Product Description

Showered with awards and critical acclaim, this darkly comic Canadian series follows the fortunes of a dysfunctional Shakespearean theatre troupe, exposing the high drama, scorching battles, and artistic miracles that happen behind the scenes.

Paul Gross (Due South) stars as washed-up actor Geoffrey Tennant, who returns to the New Burbage Theatre—the site of his acting triumph and his career-ending meltdown—to assume the artistic directorship after the sudden death of his mentor, Oliver Welles. Believing that theatre is meant to provoke not anesthetize, Geoffrey takes on the suits who want to turn the festival into a theme park, a director who runs amuck with Hamlet, and his own demons, including Oliver—who returns to haunt him. Also starring Rachel McAdams (Wedding Crashers, The Notebook), Stephen Ouimette (Mentors), and Mark McKinney (Kids in the Hall).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7331 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-06-27
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 276 minutes

Amazon.com
The title of Slings and Arrows, like many of the themes and characters in this show, comes from Shakespeare's Hamlet. It refers to "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" that the Danish prince suffers, leading him to question whether he is to be or not... you know. It's a clever title for an inspired show about--what else?--the theatre. Set in the New Burbage Theatre Festival, a fictional Canadian Provincial theatre, a jaded, burnt-out artistic director, Oliver Welles (Stephen Ouimette), dies suddenly, and is replaced by a potential genius, his visionary protégé Geoffrey Tennant (Due South's Paul Gross). Geoffrey is legendary at the New Burbage for his awe-inspiring performance of Hamlet there years before, and also because he went mad and now his sanity seems to be hanging by a thread. And oh, by the way, Oliver's still hanging around as a ghost, but Geoffrey's the only one who can see him (sound familiar?), and his impulsive reactions and out-loud arguments with Oliver--including one captured while being interviewed for a news program--besides being hilarious, convince the cast and crews he's really lost it. The show details the daily activities at the festival as they attempt to mount a new production of Hamlet (starring a movie star who's all face and no talent), and in doing so it employs a huge cast of peripheral characters, including the dysfunctional acting company (rising star Rachel McAdams has a key part), scheming board members, and a neurotic theatre staff, each with their own little subplots interweaving to make one big drama.

This first-season set of the Sundance Channel program contains only six episodes, which is too bad because the series is so excellent it'll leave you wanting more. The fact that shows of this caliber are rare makes it stand out all the more. The writing is topnotch, with memorable dialogue, biting dark humor, and clever situations that continually point out how absurd real life can get. This one is a real gem, a show that demonstrates `tis nobler in the mind to laugh at the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, rather than suffer them. --Daniel Vancini

DVDTalk.com
Slings & Arrows is the sort of highly involving, highly addictive television that doesn't come around often enough.

Reel.com
In all, this is a handsome package of a most excellent series, and one welcome turn of outrageous fortune.

Customer Reviews

So original, so much fun
This jaw-dropping series from Canada originally aired in the USA on the Sundance channel.

There are so many surprises and astonishing moments in this jaw-dropping series that I almost hesitate to tell you anything about it because part of the delight of this show for me was having no idea what was coming next.

The New Burbage Festival has seen better days. Its productions of Shakespeare are stale, the director and actors are uninspired. When the company finds itself in need of a new artistic director, a former Burbage player, Geoffrey Tennant, reluctantly takes charge despite his history (he had a mental and emotional breakdown while onstage in the middle of Hamlet, years earlier) with the company.

Economic forces are constantly at odds with art. Actors' lives are messy and dramatic. Young movie stars (think Keanu Reeves/Orlando Bloom) seek growth and legitimacy through Shakespeare. There is language and sex but if you let that put you off, you will miss moments where Tennant explains a character or an aspect of the Shakespeare play with such clarity, passion and insight that you will be staggered to think you never saw it that way before.

So much fun, so original.

Hilarious, intense, and completely compelling
This series makes Shakespeare and the theatrical world come alive. Paul Gross is ) and has reminded me how much I loved Shakespeare long ago. The wonderful Paul Gross draws you into the world of the theatre, but it is truly an ensemble piece, with all roles played to perfection.

Loved it. Absolutely brilliant.
This is a wonderful TV show -- intelligently written, funny, complex and superbly acted. Perfect for theatre lovers, fans of good drama or tart comedy, and anyone looking for TV shows that elevate the medium and have real substance. And, god, Paul Gross is a marvelous actor!!

Just for reference, other favorite shows of mine include "Freaks & Geeks," "My So-Called Life," "Six Feet Under," "Rome," "West Wing" "Buffy," "Prime Suspect" and a few others... This one easily rises towards the top of the list. Highly recommended. (Joe Sixpack, Slipcue)