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By
FRANK BEHRENS
When their father suddenly
dies, two orphaned sisters find that he has left
them nothing but debts and an utter lack of any
education on which they can draw to make a living.
But one of them can draw in another sense and the
two form a small dressmaking business that grows
despite both well intentioned and malicious
attempts stop it.
When this 1991 series, created by actresses Jean
Marsh and Eileen Atkins, first appeared on Public
Television, I had decided it was not the kind of
show that would interest me—a decision proven
utterly wrong when I viewed "The House of Eliot,
Series 1" on a boxed set of 4 Acorn Media DVDs.
The younger sister Evangeline (Louise Lombard) and
the elder Beatrice (Stella Gonet) are so
sympathetic that even their stubborn streaks when
they disagree do not lessen our feelings towards
them—and usually both of them are right in their
own ways. I found myself rooting for them all
through the 12 episodes of 50 minutes each.
The other regular characters are strongly cast:
the wealthy but not too bright Lady Lydia Eliott
(Barbara Jefford); her wretched son Arthur (Peter
Birch); the pioneering friend of the downtrodden,
Penelope Maddox (Francesca Folan); right down to
the most minor overworked seamstress in the
cutting room. And the period décor, let alone the
dress designs of the time, is a delight to behold.
The bonus materials include production notes, a
photo gallery, some 1920s fashion background, and
cast filmographies. I would call this a Grabbit. |
