Brideshead Revisited [Collector's Edition] [3 Discs] [DVD] [1981]

Brideshead Revisited was that rare upscale British miniseries that became a runaway success in America on PBS. A sumptuous but scathing view of the English upper class, the entire 11-hour production is spread over three DVDs and the beautifully photographed television production has been digitally remastered and comes with a crisp Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track. Don't be concerned that the box lists the series as being released in the full-screen format; though many European and American TV productions are now shot in widescreen, this 1981 series conforms to standard television screens. DVD extras are minimal but there is a digital tour of Castle Howard, which is the real-life basis for the Brideshead estate. The three-disc set also houses an excellent collector's booklet that features information on the making of the series and on Evelyn Waugh, the complex man who penned the novel that was winningly adapted to the small screen by John Mortimer.