At Home With the Braithwaites:

With eight 50-minute episodes, this set contains the complete second series of the superb British comedy-drama, At Home With The Braithwaites. Having enjoyed the first series enormously, I was very pleased to find that I enjoyed the second series every bit as much--which surprised me because I didn't think anything could be as good as the first one! This series will have you on the edge of your seat just as much as the first one did, and I suggest that viewers allow a 2 1/2 hour time slot to watch the last three episodes, because the tension makes it nearly impossible not to watch the final episodes in one go!

With the family having moved into a grand mansion, series two opens a few months after the first one ended. Now that Alison's lottery win is out in the open, it may come as something of a surprise to find that secrets and deceptions still form the basis of the suspense and excitement in this series; relationships, however, have a much greater role here. Alison and David have yet to resolve the problems caused by David's infidelity; meanwhile, Virginia cannot get Megan, her beautiful former neighbour, out of her mind. Pregnant Sarah, on the other hand, is in a dilemma regarding Phil, whilst sweet young Charlotte surprises us all. The arrival on the scene of the former lover of one of the characters not only adds spice and excitement, it throws everyone's life into a tailspin.

I found the second series to be extremely satisfying--in no small part due to the fact that the central characters all experience the maturing effect of a good hard jolt of reality, and there isn't anyone who at some point does not wish that Alison had never won the money in the first place. I'll say no more, as I don't want to give anything away--and I strongly suggest viewers NOT read the episode synopses on the back of each of the dvd cases as they give far too much away! Finally, as with the first series, this is not exactly family entertainment (the "f" word is used once, and there's a wee bit of a sex scene--no nudity though). It's quite tame, but worth mentioning in case anyone was wondering about the suitability for children.

I spoke with a representative at Acorn Media, and it sounds like there may've been at least one more series produced after this one, though at present Acorn only has the rights to series one and two. I did request that they consider releasing any further series on dvd, and one can only hope that they do so, because this is hands down one of the most enjoyable, entertaining British programmes made in recent years. Whether they do or not, don't worry that you'll be left "up in the air" so to speak at the end of series two; one is left with a delightful feeling of completeness and closure.

In conclusion, I simply cannot recommend this series highly enough, and I would go so far as to recommend it unhesitatingly to anyone looking to curl up with a terrific series of ANY genre--British or otherwise.

Extremely highly recommended!!

Complete Series 1 - 4 are available at Amazon.co.uk website.. I bought a REGION FREE DVD player. Now I can get my Brit Com fix on UK website without having to wait and see if all will be released on Region 1 US. Best investment I ever made. You can't get free overseas shippping, but it is still great deal and fast. Your Amazon USA account info will be accessible on UK site. Amazon UK has opened up a whole new world for me and my Brit com obsession! One really great deal I found on UK site is "The Complete Yes Minister & Yes Prime Minister - Collector's Boxset" for 17 pounds. Total US cost with shipping (today exchange rate) would be $34.05. I really enjoy searching Amazon UK for some of my favorite British actors to see what is available - DVDs that I've never even heard of here in the States. Penelope Keith, Richard Briers, Judi Dench, Geoffrey Palmer. YOU CAN BUY YOUR REGION FREE DVD PLAYER RIGHT HERE ON AMAZON.

I love this series -- and have both Series 1 & 2. What can we do about getting Series 3 & 4 released on DVD?

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 5 reviews  4.8 out of 5 stars