Summer's Lease (1989– ) User Reviews (14)

An Innocent Abroad

[robertconnor · 8/10 · 2 December 2007]

When Molly Pargeter rents a villa in the Italian Tuscan hills, what should be a carefree holiday isn't quite as expected. Her raffish father finagles his way along for the ride, her priggish husband is sending secret postcards to his mistress, and when Molly finds a cryptic note hidden in the villa, she begins to question the whereabouts and well-being of the villa's owners. Nothing is quite what it seems amongst the locals and ex-pat's... and then a body is found.

Wonderful adaptation of John Mortimer's novel, full of brilliantly captured performances by a host of British and Italian character actors (Treves and Leach are outstanding) and a star turn by an apparently ailing Gielgud, all mischievous twinkle and cunning. Against this backdrop, Fleetwood cleverly underplays throughout as Molly, a delightful study in self-effacement and quiet tenacity that will eventually lead to catharsis.

Although perhaps not for some, the leisurely pacing really adds to the overall atmosphere. A minor British TV classic!

intriguing story

[moviegoer · 7/10 · 22 January 2000]

Intriguing story about an English family who rent a villa in Tuscany for the summer. Strange things are afoot and the mother/housewife of the family plays amateur sleuth. But it's done in such a very subtle manner--in the typical English manner. There is also a very stated undertone of marital unease that the wife and husband play to perfection. John Gielgud is TERRIFIC as the wife's father--he plays a socialist writer singularly preoccupied with shocking his family by his carefree attitude of love and sexuality--all this despite his advancing years.

It's now available

[rosy-2 · 8/10 · 26 August 2005]

This worthy PBS series is now available on DVD. I watched it back when it was on PBS and have now enjoyed watching it a second time. I remember when I first saw it, I wondered who Susan Fleetwood (Molly) was. I discovered that she was Mick Fleetwood's sister (of Fleetwood Mac fame) and sadly passed on only six years after this series was made. It is an extremely evocative mystery set in the most spectacular place. Just the scenery is enough, not to mention the fabulous house. The only thing I wish is that I understood the mystery better and what Sandra's and Buck's roles were in the water commission thing and why one of the characters was hiding out and had to die!

A superbly atmospheric detective mystery

[donmccon · 10/10 · 28 April 2000]

Scenes from this series have remained with me years after seeing it. On the surface, it's a fairly slow-paced detective story, as the wife of a family summering in Tuscany uncovers a series of disturbing facts about a death that occurred before her arrival. The mystery is well handled, but what is really wonderful is the evocation of the atmosphere of the Italian countryside and its picturesque hill towns. It's also memorable for its over-the-top portraits of the seedy English aristocrats who live or are visiting in the region, especially Sir John Gielgud's portrayal of an unscrupulous octogenarian would-be Lothario. You'll feel you've visited Italy after seeing this, and the memories will be as vivid as those of places you've actually visited. I don't know why this series hasn't been rerun more often.

A Very British Mystery - in Tuscany

[fowler-11 · 16 October 2003]

"Summer's Lease" was the first John Mortimer book that I ever read and it transported me to Tuscany then- and it does so every time that I've read it since. The film version manages to capture much of the magic of the book in a story about a slightly dysfunctional family vacationing in a somehow sinister, rental villa in Tuscany. While the family dynamics appear to be the main purpose of the plot, this is in fact, a mystery as wife Molly searches for details about the mysterious owner of the rented villa; asking questions of the quirky residents of the local `ex-pat' community and following the `della Francesca' trail in search of the art works of Peiro della Francesca, and ultimately `The Flagellation", `undoubtedly the greatest small painting in the world.' The scenery of Tuscany is enhanced by the background music (by a group called Chameleon) in a way the mere pictures could never do - an acceptable compromise for the book's descriptive prose. There are lots of laughs from the antics of the various characters, especially those of Molly's randy father, played to perfection by John Gielgud, but the underlying sense of intrigue is never lost. A very enjoyable mini series that, sadly, is not available on VHS or DVD. Well worth watching it ever appears again.

Excellent on several levels.

[ggfinn · 9/10 · 26 April 2001]

John Mortimer has a slightly wicked sense of humour, well demonstrated in this superbly written and acted work. Not likely to be enjoyed by the non-literate or younger adult, but a treasure for the middle-aged parent. Humor, conflict, sex and mystery are all here in pleasing proportion.

Gielgud plays a randy, pseudo-socialist grandfather. His character and lines allow him to steal the show. Susan Fleetwood as mother and grandaughter gives a standout performance as well, overshadowed only by Gielgud's wonderful material and skills.

Great television is alive and doing well in Britain. It is sad that so few people have had a chance to see this work. It appears to be unavailable for purchase. Those fortunate enough to have made a copy when it ran on PBS, please share it with your friends.

A Nice Little Trip to Tuscany, Complete with Mystery

[Petronius Arbiter II · 10/10 · 22 July 1999]

I can only reiterate the plea of a previous reviewer: This wonderful little mini-series, faithfully rendering one of John Mortimer's quirkier novels, ought to be available on video! It has atmosphere, landscapes, art, history, politics, intrigue, character development, a sympathetic protagonist, comedy, pathos, tragedy... what more could you want? It's a regular little Tuscan antipasto of a mystery story! Well-filmed, well-acted, delightful. The only caveat is that the viewer needs to devote careful attention to the plot development, or you may miss it altogether.

Summer's Lease

[marilutravis · 10/10 · 30 December 2005]

My husband and I were mesmerized when we saw the BBC mini-series and kept checking to see if there was a VHS version, but alas. We are now the very proud and happy owners of a DVD version made available thru Acorn Productions. I ordered our copy thru [e-mail] Each time we watch the 4 part series, we pick up more clues. Excellent work by Mr. Mortimer and all of the actors. Unfortunately, the DVD does not give credit to all of the actors. There were bios for some actors, but not all, including Michael Pennington and others who played key roles. But on behalf of the audience -- to all of them -- BRAVO!!!!

I'm not sure what to think

[Bernie4444 · 9/10 · 11 February 2024]

Molly Praetor (Susan Fleetwood) the mother of three girls has located an Italian Villa (Tuscany) to lease for the summer. This is to the consternation of her husband Hugh (Michael Pennington). Her father Haverford Downs (John Gielgud) catches Hugh in a compromising position and forces his way into their summer vacation in exchange for being discrete.

Molly liked to read Sherlock Holmes as a child and immediately sees mystery and intrigue. She must solve problems such as missing water and a missing landlord.

Everyone looks creepy including Molly's family. Old friends turn up. New friends are made. They all seem creepy too.

I suggest that this is one program that you don't want to be spending your time anticipating what the problem is or you will miss what the problem is. I spent too much time trying to figure out why they all felt like puppets being manipulated and tried to figure out who the bad guys are at the expense of not realizing that everything was straightforward in this miniseries of only four episodes.

John Gielgud received an Emmy award for being the lecherous old fart. You may well suspect that he plays a part in the mysteries.

The character of Molly can be irksome at times as she goes where no woman would go and asks questions that no one would ask; worst of all she puts herself in positions where she should've been dispatched long ago.

The music is much louder than the background dialog and does not match the theme of the story.

I have to confess that I did not read the book at the time of this review.

I am told that the book does a better job of wrapping up loose ends.

The beautiful countryside is almost worth the series just to see it.

one of the best BBC mini-series

[steve-450 · 10 May 1999]

My only wish here is that more people would get to see this wonderful BBC mini-series set in the hillsides of tuscany. Unfortunately, it has not been released for distribution and there is some doubt whether a tape will ever be made available. An English housewife leases a country home in Italy for the summer. The family experiences the beauty of northern Italy and Molly (the mother) also becomes involved in a mystery to unravel. The countryside, including old church frescoes by Giotto takes center stage much of the time, but Sir John Gielgud's character blazes up the screen as the protagonist's eccentric (and randy) father-in-law. His hijinks with an old flame who has happened to settle into the region provide some of the best barrel laughs I can recall from any film. There is also the story of a dull marriage going through a renewal of sorts, as the husband starts to see more deeply into his wife's nature. All the characters are colorful and exquisitely drawn. If it should come up for a pbs replay, don't miss it!

Almost as good as the book...

[KOG_VOS · 12 March 2003]

This drama was superbly cast, especially John Gielgud as Molly's philandering father. However Molly's journey of self discovery was underdeveloped as was the eventual climactic meeting with the mysterious "T. Buckland Kettering".

The scenery of Tuscany is beautiful enough, but the acting does fall down in some places. For anyone wanting to appreciate Mortimer's classic, I suggest you read the book.

I first saw this series on PBS in 1989, and it stands as one of my all-time favorite movies.

[suzannep · 16 July 2001]

I don't need to reiterate anything about this mini series, since all of the previous comments do a good job of giving a thumb-nail sketch of the plot. However, I am willing to beg, borrow or steal a copy of this movie! Does anyone out there have a copy to sell to me??

Copy of Summers Lease located

[jhigginbottom · 7 September 2004]

Further to my comment of 26 December 2002, I wish to alert others - who may wish to offer copies - that I have now located a replacement (PAL VHS) copy of Summers Lease much to the joy of my 90 yo MIL. Many thanks to those users of this data base who responded to my plea. I thought my chances would be very slim given that this title is not available commercially, but very impressed with positive outcome.

I have been unable to remove my previous posting of 26 Dec 2002 (there must be way but I cannot find it - I guess it will time-out eventually), so in order to avoid inconveniencing any more respondents I have posted this follow-up comment.

A long-time family favourite - desperately looking for a copy

[jhigginbottom · 26 December 2002]

I'm writing on behalf of my elderly Mother In Law (86)who has lost her one and only copy of Summer's Lease.

By way of background I should explain that to my ongoing regret I inadvertently taped over her VHS copy - unfortunately - it was not `record' protected.

I have explored a number of obvious avenues but have not been able to track down a copy. Apparently, it is not available on video and as far as I know it has not been repeated on free to air TV in Australia since it was first shown. The ABC originally ran it about 10 years ago which was when my MIL taped her personal copy.

In order to restore my credentials with my MIL (and family harmony!) I am desperately looking to beg, borrow or buy a copy.

I would be grateful if anyone knows where I can obtain a copy - preferably in VHS PAL.