Cheap Campion - The Complete First Season (DVD) (Peter Davison) Price

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Customer Reviews of Campion - The Complete First Season

An unhappy exception to the rule for BBC
"BBC" on the label has always seemed to be a mark of excellence for entertainment. Deep character development, sophisticated dialogue, novel but realistic plots, much better than average acting, and so on, have nearly always justified the price of admission. I found Campion to be an exception, however, on nearly every count. To the extent that the acting is good, it does not and cannot compensate for weaknesses elsewhere. My copy is going to the public library to sell to raise funds rather than to catalog for public circulation. For real private investigator/police entertainment with a British flair, try Foyle's War and A Touch of Frost, both of which I have reviewed. Cheers.

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Worth every penny
This wonderful series is worth purchasing and watching over and over. Even if - like me - you're not so much of a mystery aficionado, but you're just interested in watching a good story unfold, chances are you'll still become quickly engrossed. In my particular case, I was captivated by actor Peter Davison long before I ever saw this series, so it was doubly easy for me to become involved in the stories!

The set is comprised of eight episodes on four discs. Each story is told in two parts, the first of which always ends in a perfect cliffhanger. The four stories, all based on the books by author Margery Allingham, are entitled (in order) "Look to the Lady," "Police at the Funeral," "The Case of the Late Pig," and "Death of a Ghost." All four are wonderful, though the third is my personal favorite. An added bonus is a fascinating special feature consisting of a behind-the-scenes look at the fourth story.

As for the actors, they too are absolutely perfect. I cannot say enough about the aforementioned Mr. Davison, who plays the role of Albert Campion beautifully and has a smile that may leave some viewers in an incoherent stupor for upwards of forty-eight hours. (He also sings the theme music.) Campion's assistant, Lugg, is also wonderfully played by the late Brian Glover. The scenes between the two of them are a lot of fun to watch.

Aside from the behind-the-scenes segment, the only other added feature(s) is/are the cast biographies, and some have complained that this set costs too much for something with so few add-ons - but personally I believe that it is worth every penny.

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Dashing and Debonair
Any fan of series like Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett, Cadfael, or Jeeves & Woolster should love it. Not as much comedy as the latter but certainly a period piece of the 1930s that has great costumes and sets. Often a case deals with a wealthy client that has an estate in the country. It doesn't move at a fast pace until near the climax of the case. It may seem a bit slow at first, but well worth a little patience.

Albert Campion, played by Peter Davison, is not your average detective nor is his assistant Magersfontein Lugg, Brian Glover. He receives the ocassional assistance from his friend Chief Instpector Stanislaus Oates, played by Andrew Burt. He is not at all the bumbling inspector sometimes portrayed in some series, but is helpful and resourceful. Campion is charming and although he may seem quite whimsical at times, he's always completely attuned to what is happening around him. Lugg is quite adept at fereting out information at the local pubs or from the butlers, maids, and other hired help of the estates. A bit of a brute with a thick accent, he's always fun to watch in action. The cases are always interesting and show us a fascinating window into the society of this period.

The DVD quality is excellent and picture and sound are sharp and clear. The set includes behind the scenes look at "Death of a Ghost". A little disappointing that is all, but a series well worth adding to your collection of detective movies.