Review by Choice Review
West (English, Univ. of Missouri) offers an engaging and concise history of PBS's ever-popular "Masterpiece" and "Mystery!" series, starting with WGBH's Stan Calderwood's fascination with The Forsyte Saga to his cold call to British producers and then the selection of the initial offerings, including such favorites as The Six Wives of Henry the Eighth, Elizabeth R., and The Last of the Mohicans--all from UK-based independent producers. West attributes American fascination with the imported series to the inspiration of cultural and literary history and traditions, and to the nostalgia and sentimentality they introduce, which is all balanced by British satire and irony. The insights into the productions and their histories are augmented with American television history, such as Newton Minnow and his "vast wasteland" speech, and the dimming of the Golden Age of American programming. For fans and researchers West offers summaries of the programs, whys and wherefores of acting in the UK, and information about settings and sets, including 15 pages of publicity stills, a map of England identifying each production, and a "Masterpiece Travel Guide." Appendixes supply casts and productions of "Masterpiece" and "Mystery!" series in chronological order, and the book concludes with notes and an extensive bibliography. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. --Damaris Ann Schmitt, emerita, St. Louis Community College at Meramec
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Few television programs last a decade, let alone five, but PBS's Masterpiece has been a Sunday night delight since the January 1971 broadcast of The First Churchills. The longest-running dramatic series airing on American television, Masterpiece has presented a carefully curated collection of "100 percent bona fide British" programs. The PBS anthology series Mystery!, which aired from 1980 to 2006, offered the best in British mysteries and eventually became part of Masterpiece. West takes a thoughtful look at the series in nine thematically organized chapters that address Masterpiece's origins, appeal, politics, culture, and more. She devotes an entire chapter to the phenomena of Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey and celebrates the most popular series and performers. West expounds on what she calls "the five cornerstones of Masterpiece's appeal: aspiration, nostalgia, Anglophilia, conventionality, and sentimentality" and concludes with lists of Masterpiece and Mystery! productions and casts along with a generous bibliography of academic and popular sources. For Masterpiece and Mystery! fans and anyone who wonders what all the fuss is about.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
West (English, Univ. of Missouri; Tabloid, Inc.) presents a comprehensive guide to and assessment of Masterpiece Theatre (now simply called Masterpiece), PBS's award-winning anthology program that began in 1971 with The First Churchills; a recent high point was the tremendously successful Downton Abbey. The crime series Mystery! followed nine years later, and though both were unapologetically British in content, they resonated with American audiences. Why? According to West, Americans yearn for tradition. She analyzes the impact of the programs, considers Alistair Cooke's contributions (he wasn't just the gentlemanly host of the early shows), and explores politics and culture, such as race and color-conscious casting as well as the funding challenges PBS has faced. The author includes a "travel guide" to the shooting locations in case fans want to make the pilgrimage and delves into each series, from Upstairs, Downstairs to Downton Abbey, from Miss Marple to Grantchester, with lots of juicy bits for celebrity mavens. But this is no gossipy tell-all or mere coffee-table book; with trenchant analysis, extensive notes, and a lengthy bibliography, this is a scholarly look at two series that had great influence on the American psyche and put PBS on the map. VERDICT The definitive guide for scholars and fans alike to all things Masterpiece and Mystery!--Rosellen Brewer, Sno-Isle Libs., Marysville, WA
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