Product Description

One of England’s most widely read authors, Dame Catherine Cookson penned more than ninety historical novels during her celebrated career. Set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many of her masterpieces have been brought to life in mini-series productions boasting lavish costumes and stunning on-location photography of Northeast England. From The Cinder Path (as seen on Masterpiece Theatre) to The Secret (based on Cookson’s only thriller, "The Harrogate Secret"), this anthology presents seven acclaimed adaptations, featuring star-studded casts that include Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ray Stevenson, James Purefoy and June Whitfield.

8 DVD set includes the mini-series:
The Cinder Path – Colour Blind – A Dinner of Herbs – The Girl
The Secret – The Tide of Life – Tilly Trotter

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #40487 in DVD
• Brand: Koch International
• Released on: 2008-01-22
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 8
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 1259 minutes

Amazon.com
Beaten down by years of mistreatment by his abusive father, Charlie McFell's (Lloyd Owen) enduring struggle to overcome his past, live up to his responsibilities, and recognize the depths of his own integrity is not easy, but audiences will find it remarkably rewarding. With all the features of a great television miniseries--murder, blackmail, revenge, heartbreak, betrayal, courage, vindication, and true love--what's remarkable about The Cinder Path is that there's nothing cheesy about it. This high-caliber production features strong acting, well-written characters the audience will care about, amazing Edwardian costumes, vivid western front trench warfare reenactments, Dolby digital sound, and a scene index.

Charlie overcomes a dangerous secret, a hollow marriage of convenience with the haughty Victoria (Catherine Zeta-Jones), the challenge of running his family's Northumberland farm, and finally the rigors of military boot camp as he is called to serve in World War I. He struggles to vanquish his own ghosts and become the man no one thought he could be. Based on the popular novel by Catherine Cookson, this made-for-television production will please a wide variety of viewers, from fans of PBS and BBC-style programming to anyone who likes a love story with a happy ending. --Tara Chace

Customer Reviews

"Seven Film Anthology ... Catherine Cookson ... Koch Vision (2008)"
Koch Vision and BBC presents "THE CATHERINE COOKSON ANTHOLOGY" (1995) (1259 mins/Color) (Dolby Digital) --- Dame Catherine Ann Cookson was an English author --- Cookson became Britain's most widely read novelist, while remaining a relatively low-profile figure in the world of celebrity writers --- Her books were inspired by her deprived youth in North East England, the setting for her novels.

Cookson took up writing as a form of therapy to tackle her depression, and joined Hastings Writers' Group --- Her first novel, Kate Hannigan, was published in 1950 --- Though it was labelled a romance, she expressed discontent with the stereotype --- Her books were, she said, historical novels about people and conditions she knew --- Cookson had little to do with the London literary circus --- She was always more interested in practicing the art of writing --- Her research could be uncomfortable - going down a mine, for instance, because her heroine came from a mining area --- Having in her youth wanted to write about "above stairs" in grand houses, she later and successfully concentrated on people ground down by circumstances, taking care to know them well.

Cookson went on to write almost 100 books, selling more than 123 million copies of her books, her works being translated into at least 20 languages --- She also authored books under the pseudonyms Catherine Marchant and a name derived from her childhood name, Katie McMullen --- She remained the most borrowed author from public libraries in the UK for more than 20 years, only losing the title in 2004, which is testament to the ongoing popularity of her novels.(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Here are the seven films featured in the eight-disc The Catherine Cookson Anthology, a few are as described on the box set's gatefold:

1. The Cinder Path - (12 February 1995)
The downtrodden son of a farmer, married to one woman but in love with her sister, ships off to World War I in search of glory and redemption. On the front lines, he must battle not only the enemy but also the demons of self-doubt which have plagued him throughout his life.

2. Colour Blind - (16 December 1998)
Bridget seriously offends her conservative family for marrying an African sailor. After being accused of murder, her husband is forced to leave town. As their daughter grows up, she must learn to cope with the racism surrounding her.

3. A Dinner of Herbs - (24 November 2000)
Hal was just a boy when his father was murdered by the ruthless Dan Bannerman. Now, with a family of his own, Hal discovers that the man his daughter hopes to marry is none other than Bannerman's grandson --- Filmed on location in the north of England, "A Dinner of Herbs" is an unforgettable mix of murder, passion and revenge!

4. The Girl - (16 February 1996)
"The Girl" focuses on a young woman who must overcome emotional and physical obstacles to finally come into the life she deserves. This tale is no different. The performances are excellent, and the costuming and locations equally well done.The acting is top notch, and the scenery and production are beautiful.

5. The Secret - (21 January 2000)
Freddie Musgrave's life is in a state of turmoil when a letter implicates him in murder. Further complications arise when he discovers he has feelings for Belle, a woman married to a madman. In the late 1880's reformed smuggler Freddie Musgrave has worked hard to turn a legitimate trade, but then a face from his past turns up threatening to ruin things for him.

6. The Tide of Life - (1996)
The story line and plot, follows the fortunes of young housekeeper, Emily Kennedy, (Gillian Kearney) as she learns about relationships with three very different men. Forced from home of her first employer, Sep McGilby (John Bowler) after his plans to marry her come to tragic end, Emily finds work as housekeeper for farmer, Larry Birch (Ray Stevenson). Another tragedy occurs, and when Nick Stuart (James Purefoy) inherits the farm owned by Birch's wife, Nick gives Emily a new future.

7. Tilly Trotter - (8 January 1999)
Set in rural England during the 1930s, Tilly Trotter is the compelling story of a courageous young girl, envied by women and lusted after by men, who is accused of witchcraft, and forced to rise above the prejudice of her community.

BIOS:
Catherine Cookson (aka: Catherine Ann Davies)
Date of Birth: 27 June 1906 - Tyne Dock, South Shields, England, UK
Date of Death: 11 June 1998 - London, England, UK (blood disorder; heart ailment)

Great job by Koch Vision --- looking forward to more high quality titles from the BBC Collection film market --- order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- where they are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector.

Total Time: 1259 mins on DVD ~ Koch Vision KOCV-6511 ~ (1/22/2008)

Die Hard Cookson Fans Will Love This
The Cinder Path was a long-awaited movie after growing up reading as many Catherine Cookson books as I could get my hands on. I have always been a die hard fan since I first read The Dwelling Place. This story, like most of Cookson's others, present a true-to-life hardship and how the characters react, deal with, and survive the sometimes cruel and unfair obstacles life throws their way.

This film features a pre-Hollywood Catherine Zeta Jones as the haughty and spoiled brat. She plays this role to a tee and was (before being "spoiled" by Hollywood) one of my favorite actresses previously because of this role.

Everyone can enjoy this movie, relate to the hardships and life's tough decisions. All in all, it has a great message, but learning life's lessons is not all that easy.

Catherine Cookson's poignant and beautiful novel comes alive
All his young life Charlie McFell, his familiy and the farm hands were tyranzied by his dictatorial father, which punished brutally on the Cinder Path. As his father met with an "accident" and died, young Charlie was ill-equipped to manage the farm. He is pressured into a loveless marriage with the haughty and faithless Victoria, leaving her sister Nellie, who secretly loves him, heartbroken. As World War I breaks out he is forced to join the British Army and the horrors and hardship of the frontlines finally let him become a man of strength and character. He is now able to overcome the heartbreak, blackmail, cruelty, revenge and deception to ultimately find his true love.

The Cinder Path is based on the bestselling novel of Catherine Cookson. If you love period Jane Austen-like romantic drama this one is for you. Why did I not give five stars? I did not like the extensive war and battle-scenes. Furthermore, I thought it a shame that this DVD does not feature any extras (no widescreen, foreign languages, subtitels, behind the scenes information). But all in all it is a beautiful crafted movie.