of children. TV for a better
tomorrow, which PBS still is all these decades later, had scored a moral
victory about a household whose structure was immoral.
Ironically,
the early shows were not even broadcast in the United States initially,
particularly those with future Mike Gambit of The New Avengers Gareth Hunt as Frederick the Footman. Regardless, even a smart hit is still a hit
and Thomas & Sarah scared many
into thinking the quality British imports might sell out. Instead, a quality spin-off resulted, thanks
to quality writing and casting, plus the careful and patient directing of John
Davies.
Writer/producer
John Shaughnessy proved that al the characters from Upstairs, Downstairs were developed enough that a few could survive
on their own. The car chauffeur and
parlor maid find that life outside of the protective walls of 165 Eaton Place.
Collins is especially good as the subversive big mouth who breaks every
norm that should have been struck done long ago. She cannot stand hypocrisy and Collins is
perfect in the role. The 13 episodes are
as follows:
1)
Birds Of A Feather
2)
The Silver Ghost
3)
The Biters Bit
4)
The Vanishing Lady
5)
Made In Heaven
6)
A Day At The Metropole
7)
The Poor Young Widow Of Peckham
8)
There Is A Happy Land
9)
Return To Gethyn
10) Putting On The Ritz
11) The New Rich
12) Love Into Three Won’t Go
The full
frame image of the PAL tapes are not in top shape, with a disclaimer on the
back of the box. This is typical of
early color PAL productions such as The
Sandbaggers where the tapes were new and storage problems also
resulted. This is also why U.S. TV
always remade British TV, especially when it was made on tape to begin
with. Color TV came to England later a little later than the U.S. and Only PBS and syndicated TV
would handle PAL-originated product.
With that said, there is tape damage here and there, with definition
limits and even haloing in spots. This
is as good as this is going to look. The
sound has been reprocessed into simple Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo from the
original TV mono and the result is a plus for the presentation. The only extra is a “Household Hierarchy
& Job Duties” diagram that is interactive enough to explain each.
The shows
are interconnected in chronological order, but never run into the kind of soap
opera formula lesser shows do, the way Upstairs,
Downstairs managed to avoid those kinds of traps. If that show is a TV classic, Thomas & Sarah is a very worthy
follow-up. It asks many questions about
money, position and happiness that are as relevant as ever, and go even beyond
the predecessor series. Anyone who gets
the chance to catch this 4-DVD set will want to yell Bravo!
- Nicholas Sheffo
