Cheap Class Act (4pc) (DVD) (Herbert Wise, Jane Howell, James Cellan Jones) Price

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Customer Reviews of Class Act (4pc)

A Thoroughly Entertaining British Comedy!
This is a thoroughly enjoyable, not to mention very, very funny British comedy. Two series were made (fourteen 50-minute episodes in all), and they're both here. The episode length may preclude this from being a Britcom, but it is sure to be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys shows typical of that genre. <
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>Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous) stars as self-centred, avaricious Kate Swift, a feisty, vain and very unsympathetic aristocrat, who has found herself cash-strapped since being shafted by her husband, Donald (who had his fingers in a number of less-than-legal pies!). You see, Donald has disappeared, apparently leaving Kate to weather the repercusions of his illegal ventures but without, alas, the consolation of the corresponding cash. <
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>Kate forms two unlikely alliances. Firstly, there's Jack Booker, an out-of-work, asthmatic journalist with a serious alcohol addiction. Jack is an absolutely hilarious character, a nervous coward whose claim to fame (if one can call it that) is that he revealed his sources. Secondly, there is Gloria, a gutsy, street-wise young Australian burglar who is more than capable of taking care of herself--in short, she's everything Jack isn't! <
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>Kate teams up with these two misfits and together they try to find out what happened to her beloved Donald and, more importantly, to his beloved cash. The earlier episodes often involve Kate crossing paths (though swords may be a more apt term!) with Donald's assorted underworld associates. In some cases, they'd like slice of Donald's now-nonexistent monetary pie; in others, it's Kate who wants her (ie. Donald's) share of what she feels is owed. The latter episodes often see Kate coming to the assistance of some friend or relative--even her old nanny. Regardless of the situation, money is at the heart of the episodes, and Kate will do whatever it takes to get her hands on some much-needed cash. <
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>In conclusion, this is a witty--at times hilarious--series which I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend to all fans of British comedy.

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Lumley is fabulous
Class Act is a great show-combining comedy with a detective story. Joanna Lumley is easily the star of the show portraying the aristicratic and snobbish Kate Swift who goes to prison largely thanks to the cowardly John Bowe-who unlike real life reporters-decides it's better to reveal his sources! In prison she meets Nadine Gardner-an Australian burglar-who becomes her unpaid live in assistant upon their release from jail-when they meet up with Bowe who has been fired for previously revealing his sources. Kate's husband-who were never given a lot of information about--but apparently is a bit of a high rolling crime figure-disappears in episode one--which in turn leaves Kate penniless upon her return from her stint in jail.
Though the stories that follow are not very realistic--quite tongue in cheek for the most part--the comedy is great and the adventures of the unlikely trio are quite entertaining. Lumley is quite lovely as Kate--perhaps her most glamourous role outside of Purdy on the New Avengers. Bowe is also quite good as the cowardly journalist Jack and Garner's role is also quite endearing.
I wish there was a rating between 4 and 5 for this show--I do recommend it strongly--though a few of the episodes seem to contain a litle filler and we never truly find out what became of Kate's husband--though it is implied that he may have been killed.
Altogether-there are 14 episodes in this series--each about 50 minutes long. Well worth watching and owning!