The Grand – Complete Collection (1997 – 98/Acorn DVD Box Set)
Picture: C Sound: C+ Extras: D Episodes: C+
Hotels
are always a great setting for murder mysteries and soap operas, with the
latter the setting of more than a few upscale British TV productions like Upstairs, Downstairs. Instead of being merely a mini-series, The Grand wanted to be a long-running
TV series of such things, but like Aaron Spelling’s Hotel without the wacky script ideas (i.e., terrorists kidnap the
owners) and much melodrama to go around.
It lasted two seasons and Acorn Media has issued a Complete Collection
in a new 5-DVD set.
Susan
Hampshire is the best-known actor on the show, which begins in 1919 as WWI ends
and the soap opera begins. The title
hotel is the family business, but as their WWI fighter Steven returns, he
discovers the place is in trouble, which makes sense considering the world was
at war. Can he save the place, or are
these people such a bunch of backstabbers that it and all of its sins will
cause the building to slowly implode?
You get the idea.
The main
problem on this show was not the conventions of a nighttime soap opera or that
it was set in the past, but the lack of both character development and lack of
energy throughout, as if the show thought it was above being what it is. That may make viewers of stuffy British TV feel
better about watching it as a sort of guilty pleasure, but on its own, it
cannot compete with a show like Dynasty
at its peak on the richness level and Joan Collins can act as well as anyone in
this cast if it is pure Britishness that would be the issue. But for those interested, The Grand may suffice, though I thought
it became thin quickly and offered nothing new as it could have with some more
effort.
The letterboxed
1.66 X 1 image is softer than it should be and from a second-generation source,
which is inexcusable for such a recent production. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is cleaner and
nicely recorded. There are no extras.
- Nicholas Sheffo
