Fascinating TV series that didn't age!
340142
A magnificent, must see mini-series. This is a top notch American History lesson, very educational on how the west was won: The good parts, the bad ones, the strength, the weaknesses and endurance of the men and women who conquered the West. The multitude of stars will keep you riveted to the story, to your screen in this marvelous rendition of the James Michener's novel. I Don't regret for one minute purchasing it. I will watch it over and over again with delight. Thank you for making it available in DVDs.
138352
Although this series isn't for everyone--there is a lot of gore and some nudity, bad language and very adult situations--it has been a real pleasure to watch. Each season has offered something different for the viewer, while keeping the same cast of actors. The stories are layered, full of surprises and not easily predictable. The acting is really superb. I'd never been much of a fan of Jessica Lange, until watching AMHS. Now, I see that she is an actress of wide range and plays against type very well!  Some of the players in these storylines are surprising and all are obviously having a great deal of fun with their roles: Dennis O'Hare, Francis Conroy, Angela Basset, Gabourey Sidibe, Lily Rabe, and Kathy Bates made this series a real pleasure to watch, and it was awesome to see the young woman with Down Syndrome, Jamie Brewer, playing a role that was extremely challenging and watch her rise to the challenge without missing a step. Just watching her alone will expand your consciousness. Evan Peters and Dennis O'Hare don't even speak for most of the series, and still end up acting their hearts out!

I loved that the writers made no attempt to be "correct" or "accurate" about witchcraft, instead opting to weave the fantasy into the story in their own way, without conveying any specific information. Too many shows featuring witches or witchcraft attempt to be politically and socially correct, and raise too many arguments about what is and is not witchcraft, especially witchcraft in the modern era. Instead, the writers used it as a basis for a cracking-good story and followed their own path, relieving the viewer from drawing any conclusions about the practice.

The season sends up a few of our iconic horror and fantasy memes in a darkly humorous way: you'll see echos of Charmed, Bewitched, Harry Potter, Night of the Living Dead, The Walking Dead, and even True Blood in this season--all treated with a very large grain of salt and a bit of love too--yet the story line never strays from its original intent, and never descends into a comic-book sort of delivery. There is more than one dollop of social consciousness, the most noticeable one in the form of Kathy Bates character, a sadistic racist for whom moral redemption is just never achieved. It's rare to see that in any show, and it's handled well in this one. Prejudice and racism are just one of the conflicts presented, but in no way does it detract from the overall enjoyment of the story. In fact, nothing presented in this season detracts from the story, which moves along rapidly, making each episode a tapestry, rather than a tangled mess of unwoven threads. There are cliches here, but they're used AS cliches, not resorted to as an attempt to further plot points, and they're not parodied either. That takes some skill as a writer of any television series, and this one does it subtly and competently.

This season also gives you a little treat. The music is used in the story extremely well, and will offer some insights for fans of Stevie Nicks. Watch carefully for scenes from your favorite movies and horror stories; sometimes they fly by so fast you will miss them.  As I said in the beginning, this series may not be for everyone, but if you view it with an open mind, it will entertain you in each and every episode. It's quite a funhouse ride--one you won't soon forget!
3815327
This could really have been called a mini-series type program the way Henrys' & Abe's lives were shown from beginning to end.
This was a very imaginative & Wonderfully written series that made a person think, & actually follow the plots, which may have
been one of the reasons the Series was not renewed.
With Most People lacking attention spans & wanting immediate gratification & mindless programing a GREAT SERIES like this
one was, was definitely not for the Majority of the viewers.
But for those of us who were looking forward each week to this Fantastic Show knowing what a TREAT & RAREITY this show
was. This series was great to watch & follow along with, watch how Henry's life transpired thru History & was neat to watch how
Abe's life fit in & went along with Henry's.
Everyone associated with this Series should be PROUD of this program, & KNOW that even though it was not renewed, there
are MANY viewers who know what a loss it was losing this Wonderful program.
Each Actor, Actress, & ALL the Directors, Producers, Writers & Production Staff Members should remember they were involved with
something very, very special & it did show thru how all the Characters interacted with each other.
A real shame the show was not renewed, but just shows that the average viewer would rather have a mind-numbing program
that you can turn your brain off to watch.
Thank You to ALL who brought this Series to us, & try not to take it to heart because there are those who still love it & know what
a TREASURE it really is, & yes those who want the DVD set do buy it from Amazon Canada: it is just like you would find it in store here
in the U.S. why it is not sold that way here is beyond me; but so is why the series was cancelled.
4672644
What a delightful series! The characters were all unique, the 'sets' magnificent, and the costuming splendid. I am going to rewatch the series just to observe more closely the women's clothing!
2708983
Never in the history of my TV watching have I found a remake of a great series that lives up to the standards of its predecessor.  This one is not just a remake (although they do re-do a few of the original series' episodes), it is very high-quality TV from any perspective, excellent science-fiction and drama with amazing variety -- intelligent, frequently surprising, generally satisfying.  Some stories are not the best, but the quantity of true original gems merit 5 stars!  Of the 7 seasons I originally followed on broadcast TV, I missed probably 60% of it, so this is mostly delightfully new to me.  I don't get the complaints about omitted nude scenes (which is not my purpose for buying this anyway) -- seems to be more than I imagined in this set.  In some episodes the video quality is a bit rough in places yet not enough to spoil the viewing.  The plastic-case packing is just fine (so far).  It will take me a while to view the whole set -- so far this DVD collection more than just exceeds my needs for seeing the whole series!  My thanks to everyone who made it possible for me to own this set at the price I paid!
2000648
Oh, I love this series.  Why did I wait so long?  First and foremost... the writing.  It's extremely well plotted, with a fascinating layered main character, and beautiful handling of the period language.  And the production values are superb. 1888 London comes alive.  The use of the graphics and the music choices hark to the title sequence of the RDJ Sherlock Holmes movies, but this is not cheap derivation.  It's a very creative, beautifully realized, beautifully acted series.  No fake steampunk add-ons here, this is a well researched show.  I happen to be an author working in precisely this time period and I recognize the care and attention to detail that has gone into every aspect of this show from the forensic science available at the time (some terrific work on THAT here!) as well as the social conditions, and the politics surrounding the police and the Ripper case of the day.  Just a fantastic show.  Kudos to the creators and the deliciously sensitive performance of Matthew MacFadyen.  (Who I saw onstage in London playing a hilarious Jeeves in Jeeves and Wooster - this RADA trained actor delivers! )  Could not recommend this show more highly -- British television at its best.
3651641
An excellent series that briefly hit mainstream TV in the  wee small hours. Thankfully I am a night owl and got to watch it. Yes, it has more of a connection to Blade Runner overall - but it does use the Recall concept quite elegantly. What I particularly liked was Ian - the incredible artificial life form more human than human - and the medical examiner which was a wonderful character that pre-dates our popular forensic shows like CSI. It didn't need a lot of fancy gizmos to sell the story because the stories were strong and the direction spot on. It just worked! Gone too soon, though and hard to find now.
1752067
This series is one of the best ever produced.  The character of Foyle is very well-drawn and is portrayed brilliantly by Michael Kitchen.  The other characters add  realism and depth of perspective to the presentation. The research into the time period is flawless, and the history presented makes for fascinating viewing.  Well-written, skillfully-acted, meticulously-researched!
2503806
Finding out earlier this year that my beloved Dr. Kildare TV series was on DVD was a life-changer! Seriously -- I have been watching and binging on it for months now, and with 191 episodes total (in all five seasons), that is a lot of watching and binging! I haven't watched current TV for years, so this is really unusual for me. I am not sure I would recommend the series to anyone who didn't see it originally, or who didn't have a crush on Jim Kildare. It is quite dated in production values and hardly realistic, and OMG did women really wear those clothes and fussy hairdos and did men OD on Brylcream?  Cigarettes everywhere, even the doctors, even in the hospital rooms. Wow. But for almost every episode there is a memory for me beyond the cultural, something that is thrilling because it returns to me so vividly. It is not usually a plot point but rather an image, maybe a character's facial mole, or a particular garment, maybe a joke by Dr. Kildare, or words of wisdom from Dr. Gillespie, or a particular scene. Hey, I remember this! Suddenly I am a teenage girl watching the same episode. I distinctly remember how Dr. Kildare's direct gaze, honesty, kindness, courage to confront, and dedication to doing what was right, all inspired me to look for the same traits in myself and others. I must admit, that though I had a crush on Dr. Kildare those 50-some years ago, my crush this time is on Dr. Gillespie. Has any TV character ever been so wise or compassionate? I think not. And the reason I have chosen to write this review for the Fourth Season as opposed to the others, though they all have had me mesmerized, is that this season contains, for me, the best three minutes of the whole five seasons. The episode called "Music Hath Charms" (first episode on Disc Eight) is quite different from most episodes. It is mostly lighthearted, almost slapstick, as Dr. Kildare tries to produce a hospital talent show. Dr. Gillespie has been goaded by a dear friend into singing a song for it. Just before he goes on, he learns that this friend has unexpectedly and inexplicably died. He goes on anyway and the scene that follows is as poignant and moving as anything ever filmed. It solidified my love of this character. If for no other reason, buy this season for this one scene! (And in a later episode this season is the worst acting I have ever seen. Worth seeing for the incredulity. Honestly, I thought this gal was going to be diagnosed with a neurological disorder, she was so jerky, but no ...) This show is easy to watch, no commercial interruptions, no rapid-fire conversations that move the plot along, always a serious point and a worthwhile moral. Classic TV at its best.
2833483
Very well made series. Great acting! Fascinating story
1287703
My brother bought this set when it was released and, after watching only the first episode, I decided to buy a copy for myself. This is such a great show with an excellent cast. I was really impressed with how this show has not dated. Sure, it is very much of the 80's with many references and whatnot to that era, but overall, it is a timeless show.

I was 12 when this was first on and it was one of my fave shows at the time. Having watched all of the eps in the set, I was surprised at how many fond memories it brought back and, at the same time, just how fresh all the episodes were.

I especially loved the reunion special they added to this! One of the best SPECIAL features ever!

 Please, for anyone who remembers this show and has any doubts about adding it to their collections, DO NOT DELAY, BUY IT TODAY!

Now, if only they'll hurry up and release the rest of the seasons!
3836954
I enjoyed this series thoroughly! I loved the overall look of the shows - very 60's without being over the top. The plots are complicated but well-written, and the acting is solid all the way around.
3888295
Loved this show! Had to buy the entire series!
318531
We watched this series when it aired earlier this year.  We love how the scientific method is introduced and reinforced throughout the entire series.  We enjoyed learning more about the people behind the discoveries and the visual effects are stunning.  My 6 year old daughter watched EVERY EPISODE with us and enjoyed it.  So if you're thinking for something a little more advanced than the Magic School Bus for your kids, but want something that will enlighten the friends and family - this is it!
4449749
I grew up in the eighties watching this show on PBS, and have been searching for it on DVD. It was such a beautifully crafted show, and such a perfect encapsulation of that period in history. For a history buff, it is  dream, and for anyone interested in alternative religions, like Wicca, it paints a true and unbiased picture of Paganism.
Also, Michael Praed is extremely attractive, and that helps. This show needs to be available on DVD! I would buy every episode.
3189902
I loved this show then and still do now.  It never gets old or boring and still brings hours of enjoyment when there is nothing worth watching on television!
1485680
Incredible series, and I wish they made more of these about other historical time periods!  Thought provoking while keeping things appropriate for youngsters.  The kids love it and have watched and rewatched it.  The low cost of this DVD set is well worth it!  Recommended for every family and every library too!