Product Description

Behind his distinctive owlish glasses and gentle, deceptive naivete, Albert Campion conceals a passion for excitement and danger. Peter Davison (All Creatures Great and Small, Doctor Who) plays Margery Allingham's enigmatic sleuth, with Brian Glover as his loyal but slightly shady manservant in these classic mysteries set in the 1930's.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10231 in DVD
• Brand: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2003-05-13
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 428 minutes

Features

• Behind his distinctive owlish glasses and gentle, deceptive naivete, Albert Campion conceals a passion for excitement and danger. Peter Davison (All Creatures Great and Small, Doctor Who) plays Margery Allingham's enigmatic sleuth, with Brian Glover as his loyal but slightly shady manservant in theseic mysteries set in the 1930's. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: MYSTERY/SUSPENSE Rating: 

Amazon.com
"Do you take the long road?" asks a gruff restaurant manager of a hapless drifter. Thus is launched one of the serpentine mysteries written by Margery Allingham, featuring a genteel 1930s sleuth named Albert Campion (played by Peter Davison, a former Doctor Who), whose bland good manners mask a macabre humor and a relish for solving crimes. All of Allingham's stories take the long road, winding their way through a collection of eccentric personalities, improbable murders, and unexpected narrative twists.

Look to the Lady centers around the attempted theft of a 1000-year-old golden chalice from the upper-class family entrusted with it care, encompassing witchcraft, a vast criminal organization, strange rituals, and a murderous horse. The Case of the Late Pig takes Campion and his cantankerous manservant Lugg (Brian Glover) into the British countryside, where they encounter a childhood bully, enigmatic letters, a human corpse replaced by a dead pig, and some very important ice cubes. In Police at the Funeral, Campion and Lugg investigate a murder among an upper-crust family of bickering middle-aged siblings and their imperious mother. And in Death of a Ghost the normally unflappable sleuth loses a bit of his objectivity when murder strikes among some good friends, the bohemian enclave that's built up around a deceased artist who decreed that every year after his death one of his 12 last paintings should be unveiled. During a sudden blackout at the annual event, someone stabs an abrasive young artist with a pair of ornate scissors. Campion's interplay with the crusty Lugg, a former burglar with an almost impenetrable Cockney accent, is the series' strongest element. The roundabout plots poke fun at the conventions of murder mysteries while providing all the comfortable pleasures of the genre. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

Champion Campion
I was quite relieved, after the passage of almost 15 years, to find that this series was indeed as good as I remembered it. Peter Davison and Brian Glover were both terrific, as, respectively, the owlish Albert Campion and the rough-around-the-edges (but loyal) Magersfontein Lugg. The stories kept my attention with their twists and turns, the supporting casts were top-notch, and the scenery, costumes, and sets were a delight to the eye. Even the opening theme was as charming and soothing as I remembered. As is the case with most BBC transfers to DVD, don't expect much in the way of extras: you get some information concerning the television/film work the stars and supporting casts have engaged in, but that's about it. That's ok.....at least the sound and picture quality are very good, which is the main thing. So, after a hard day at the office settle down with a nice cup of tea (or, as Lugg says, "I prefer cocoa meself") and enjoy these wonderfully crafted stories. And let's hope that we don't have to wait 15 years for season two to come out on DVD!

A Class Act
Thank goodness that this series was released. I remember it well from when it first aired. It's whimsical at times, serious at others, but always very "classy." Compared to the current offerings on American television this show is outstanding. One doesn't need to see mutilated bodies or be inundated with sex scenes to be entertained. In a time when reality seems grim at best, such a venue as the Campion series offers a welcomed alternative. I have enjoyed this first series and Iook forward to the second series.

champion campion
It is good to have Campion once again available to the public.
He is a Wimsey with a touch of violence (to his person).The
performances are true to the books,the atmosphere,acting,and
photography are excellent.It's impressive that so much of the
book can be put into 2 hours.The lack of extra features and
the price are a bit disappointing-but expected for BBC/PBS
productions.