the audience applauded

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

When I first learned that this series of Shakespeare's history plays was on DVD I ordered it on the spot. I first saw it at the age of 11 on the Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC) and it sowed the seed for a lifelong interest in British history and Shakespeare. It was great to see Sean Connery, Robert Hardy, Eileen Atkins, and Judi Dench as young actors, but even more pleasurable to enjoy again the late Robert Lang as the villainous Cardinal Beaufort and the late Frank Pettingell as Sir John Falstaff. Also, thanks to IMDb I am pleasantly surprised to learn that Geoffrey Bayldon, the Lord Chief Justice and nemesis of Sir John (and Prince Hal) in Henry IV, is still active over 50 years later. I've no problem with it being in black and white. The introductory music as the camera moves to each of the heraldic devices arranged in a row - the white hart of Richard II, the swan of Henry IV etc. takes me back in an instant to my first viewing of this remarkable series.

In 1961, this series was shown on local TV here in southern California. I and many others have been petering BBC for tape or DVD ever since. Now all of a sudden, here it is on Amazon. I pre-ordered in January and now here on March 30 it arrived. It was a long wait (48 years). Was it worth it? So far I have just watched Richard II (I've only had the DVD since 2 o'clock) and I can truly say YEA!!! totally worth the wait. The acting, direction, and production are superb and even better than I remember. The production is in B & W but somehow it fits. The video is clear and very good, the sound is flawless. Further proof of how timeless Shakespeare truly is.I gave this 10 stars even though I have only seen 1 of the 8 plays. I am sure that when I have seen them all I will change my rating to at least a 12.It's currently in stock at Amazon (US region 1) at a reasonable price.I'd better stop now so I can get back to watching. Next up is Henry the IV, part 1 of which is my all time favorite Shakespeare play.

The DVDs (5) are due to be released on 31 March. BBC Warner (if I recall). There is an item in the Sunday New York Times "Arts and Entertainment" section. Check the NYTimes website, under Television, under Arts. (URLs seem to not be allowed here!)NETFLIX has in listed already, with the following description:Explore the history of the English monarchy through the prism of Shakespeare's plays -- including "Richard II," "Henry IV," "Henry V" and "Richard III" -- with this 15-part BBC series that features many of England's top actors. Originally broadcast on television in 1960, the ambitious project includes performances by Robert Hardy, Eileen Atkins, Sean Connery, Judi Dench, Julian Glover, John Warner and many others.

A great production, that should be revived/rebroadcast. I doubt that it would be out of date! I'd love to hear from anyone who knows whether videos exist of this series, or any other information about where it could be found or viewed.