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Prime Suspect Complete Collection Box Set [2006]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Television
starring: Helen Mirren, Danny Dyer, Robert Glenister, Lesley Sharp, James Laurenson
directed by: Christopher Menaul, Philip Martin, John Strickland, David Drury, John Madden

November 06, 2006
I have just finished watching this set. I had seen some early episodes originally but watched all again. It is almost a bit "Lost on Mars" as the early series now do seem dated or rather perfectly portraying that time - the early 1990s. I found myself watching the clothes of DCI Tennison and of course the ageing of her in her character with all the trials and tribulations faced by a woman in the police force and in her personal life. She is a demanding , admirable yet imperfect character and it is heart wrenching to see the last episode when retirement beckons. Absolutely fantastic performance by Helen Mirren and of course the rest who make their characters just so believable!

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Frasier - Season 10

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Television
starring: Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, Jane Leeves, Peri Gilpin

July 28, 2008
'Frasier' season 10 attempts to claw back some of the comedy lost by the previous two seasons, which ran the risk of turning the show into a drama series. Unfortunately, the writers seem to believe that adding high farce and new characters are the ways to revitalise the show; wrong on both counts. Making Daphne's mother (played by Millicent Martin) a regular character is an insane decision, a fifth wheel who only serves to antagonise the other characters (and the viewers!) Similarly, the addition of Julia Wilcox (Felicity Huffman) to the KACL family means we are given yet another retread of Frasier being annoyed at a new colleague stealing his thunder: think back to Kate Costas (season 3), Dr. Clint Webber (season 5), Dr. Nora (season 6), Dr. Mary ... Read More:

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Miss Austen Regrets (BBC) [2008]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Television
starring: Olivia Williams, Greta Scacchi, Hugh Bonneville, Jack Huston

April 28, 2008
This production was a genuine surprise. As a biopic of the later years of Jane Austen's life as she approaches 40 and of her niece Fanny as she approaches marriage, it doesn't always stick to (what is assumed to be) the truth and allows itself a rather obvious dig at 'Becoming Jane'. Yet it is a much more intelligent work than that overblown and toe-curling biographical portrait. Refreshingly, it centres on the female relationships in Austen's life (although there is of course a lot of talking about men and marriage and some "profligate and shocking dancing and sitting down together").

Imogen Poots plays Fanny brilliantly, as does Hugh Bonneville in the role of Reverend Brook Bridges. I found Olivia Williams played Austen too manneredly and ... Read More:

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Planet Earth: Complete BBC Series [Blu-ray]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Television
starring: David Attenborough

November 12, 2007
Don't rent this title, splash the £40 and buy it. It's almost 10 hours of beautifully (patiently) short footage of poor critters that the human race will probably have wiped out in the next decade. I've only seen 3 episodes so far, but the baby bear and the birds that glide over the mountain are awesome, nature and the natural world at its very best.

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New Tricks : Complete BBC Series 1 [2003]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Television
starring: Amanda Redman, Dennis Waterman, Alun Armstrong, Jame Bolam
directed by: Graham Theakston, Paul Seed, Martyn Friend, Jamie Payne

May 23, 2005
Ireally enjoyed "New Tricks", the only complaint is that it was over too soon, I kept looking in the box to see if there were not another disc that I'de skipped over.

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Around The World In 80 Gardens : Complete BBC Series

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Television
starring: Monty Don

July 07, 2008
Ireally enjoyed "New Tricks", the only complaint is that it was over too soon, I kept looking in the box to see if there were not another disc that I'de skipped over.

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Desperate Housewives: Season 3

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Television
starring: Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross, Felicity Huffman

November 05, 2007
This show is CLEARLY the best thing on television!
Season 1 was amazing, season 2 lacked a little but still deserved 5 stars, and season 3 is simply the best! If I could give it 6 stars I would!
The 3rd season includes many laughing, crying, screaming, tense, cringe-worthy moments that make this show SO enjoyable and addictive!
A must have for fans!!!!

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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Las Vegas - Season 7 Part 2

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Television
starring: Robert David Hall, Marg Helgenberger, Eric Szmanda, George Eads, Paul Guilfoyle

February 25, 2008
This is yet another DVD that I bought to fill out my collection (mostly because I already own all the other CSI boxsets) and yet again I wasn't disappointed. This set includes some of the best episodes so far in the CSI history, although sometimes it does focus slightly too much on the minor characters. Having said that, it has made me appreciate Hodges and his sarcasm that little bit more...

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Yes Minister & Yes Prime Minister: Complete BBC Box Set

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Television
starring: Nigel Hawthorne, Paul Eddington, Derek Fowlds

October 16, 2006
I've just finished watching all five series over the course of about a month. The tragedy of the 'Yes Prime Minister' episodes was that while Eddington and Hawthorne's acting just got better and better, the writing plateau-ed, and conceivably declined.

Whole speeches get repeated -- e.g. "The Morning Star is for people who believe another country should run this country ..." -- but of course, these were written pre-video, so the writers' assumption must have been that, over an interval of nine years, people simply wouldn't notice the repetition. Tedious re-working of "need-to-know" convolutions crop up repeatedly, right to the final episode. But the jewel of the series -- the relationship between 'Humpy' and Hacker -- just sparkles brighter.

Curiously, when the series ... Read More:

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Lost - The Complete Fourth Season [Blu-ray] [2008]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Television
starring: Evangeline Lilly, Matthew Fox, Josh Holloway, Naveen Andrews
directed by: Jack Bender

October 20, 2008
I've just finished watching all five series over the course of about a month. The tragedy of the 'Yes Prime Minister' episodes was that while Eddington and Hawthorne's acting just got better and better, the writing plateau-ed, and conceivably declined.

Whole speeches get repeated -- e.g. "The Morning Star is for people who believe another country should run this country ..." -- but of course, these were written pre-video, so the writers' assumption must have been that, over an interval of nine years, people simply wouldn't notice the repetition. Tedious re-working of "need-to-know" convolutions crop up repeatedly, right to the final episode. But the jewel of the series -- the relationship between 'Humpy' and Hacker -- just sparkles brighter.

Curiously, when the series ... Read More: