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THE ARISTOCRATS DVD REVIEW

Acorn Media UK / Released 12 January 2009 in a 2 disc set

Featuring Julian Fellowes, Serena Gordon, Geraldine Somerville, Jodhi May, Anne-Marie Duff

Ask anyone around the world what the BBC does best and most of them will answer unequivocably the costume drama and here they pull out all the stops with a sumptuous and lavish adaptation of Stella Tillyard's the aristocrats. A true story, the drama, which screened in 1999, is set amongst the the most well to do families of the 18th century England and in particular the five Lennox sisters (who just happen to be the great great grand-daughters of Charles II) who blaze a trail across the era in a search for both love and happiness.

Each episode more or less revolves around a different sister and Tillyard's source material (a massive amount of correspondence still survives today) means that the drama really captures the essence of the time, its modes and manners. The whole thing is a real feast for the eyes and ears. Gorgeous costumes, set designs and locations as well as scintillating dialogue make this a real must see production. Casting is top notch too. Geraldine Somerville of Cracker fame and Serena Gordon headline as two of the sisters but the cast also includes renaissance man Julian Fellowes, the very talented and here pretty young Jodhi May and also Anne-Marie Duff, Clive Swift, Alun Armstrong and Diana Quick.

The two disc set also includes an indepth 30 minute doco going behind the scenes and looking at the making of the drama.

Don't miss it.

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