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The Norman Conquests

Richard Briers , Penelope Keith , Herbert Wise    DVD
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
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Siblings and couples collide at a summer cottage in ITV's The Norman Conquests (which also aired on PBS). Playwright Alan Ayckbourn presents the scenario from the kitchen, garden, and family room. In Table Manners, Reg (Richard Briers, Monarch of the Glen) and his wife, Sarah (Penelope Keith, To the Manor Born), drop by to relieve his sister, Annie (Penelope Wilton, Downton Abbey), who's been looking after their mother. Sarah believes Annie carries a torch for humor-impaired vet Tom (David Troughton, New Tricks), which is true, but she's also been considering a tryst with Norman (Tom Conti, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence), who's married to her sister, Ruth (Fiona Walker, I, Claudius).

As Ayckbourn weaves from one conversation to the next--and the dandelion wine flows--it emerges that prim and proper Sarah and quick-witted Reg have seen better days. The same goes for bushy-haired Norman (a dead ringer for Serpico-era Al Pacino) and work-obsessed Ruth, which leads to a silent breakfast on Saturday, an awkward dinner on Sunday, and an ironic resolution on Monday. The other plays, Round and Round the Garden and Living Together, which also operate as independent entities, provide additional conversations, allowing for a fuller picture of the six protagonists.

Instead of opening up the set-bound sections, director Herbert Wise (I, Claudius) uses intense close-ups at key points. As with Ayckbourn's Intimate Exchanges, which became two films by Alain Resnais, the characters can be grating at first--as Norman tells Sarah, "You're like mild athlete's foot"--but start to feel like old friends once they reveal the different facets of their personalities. They may be exasperating, but they're also amusing and oddly likable, especially Norman, a master manipulator in the guise of a class clown. In 2009 Ayckbourn won a Tony Award for the Broadway revival. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

Passions flare and tempers rise when three couples cross paths at a country house one weekend. It all begins with the arrival of Reg (Richard Briers, Good Neighbors) and his wife, Sarah (Penelope Keith, To the Manor Born). They’ve come to give Reg’s younger sister, Annie (Penelope Wilton, Match Point), a few days’ break from caring for their bedridden mother. However, Annie confides that she’s seeing someone—not Tom (David Troughton, Fingersmith), the single young vet who’s pursuing her, but her brother-in-law, Norman (Tom Conti, Shirley Valentine). Appalled, Sarah informs Norman’s wife, Ruth (Fiona Walker, I, Claudius)—and all hell breaks loose.

Emmy® nominated for best writing, this trilogy is adapted from the hit plays by Alan Ayckbourn. Designed to be watched in any order, it views the same course of events from three different vantage points. From Saturday evening to Monday morning, the action unfolds around the kitchen table, outside in the garden, and in the family room—each segment a masterful performance by a marvelous ensemble cast.

Due to the age of these programs and the improved resolution that DVD provides, you may notice occasional flaws in the image and audio on this DVD presentation that were beyond our ability to correct from the original materials.


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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Please Please Please April 26 2004
Format:VHS Tape
These three plays are among the most brilliant ever conceived by the Great Performances series on PBS. Tom Conti, Penelope Keith, Richard Briers, and the rest are amazing, as are the plays themselves. My only over-riding question is --

WHEN WILL THEY BE AVAILABLE ON DVD???

Considering all the junk that is available, it seems a shame that this extraordinary trilogy is not.

ARE YOU LISTENING??

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5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant surprise indeed... July 22 2001
By GeoX
Format:VHS Tape
And now, to counter rumors that I may possibly be an excessively negative person, here is a review of something that I liked very much. Unlike seemingly everyone else here, I have no nostalgic attachment to these films, but I still think they're pretty great. I got the set as a gift this past xmas, and I initially greeted it with baffled incomprehension: what the hell is this, and why would I be interested? However, after my parents (god bless 'em) finally forced me to watch it earlier this Summer, all becomes clear: this is about as good as television gets.

Indeed, seeing something this good really forces you to recognize that most movies (and TV shows) are, when you come right down to it, pretty damned bad. TNC, on the other hand, is pretty damned good: the characters and their relationships are well and subtly-developed, and there are no facile, all-encompassing 'solutions' to the conflicts therein. All six characters are real, wholly believable people, with no fatuous moralizing on the part of the writer, implicit or otherwise, to be seen. They're occasionally screamingly funny, but never at the expense of character--everything flows naturally out of who they are. At the end of the third film I felt a distinct sense of melancholy that I had to leave these people--and that's about the highest praise I can give.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Finally available on VHS! Jan 1 2001
Format:VHS Tape
In the late 1970s PBS presented a hilarious trilogy of plays called "The Norman Conquests." I've been trying ever since to find them again. And here they are! The production (the same as on PBS) stars Tom Conti as an unforgettable Norman. The premise of these three amazing plays: Norman is a real charmer who seduces (not necessarily sexually) everybody he meets. Each of the three programs takes place in a different room (in one case, the "room" is the garden). It's the same story and the same six characters (all beautifully performed), but each time seen from what happens only in each room. It's an amazing accomplishment for the writer, who explains in the introduction to the screenplays (also available on amazon.com) that the plays are meant to be seen in any order. These videotapes are presented in this order: "Table Manners" (in the dining room), "Round and Round the Garden," and "Living Together" (the sitting room). But I prefer "Table" first and "Garden" last. If you haven't experienced it, and you're a fan of British productions, you really won't want to miss it.
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Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars saw it on stage now see it on video
We saw the plays in Los Angeles twenty or more years ago and I have a copy of the scripts. I did not know these hilarious plays had been televised and bought them immediately. Read more
Published on Oct 31 2000
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Priceless!
After seeing this marvelous trilogy on PBS over 20 years ago, I purchased the videos when they were first released. Read more
Published on Sep 28 2000 by Lyn L. Marker
5.0 out of 5 stars An Absolute Delight!!
I saw this on PBS about 15-20 years ago and have never forgotten it. One day out of the blue I decided to look for it on Amazom.com and to my surprise you had it! Read more
Published on Sep 26 2000
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally
I have been searching for over two years, but I gave up a while ago. Then one Sunday evening,I went to Amazon, typed in "The Norman Conquests" for the hundreth time, and... Read more
Published on Aug 9 2000 by DENICE ROMERO
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Most Eduring Works Of Comedy
I saw this presentation on PBS's Great Performances over twenty two years ago. I have longed for an encore performanc and now I have it. Read more
Published on July 11 2000 by Charles M. Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars At Long Last!
Yes, yes, yes! We also remember seeing this play series on PBS at least 20 years ago and remember it with great fondness.

I can't wait until our set arrives!

Ahhhhh, Norman....

Published on May 5 2000 by Paula Carr
4.0 out of 5 stars Life is the slower lane...
For years I have sought out this trilogy hoping to see it again after first viewing it on PBS. Finally, amazon.com provided me with the full set! What a delight. Read more
Published on April 23 2000 by J. Jaros
5.0 out of 5 stars I concur wholeheartedly
Mr. du-Cille in another review expressed my feelings exactly. I have been searching for these tapes for the years I have been on the internet (there is a very BAD version with... Read more
Published on April 19 2000 by Kent Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgia
I last saw these plays at least 20 years ago (it seems) on British TV and it was one of the most memorable viewing experiences of my life. It has stayed with me ever since. Read more
Published on April 6 2000 by B. J. du Cille
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