To Serve Them All My Days (1980–1981) User Reviews (22)

Adore it!

[TrentinaNE · 10/10 · 21 October 2004]

I'm so thrilled to see such glowing words from fans of "To Serve Them All My Days." I was quite taken with this mini-series when I saw it on PBS in 1984. Seeing that it had become available on DVD recently, I revisited it, wondering if my fond memories from 20 years ago would prove accurate or had taken on an unrealistic glow over time. Not to fear: I found the show's quality *surpassed* my memory of it. The series scarcely ever strikes a false note, and is bursting with extremely poignant, funny, insightful, compelling and honest moments and characterizations.

As others have commented, the story follows David Powlett-Jones, a shell-shocked veteran of WWI. As we learn in the first of 13 episodes, David was the youngest son of a coal-miner. Unlike his three older brothers, two of whom died in a mining accident along with their father, David was "kept out of the pit" to attend the local grammar school. At age 18, instead of heading to Oxford as planned, he was shipped to France, where he spent three years fighting in "the Great War." His arrival at Bamfylde school in what appears to be early 1918 is part of a recovery program prescribed by an army neurologist: a closed community in a rural setting to help mend both the physical and the mental wounds David endured in the war.

At first David is skeptical that someone of his limited formal education and lack of social standing will be accepted at Bamfylde, a public school where the boys "have an unconscious assumption of privilege." But the gentle yet insistent persuasion of headmaster Algy Herries convinces him to give it a try. His first day in the classroom provides an immediate challenge as the schoolboys test his mettle. But despite David's outwardly shy and soft-spoken ways, he soon shows that he can be as tough as any situation demands.

The series follows the intertwining of David's personal and professional growth, and the recurring conflicts between these two facets of his life. Along the way, there are loves, friendships, triumphs, and tragedy. Through it all, John Duttine is a marvel of sensitive and compelling acting, as are many of his cast-mates.

Be forewarned that the series was produced in 1980 on videotape and with a limited budget (reportedly less than $2 million -- in comparison, "The Blue and the Gray," a 1982 Civil War saga about 2/3 as long, cost between $16 and $18 million). Hence, the production often has the look of a filmed play, with few outdoor scenes and no special effects. But what it lacks in "gloss," it more than makes up for in substance.

I would love to discuss aspects of this series with other fans, but rather than go into more detail here (and risk "spoiling" it for newcomers), I suggest we meet in the Message Board area. Please post about any aspect of the show -- I'll be sure to respond!

Lovely party, thanks

[galensaysyes · 10/10 · 23 March 2005]

This was my favorite of the BBC serials that played on "Masterpiece Theatre," and 25 years later I find it just as charming and touching as I remembered. It's one of many variants (others are "Shogun, "All Creatures Great and Small," etc.) of the idyll some of us yearn for and, never finding, regard as irresistibly poignant: the story of a person who finds his perfect place in the world. In watching it again I discovered I practically didn't have to; I'd seen it so many times, and absorbed myself in it so thoroughly, that it had become part of my mental furniture. John Duttine was an unusual, compelling actor who gave what I think were splendid performances in this, the "Day of the Triffids" serial, and an episode of a BBC ghost series, and then seemed more or less to have vanished, to the viewers' loss.

The one big thing which strikes me now about this series is the bounciness of the supporting cast. There can never have been any more exuberant actors than Frank Middlemass, Belinda Lang, etc.; even Alan MacNaughtan, whose character is written as world-weary and cynical, comes across as lively and cheerful. Into the midst of this exuberant crowd enters a disillusioned war veteran--Duttine, an intense, introspective, melancholic performer--and the effect is as if he were brought out of himself by being caught up in a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta (and indeed, at one point the school stages "The Mikado"). Though the story is filled with anxiety and sorrow, the whole thing seems somehow like a party, and as such a sort of litmus test for one's capacity to enjoy life. Those who have it will have a grand time; those who don't won't understand why, and will probably leave early. For my part, I loved it, and feel grateful to have been invited.

Exquisite

[strauss-5 · 10/10 · 11 March 2000]

Possibly the finest mini series ever produced.John Duttine gave the performance of his life in this series,as did the whole cast. How I wish I could see it again,yet have been unable to obtain it anywhere,and never has it been repeated on the BBC. So caught up in the life of these characters was I,that it has stayed with me,and brings such fond memories of a time gone by. If only all television was THIS good.

Rise!!!

[gpadillo · 28 October 2004]

To Serve Them All My Days, really is a powerfully moving series and, like most film and television surrounding wars, speaks powerfully about its subject while keeping it firmly embedded in a tale appealing to those on either side of the fence.

The first episodes, depicting the young, limping shellshocked soldier David Powlett-Jones arriving at Bamfylde, and slowly making his way, growing stronger and forging bonds while earning respect with the students are powerful and moving.

If the later episodes involving romance, marriage and political machinations of the school system become a tad "soap operatic" - the same can be said of the best series today (The Sopranos, Dead Like Me, etc.) - and like those, the level of acting and commitment to the telling of the story at hand is impressive and never less than entertaining.

The cast is impressive, with affecting performances: John Duttine captures every bit of nervousness and one cannot help but route for his Powlett-Jones. Frank Middlemass and Patricia Lawrence as Algy and Ellie Herries are strong, sympathetic and make a formidable team. The brilliant Alan McNaughtan is amazing as Howarth keeping things from ever turning maudlin or saccharine and injects a beautifully jaundiced eye into the proceedings.

You can't go wrong with this set.

One of my favourites of all time

[kurt_messick · 10/10 · 21 December 2005]

I saw this first when I was barely a lad of sixteen or so, just at my school-leaving age and going off to university. I was amazed then at how much from 'before the war' remained true to form for school, and watching it again now twenty years later, it stands up to the test of time perfectly well (and I was once again amazed at the true-to-life nature of the whole enterprise). The series won the BAFTA award for the best television series of its year, and rightfully so.

The miniseries is done in thirteen parts, each just under an hour long, as a co-production of the BBC and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It was filmed in a real public school, Milton Abbey School in Dorset (not too far from part of the country where the mythical Bamfylde School resides), and many of the 'extras' in school shots are actually school boys of the Milton Abbey School. The settings didn't have to be changed too much to accommodate the inter-war period décor, and of course the architecture for the most part was hundreds of years older.

However well done the sets and images are, this is still a teleplay about relationships and the coming of age, not just of the boys in the school, nor even of the lead character, Mr. Powlett-Jones, but really of the whole of society. The inter-war period in Britain was a fascinating time of societal development, particularly in terms of politics. Delderfield introduces this as an ever-present but never centre stage idea through the dealings of Powlett-Jones, son of a Welsh coal mining family, some of his out-of-school relationships, and the clash that this inevitably sets up with the privileged corps of boys at the school.

In the first episode, David Powlett-Jones has just returned from the trenches in the first world war, wounded both physically and spiritually. He is suspicious of the job offer at this upper-class bastion, but the gentle understanding of the headmaster, Algy Herries, encourages him to stay. His relationships with the other teachers are a fascinating study, particularly the gung-ho-warrior type Carter (whose not-always-disabled knee seems to have kept him out of the war) and the cynic-with-a-good-soul Howarth, who becomes Powlett-Jones' best friend over the course of their life together at Bamfylde.

Howarth chides Powlett-Jones at one point about the kind of monastic life that one can fall into at a remote school such as Bamfylde.

Howarth: Some men can live the celibate life. I don't fancy you're one of them. David Powlett-Jones: What did *you* do about women all these years? Howarth (pausing, smiling): Your appetite for sordid revelations never ceases to astonish me.

Howarth reveals some of his indiscretions (remember, this is post-Victorian England, and the revelations, such as they are, would be considered exceedingly mild by television standards today). Powlett-Jones over the course of his twenty years at Bamfylde ends up with three primary loves; Beth, a young wife who dies early; Julia, someone not to be tied down to a school (or even the island of Britain), but keeps regular if long-separated contact with David over time; and Christine, the failed Labour candidate who becomes his second wife, taking on a role at the school as well, not the least of which is to remind the now-headmaster Powlett-Jones that there is a world outside the still-privileged halls of Bamfylde.

The teleplay is exceedingly well done, with the acting and the writing supporting each other in such a way to give real insight into the psychological make-up of the characters. John Duttine played David Powlett-Jones with a good amount of passion; however, I am torn between Frank Middlemass (as Herries) and Alan MacNaughtan (as Howarth) as to who my favourite actor is in the series. Both bring so much to their roles, and I can see myself in each of them in many ways more so than I can identify with Powlett-Jones. For the women, David's first wife Beth is played by Belinda Lang; Julia is played by Kim Braden (trekkies may recognise her from bit parts both in Star Trek film and series work); Susan Jameson plays Christine, David's second wife (fans of 'Coronation Street' may recognise her from that show). Each of the three is very well suited for their respective roles - Lang plays the young, optimist; Braden plays the worldly, ambitious but sensitive soul; Jameson plays the idealist who comes down to earth, managing to keep her ideals intact.

The play does a good job also of keep the boys from becoming a faceless, anonymous mass (a decided danger, given their uniformity in dress as well as age). There are particular boys who stand out, but one gets the sense from the watching that they are all individuals, and treated as such, both by the careful and caring headmasterly type Harries and Powlett-Jones, as well as the cynical Howarth (and even by the more scathing of the teachers, whose style is no longer in vogue).

The situations are credible, interesting, and instructive. The characters are fully formed and worthwhile. The production values are not to cinematic standards, but hold up very well over time (the lack of lavishness befits the nature of the school and the nature of the time as well).

This remains one of my favourite series of all time. The DVD has few extras, but among them are photographs, background information both on the school and on Delderfield, and the lyrics to the school song (which opens each episode, sung by the congregation of boys), by Kenyon Emrys-Roberts: 'Look ahead to a life worth living, Full of hope, full of faith, full of cheer,...'

Encore!

[Cantoris-2 · 10/10 · 16 October 2002]

Hmm, except for not finding Howarth at all pathetic, and for the fact that his hospital plea to die at Bamfylde is there-- briefly but poignantly-- I agree with all the previous posters' compliments. So what can I add?

One of the most interesting sub-plots, thus far unremarked, is the changing relationship between Powlett-Jones and the science teacher Carter. First, I daresay that in those days the place of science in the British public school curriculum was still considered rather parvenu or peripheral. It was also relatively expensive; and Bamfylde, as a lesser-ranked school with, as Herries laments, few "high fliers" among its old boys, was surviving hand-to-mouth. So a dedicated science master would need to fight and connive for the good of his department, and that is what Carter did.

Spoilers: When the aptly named Alderman Blunt, a local nouveau-riche industrialist, began taking a shrewd, potentially philanthropic interest in the school, Carter eagerly cultivated him-- not to put too fine a point on it, he sucked up to him. So Blunt wanted to initiate his largesse with a useless, pretentious, self-serving war memorial in the middle of the quad? Fine. Treat him right, Carter said, and science labs and other valuable facilities would follow.

The hot-headed Welsh veteran Powlett-Jones, however, knew that Blunt was a war profiteer whose shoddy products had caused British soldiers to suffer and die. Standing on principle, he wanted nothing to do with the man, especially when his overtures smacked of self-aggrandizement; and he dismissed Carter as a brown-nosing cynic. His opposition developed into an active campaign, thoroughly alienating Carter as well as Blunt, and forcing an administrative showdown in which he was vetoed by his beloved headmaster for the good of the school.

After this event, the enmity between Carter and Powlett-Jones festered for years. Carter maintained a stuffed-shirt military bearing to cover for the fact that, for health reasons, he could not actually fight in the war. Powlett-Jones taunted him with this fact, and eventually their animosity literally came to blows. In a dramatic scene Herries, valuing them both as two of his best teachers, had to play peacemaker and forge a wary truce between them.

When Herries' retirement approached, the rivalry between Carter and Powlett-Jones continued, now under a gentlemanly veneer, as both of them became final candidates to succeed him. Each assumed that either himself or the other would be chosen. The crucial turning point in their relationship occurred at the moment they realized that the board was rejecting both of them in favor of a smooth, icy, exotic outsider. Over months and several years to come, they would discover how much they really had in common, forming an awkward but fervent alliance as they watched this man steadily undo what both of them cherished in the school. While never forgetting that they were two very different people, they came to see themselves as complementary, even like team-mates. I will not add to the spoilers I have already committed by describing their parting, but it was very cordial and even touching.

This is just one of many inter-woven threads in this miniseries' intimate saga. Over and above entertainment, the drama also offers an eloquent witness to Americans as we deliberate over our tottering educational establishment. If PBS would only release it on video, among many other sterling programs in its archives, it should have considerably less need of quarterly fund-raising appeals.

Brilliant and totally absorbing adaptation of the novel.

[emh0505 · 10/10 · 26 August 2000]

Having first seen this memorable serial in 1980, I was intrigued to have the opportunity to watch it again recently on UK Drama channel, 20 years on. I was not disappointed. It had truly withstood the test of time and was just as compelling as I remembered - why oh why has it never been repeated on BBC?

Sensitive dramatisation and inspired acting combined to make it a very reluctant farewell at the end of part 13. Complements to John Duttine, albeit belatedly, not only for his superb portrayal of PJ, but also for the authenticity and consistency of his Welsh accent. This "revisit" has made my year!

Absolutely Marvelous!

[dkritter-1 · 10/10 · 20 January 2006]

I can't imagine fans of the book or Masterpiece Theater (where this was initially shown in the early 80's) being disappointed with this drama and excellent adaptation of R.F. Delderfield's masterwork. The 13 episodes, an hour each, give ample time to mirror almost every scene from the book. It also allows for much deeper character study than normal. I would rate this work on par with the Thorn Birds or Shogun as among the best that television can offer. Is it for everyone? No. But fans of British dramas or boarding school stories will enjoy this very well produced story. I won't dwell on the plot. Suffice to say that it follows the lives of fictions teachers at an Enlish public boarding school through a period of 20 years as seen through the life of a young teacher who ultimately becomes headmaster. It is simply drama at it's most enjoyable best.

A wonderful dramatic series, an enthralling story of life.

[bullet-15 · 10/10 · 5 January 2000]

This wonderful drama is my all time favorite series. A great story of life between the big wars. After viewing the series on PBS's Masterpiece Theater years ago, I had the privelage of reading the book and it made me want to see the series again even more. Well produced, great acting, a truly enjoyable show. We would love to view it again.

wonderful series

[duncan-holding · 10/10 · 29 August 2007]

I saw this on TV then read the book and the characters in the TV adaptation are completely true to how they were conceived when Delderfield wrote the novel. the acting was absolutely superb with the exception of the Susan Jameson character (Christine Forster) as already mentioned by previous comments. I've seen her in other things (When the boat comes in-take three girls etc) and she has been pretty good but for whatever reason her performance in this was very hammy !! that was the only disappointment of this series though-i now own it on video & have watched it possibly a dozen times and never tire from it !! full marks particularly to Alan Mcnaughtan for a wonderful portrayal of Howarth and Chalres Kay was superb as Alcock !! sad to think that quote a few of the main actors-Frank Middlemass-Alan Mcnaughtan and lots of the supporting ones John Welsh-Patricia Lawrence-Norman Bird-David King etc are no longer with us.

10 out of 10

Disappointing

[=G= · 6/10 · 29 December 2004]

"To Serve Them All My Days" is a 13 episode miniseries which follows the life of a young British WWI shell shocked vet who is retired from military service and sent to a boys school to teach. I watched about half of the series (2 DVDs) and became so bored with the uneventful, marginally interesting, and mediocre production that I gave up on it. Therefore, I can only write about the first 6 hours of this very theatrical film with annoying staginess (eg: players obvious wait for cues, everyone talking loudly, stiff portrayals, etc.), shoddy effects (eg: the absence of suspense and flames during the school fire rescue scene), characters which don't ring true (the wife who is cheerful beyond belief), a flat story (eg: poor story dynamics with events coming and going with little intensity, focus, or fanfare) and more. This TV flick received some very good commentary from critics and public and may well be a worthy watch for many. However, for those expecting the complexities of "Foyle's War" or the character depth of "The Mayor of Casterbridge" or the appointments of a "Daniel Deronda" or the range of emotion of a "The Forsyte Saga", etc. disappointment may await. Try renting one DVD first to see if you find the series engaging before renting more. (B-)

School Daze

[sts-26 · 10/10 · 28 June 2008]

Like some of the other fans commenting on this title, I was in my mid-teens when this series was first televised. And, like them, I was captivated. The series is one of the great Masterpiece Theatre events, along with the original Love in A Cold Climate and - of course - Upstairs Downstairs.

It did not hurt that the series came along during the romantic 80s craze for all things British, and anything that captured the "between the wars" period (movies such as Chariots of Fire, Another Country, and the mini-series Brideshead Revisited, all of which in turn inspired the looks of popsters Haircut 100, Spandau Ballet, et al). Yes, To Serve Them All My Days was a perfect period piece with perfect timing. However, there was more than just costume and location to recommend this series.

I have since read the novel, and was, in retrospect, impressed by the faithful handling of the material by the series' creators and writers. This may have a lot to do with the times though; in the early-to-mid eighties there was a serious literary attitude permeating British television, and this allowed a mini-series to span well over four episodes if necessary (see Brideshead and the original Love in A Cold Climate).

The great material, faithful adaption, and wonderful sets and costuming were helped along by a stellar cast which included the iconic Belinda Lang (The Bretts, Second Thoughts, 2 Point 4 Children) in a relatively small role.

Correction to some of the other comments: I believe that this series was actually first televised in North America in 1982 or 83. It had a re-telecast in 1984.

Mr Chips meets Wilfrid Owen

[pekinman · 3/10 · 13 April 2006]

After reading so many glowing reports of 'To Serve Them All My Days' I went out and bought it for Christmas. A waste of money, I'm afraid. I was looking forward to something in the same league as 'Brideshead Revisited' and some of the few other great productions from British television but this is decidedly not among them.

The characters are all too good to be true, swathed in a very predictable plot and with the most trite and eye-rolling script I've heard in years. Yes, it has its moments, but they are very thin on the ground. The lead actor is interesting, mostly because of his uncanny resemblance to Anthony Andrews (Sebastian in 'Brideshead'), only dark. But his undoubted talents are wasted on a character who is insufferably self-important and priggish. His prickliness is attributed to the effects of his experiences in the Somme during WW1. He does the early episodes, centered around his nervous condition, better than he does playing the the squeaky clean, socialist do-gooder later on.

The women are completely unbelievable, as in un-real. His first wife is annoyingly chipper and chirpy, the girlfriend, the perfect sophisticated slut, and the last lady a hodge-podge of political bosh. The most interesting characters are Howarth (Alan MacNaughton) and one of the other masters, named Hobarth, I forget the actor's name.

The high-minded preachiness of the script is typical Andrew Davies, screen-writer, in his early years, and becomes tiresome within the first two episodes (this mini-series is 11 episodes long!). By episode 4 I just wanted to get through the blasted thing.

The music is equally tedious, limited mostly to one mawkish piano tune and a chorale sung by boys during the credits. No expense was spared on the location settings which gives some visual relief to an otherwise excruciating viewing experience.

I like stories of this sort, as a rule, and am very disappointed at the maudlin nature of this series. If you want to watch something riveting about WW1 and its after-effects there are many other far finer vehicles to rent or buy. One that comes to mind is 'The Unknown Soldier' from 1998. The characters in that Masterpiece Theater presentation are real and fascinating and move one, unlike the 2 dimensional puppets in 'To Serve Them All My Days.' As for films on boys' schools stick to 'Goodbye Mr Chips' or 'Tom Brown's Schooldays'.

I know this goes against the general favorable view of this mini-series, but I strongly recommend thinking twice before shelling out $80.00 to Acorn Media for their 4 DVD set, 2 discs of which on my set had insurmountable problems with freezing and skipping.

An excellent adaptation of a much-loved book

[martinu-2 · 28 April 2000]

Even before the television adaptation, "To Serve Them All My Days" was one of my favourite books - like Robert Goddard's "In Pale Batallions", it's one of those books that I keep coming back to time after time. Having been to a public school myself for four years, I can identify with many of the traditions and rituals, and the rather pathetic life both of the boarders and the staff: what was true in the 1920s at Bamfylde was largely still true in the 1970s at my school.

With a few minor exceptions, the television version does great justice to the book. John Duttine is exactly as I imagined David Powlett-Jones: diffident and shell-shocked to begin with, but gradually growing in confidence to become eventually a well-respected and much-loved teacher and headmaster. I cannot imagine anyone else except Frank Middlemass as Algy Herries - his fruity voice and bumbling manner are perfect. Charles Kay's portrayal of the soul-less, embittered killjoy Alcock is utterly menacing. And Alan MacNaughtan manages to capture the irascible and yet ultimately very pathetic nature of Howarth, the teacher who has devoted his whole life to the school.

The three women - Beth, Julia and Christine - in David's life are very different from one another. Belinda Lang is heart-meltingly gorgeous as Beth, the elfin, nineteen-year-old "catalyst in a beret" who quite literally sets her cap at David while he is on holiday in Colwyn Bay. After the tragic death of her and the twins, David has a brief affair with Julia Darbyshire (Kim Braden) who is winsome and yet strangely matter-of-fact: definitely mistress material rather than a wife in the making! Sadly, Susan Jameson's portrayal of David's third love, Christine, lacks a certain something - I am left wondering what (apart from her politics) David could find remotely attractive about her.

There are a few differences between the book and the TV adaptation. In the book, Grace, one of the twins, survives the car crash that kills her mother and sister. In the TV version, both sisters are killed. This is no great problem: I've always felt that the character of Grace was rather insipid and a bit too perfect. It would also have made for great difficulties in the filming, requiring a series of actresses to portray her as she gradually grows from a baby into a young woman.

My only regret about the TV adaptation is the ending. The final episode is rather rushed and many important scenes from the book are missing. The most notable is the poignant scene as Howarth is dying of cancer and begs David to let him die at the school rather than in hospital; in the TV version, Howarth simply dies in his sleep while watching a school cricket match. We don't see the scene where an old boy of the school recounts that many years before, after the death of his father, Howarth had offered to pay the boy's fees - a sizable portion of his own salary - because he did not want the boy's talents to go to waste. And we don't see the final scene where, during World War II, a young soldier comes to teach at the school after being invalided out the army, and David recognises all the parallels between this man's beginnings and that of himself twenty years before. He even uses the same phrases that Herries used to him. But none of this makes it to the TV adaptation, which is a great shame.

Best series ever.

[Ron-67 · 10/10 · 13 May 2003]

To Serve Them All My Days is probably one of the best series ever broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre. Excellent production, well acted and faithful to Delderfield's book. Many old MP Theatre series are now being released on video and DVD. Why not TSTAMD? One can always hope.

An excellent story, though a little tedious at times

[mjt28 · 8/10 · 19 July 2006]

The television series lacks any real focus or direction since it is quite clearly in the wrong media form; one of the integral parts of the book is the anecdotes and character histories, something which is sadly lost when putting this great story onto film. Consequently, without this clarity, the series can appear a little slow and tedious at times. Nonetheless, the story combines the Arnoldian lessons of 'Tom Brown's Schooldays'with an apparently more mature protagonist. Powlett-Jones is very rash, however, and seemingly very naive for someone as worldly wise as a survivor of the war; whether this is an idiosyncrasy attributable to Delderfield, the author, or the film makers is irrelevant, ultimately, PJ often alienates himself from the viewers and it is the supporting characters that become more important, and justifiably so. The story is how a school, which epitomises England- or Britain- can rehabilitate those affected by war, and not so much what Powlett-Jones has brought to the school. Despite its faults this book is worth reading and series worth watching, although, annoyingly, it is written with the hindsight gained after the Second World War, and hence gives a righteous view of the 'Thirties and the failures of the political world, which is mainly anachronistic and not a fair reflection of people's views of the period. A parallel can be seen in 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie', which comments about Fascism and the storyline echoes the European political climate. Read, watch, or interact in some way with this story- its failings are certainly outweighed by the strong message of youth and coming of age. If I had attended this school I would have felt cheated out of an education, but glad to have known these people.

Amazing

[kuifje-163-695308 · 10/10 · 17 November 2018]

This series is a bit outdated because of the location (a boarding school). But the stories that take place on this school are everyday stories about subjects like envy, love and death. They all come along in different episodes, furthermore the acting is great. The main character DJ Powlet Jones is sublime and the same thing applies for his two wifes, rector Algy Herries and the two school masters called Carter and Howarth. It's Howarth who had the most memorabel quote: "The thing I find hardest to tolerate is hypocrisy, especially when it takes the form of a sentimental regard for the dead just because they *are* dead. To hear some people talk, you'd think dying was limited to the chosen few. "

A Fine Touching Story of the English Public School System

[Robby49 · 23 February 2004]

I saw this film when it appeared on Masterpiece Theater in the 80's and was enthralled by it. After 20 years it has been released on DVD by Acorn Media and BBC. I purchased a copy, and it is just as great today as it was originally on Masterpiece Theater. The characters of Headmaster Algy Herres and Teacher Ian Howarth are particularly appealing. I thought the only weak spot in the entire film was the portrayal of Christine, Powlett-Jones second wife. I would recommend this movie to any family without hesitation.

One of my favorites

[dipschidt · 12 November 2003]

When this series played on Masterpiece Theatre in the early 80s, I was fortunate enough to live in an area with two PBS stations, each of which played the show twice a week at different times, so was able to watch the series four times through. Several years ago, it was shown again, and my father video-taped it for me, so that when I get the urge, I plunk in my videos and fall in love all over again.

I have seen a number of Masterpiece Theatres over the years, but this one has to be my favorite. The characters are well acted, especially PJ, played by John Duttine (isn't he gorgeous!)--sensitive, passionate, and above all, a survivor. The cynical Howarth is a perfect foil (he reminds me of an old Latin teacher I once had), and the perfect best friend. Then there's the interplay between Algy Herries and his wife (a comfortable couple if I ever saw one). And can anybody help but cringe when the "Noble" Alcock comes aboard? (Hissss)

Although I have my own homemade tapes of this program, I would be happier with a professional set and agree with others who have posted that this one ought to be released. Masterpiece Theatre at its finest.

Frank Middlemass and Alan MacNaughtan

[drednm · 28 July 2017]

Wonderfully moving miniseries that comes awfully close to the classic GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS in many ways, but this one has a life and spirit all its own.

John Duttine stars as a Welsh veteran of the First World War who has been invalided out of service with a bad leg and shell shock. He arrives at a remote boys' school for a job as a teacher. He has no experience and no degree, but the headmaster (a towering performance by Frank Middlemass) knows instantly that the young man has the makings of a good teacher.

The series follows his years at the school, his marriage, his disappointments, and the many boys who pass through his life. The English settings are beautiful and the school is perfect.

One of the joys of this series is the acting. Duttine and Middlesmass are perfect as Powlett-Jones and Herries. They are joined by Alan MacNaughtan as Howerth, the older English teacher who's always ready with a sardonic jab and a glass of gin, and Belinda Lang as life-loving Beth. There's a nice turn by Neil Stacy as Carter, the very picture of pomposity, Patricia Lawrence as the ever-wise Mrs. Herries, and Tim Wylton as Griff.

Belinda Lang, Frank Middlemass, and Tim Wylton starred together in another terrific series, THE BRETTS in the late 1980s. Middlemass and Wylton also appeared on Judi Dench's long-running series AS TIME GOES BY.

Wonderful series may be kind of hard to find now. Not sure if it's ever been released on DVD.

Very satisfying, very self-satisfied

[Terrell-4 · 20 May 2004]

John Duttine makes a thoroughly engaging hero, from the first time we see him with the shakes to the last as the dynamic and compassionate head master he has become. Frank Middlemass and Alan MacNaughton are superb, the first as the head master who hires and guides Powlett-Jones, and the second as the ascerbic but rather lonely teacher who befriends him. I do think that the last woman in Powlett-Jones' life is so utterly upper-crust as to be a bit off-putting. And as wonderful a school as Bamfylde is, it's worth remembering that it has been all the public schools like Bamfylde that have helped make Britain one the most rigidly class conscious countries it continues to be. But even recognizing that the Delderfield book and this production very much extoll the establishment's view of itself, it still is a very satisfying piece of work. Just keep a grain of salt handy. If you like things British, this is a literate, well-told tale,

A classic tale of school life

[treeline1 · 30 April 2011]

In the last days of WWI, a wounded and shell-shocked soldier appears at a posh British boys' school and applies for a teaching job. His name is David Powlett-Jones (John Duttine) and he hails from the coal mines of Wales. Though he feels woefully out of place, the jovial headmaster (Frank Middlemass) likes him and he's hired. We watch as David adjusts to life as a school master, learns to deal with the privileged boys and the opinionated staff, experiences love and loss, and grows up to be just the man the headmaster knew he would.

This 13-part miniseries on four disks is simply wonderful. The story spans twenty years, going slowly so we get to know and care about David and his associates. John Duttine is very convincing as the timid and self-conscious young man who gradually learns about life and people. Middlemass is excellent as the wise and cheerful headmaster and Alan MacNaughton gives a particularly touching performance as a crusty old house master. The series was filmed on location in a beautiful English boys' school and the sense of history and tradition is palpable.

The story finds comedy and tragedy in everyday situations. It was a pleasure to watch a group of people who lived together in the days when they really talked and listened to each other, with nary an electronic device to distract them. When it was all over, I heard myself sighing and wishing I could watch it all again. I felt like I knew and liked the characters and, most importantly, that they were real and interesting. Highly recommended.