AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Limerculer A waste of 90 minutes of my life

Joseph Davies was ahead of his time with the concept for this show, much of which seems more like something one would find on air now. I was so disappointed to find out that, not only is this nearly 20 years off air, but that there are only two seasons. This show has so much going on for viewers. Yes, the first three episodes are a bit tedious. But SOOOOOO worth it. I'm in the middle of season two and absolutely heartbroken that there isn't more coming. While I already respected Davies and his work on Dr. Who, this really trumps some of that. And if you are familiar with his Dr. Who work, you know that a Davies episode is going to take everything you know, or think you know, and turn it on it's head. This show does that every scene. And you are there going "wait, no, no, he didn't, he just didn't, NOOOOOOO!" and loving every minute of it while he does it. Unlike many other period dramas, this one really keeps true to the time. The characters, the dress, the 1920s, it's all so expertly crafted.

Blueghost Man, I haven't seen so many cat fights since General Hospital, Days of our Lives, or as the World Turns hit the mid-afternoon time slots and infested American television way back when."The Grand" is a series heralding from the mid 90s about the trials and tribulations of a family owned and run hotel in Manchester England circa the first World War. It's a period piece, and full of vibrant female characters and interpersonal conflicts that should appease the most ardent of female viewer-ship. Ostensibly we're looking the social schism of English mid upper society and their servants, and the intrigues that culminate from that rift and intermingling. Blue bloods and working girls looking for survival, life and love, all the while internecine fighting takes place with the occasional slap, punch, scratch or hair pull after a verbal confrontation conflagrates. As a guy who, to be honest, welcomes a break from the usual guns and spaceship fare I'm so often exposed to, I do have to admit to getting a little weary of a recycling of themes here. But, when you're aiming for the classic Jane Austen like set (perhaps fast forward 50 or so years), you're going to get a little repetition in the story and thematic departments. Still, it is a visually attractive, well written, and exceptionally well acted piece of televised theatre. Exceptionally well shot for a TV production (not to mention very well lit, and I rarely say that about any TV show), this is a show to see, if only once.The themes are adult in nature, so parents with pre-teen girls (or even boys if they're so inclined) might want to screen or caution their young ones as they watch.Enjoy.

hjmsia49 What really struck me about this series was the numerous similarities between the characters in The Grand and Upstairs/Downstairs. As the Grand characters developed, I easily linked them to similar characters in the original classic U/D. Immediately evident is the sharp class distinction between the rich and poor. The Bannermans upstairs so resembled the Bellamys in U/D. Both husbands were well meaning oafs too busy to recognize the problems of their family members. They each had a despicable brother. Both wives had an affair though they claimed to love their husbands. Both sons were severely damaged by WWI and both owned a pistol. Both daughters were rebellious. Four members of each family with a strong grandmother showing up periodically. The roles of both head porter Collins and Head Butler Hudson were almost interchangeable. Both very observant, often shocked yet always subservient to their masters. Mr. Collins had Clive and Hudson had Edward as their loyal assistants. Head maid Kate was much like head maid Rose in U/D, always looking after the problem peers Monica and Sarah. Both series had one of the downstairs girls dying at the end of a rope. Each series had a villainous character downstairs, tormenting Monica at the Grand and Sarah in U/D (Lady Marjorie's ladies maid). The main difference in the two series is that few of the characters in the Grand were likable. Poor Susan Hampshire labored mightily for us to empathize with her Madam character but even her immense talents could not make Esme likable. Marcus Bannerman was a classic villain, well played by Mark McGann. While one can easily watch Upstairs/Downstairs repeatedly, The Grand is just too sordid for more than one viewing. The acting is excellent, the settings impressive and while it captures the essence of the period, it's not worth a second look.

sraftom-1 My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed The Grand. The other review on this page is accurate in all of it's particulars but does not capture the feeling of opulence and grandeur that the series brings to the small screen. Contrary to the other comments, one does care about the characters from the original Bannerman's to the quintessential bad guy, Marcus. The writing, though smattered with some convenient dramatic plot devices, is terrific. The single best episode, when Clive goes home to see his father, is a masterpiece of writing, with compassion for someone "different", the ultimate outsider among so many others in this cast of characters. The unexpected turn at the end is marvelous. We are watching "Duchess of Duke Street" concomitantly with "TG" and the acting is so much better and deeper, the characters so much more filled out and the story lines so much better, that there is no comparison. We highly recommend that you stick with it. You will be rewarded. Incidentally, we got this out of our public library on VHS, so look for it there.