Rent The Pallisers: Vol.4 (1974)

From another age of television - The Pallisers: Vol.4 review by SB

This review is of Episodes 21 onwards, which cover the two novels 'The Prime Minister' and 'The Duke's Children'.

The first thing to say is that this is not Trollope in any real sense. Yes, the characters and main plot outlines are there, but the affectionate authorial commentary is absent and many of the characters are far from being the same as those in the novels. Some characters don't suffer too much from this – Plantagent Palliser, for example, and Lady Glencora, who has too much airtime but is adequately done by Susan Hampshire, an actress whom I dislike but brings out the character's weakness and vanity.

Others fare less well. In 'The Prime Minister' episodes, Lopez is too much the peevish matinee idol, while Emily is reduced to a simpering wife, whereas she is a strong intelligent woman with a sheltered upbringing who is undone by love of a bad man. And her wily curmudgeon of a lawyer father is shown here as just a shrewd English gentleman who feels able to physically push Lopez about. The last of these three episodes (23) is possibly the best.

When we move into episodes 24-26 covering 'The Duke's Children' the general quality is maintained. Susan Hampshire becomes tiresome in her dying, but there is good work from Philip Latham and Anthony Andrews as father and son, and Kate Nicholls as the spirited daughter. Jeremy Irons' part of Frank Tregear is rather underwritten. Some of the seedier characters are played well. Overall, this is a fitting conclusion to the series.

The settings and costuming are appropriately, even lavishly, done and considering that the series is nigh on 50 years old, the technical quality is acceptable. The spaciousness – 26 episodes for the whole series – is of another age.