Mr Selfridge

When I first read about the show I was skeptical, but I found I fell in love with it from first view. The way the story is distributed among multiple characters is definitely something you don't see every day, or at least not with the quality that "Mr Selfridge" has. I'm reminded how relationships run on the fast track, how they lack foundation and are never really secure, how decisions are made on a whim, when you're overwhelmed or when you feel you need more from life that you're currently getting. The fact that everyone is susceptible to passion and making mistakes is at the core of all human beings and the cast of the show portray it beautifully through a much needed emotional acting that most shows fail to provide. The splendor of the fashion world and the eagerness of the workers reveal the inner beauty of times long gone. Mr Selfridge has become one of my favourite period dramas and I have high hopes for its future.

I'm a late arrival to this true gem of a series, giving me the distinct benefit and joy of watching back-to-back episodes in a binge viewing. Frankly, my initial reaction was "what could be interesting about a department store?" I'm glad I went with a friend's recommendation and had a view.

Mr. Selfridge is a finely handled period piece which continues the tradition of exceptional British drama. Jeremy Piven is an inspired choice for Mr. Selfridge, showing his dramatic chops once again in a difficult and demanding role. I've often thought Mr. Piven had more to show us, and this series gives him the opportunity.

As well, the rest of the cast is strong and well-defined. It didn't take long to get hooked into the varied tribulations, trials and triumphs of the characters.

As a confirmed Downton Abbey fan, I thought this series would be a pale copy. I was wrong. It holds it's own very well. The challenge of balancing the factual aspects of Selfridge's history with the fictional, yet realistically painted accounts of the people behind the store, has been very capably managed by the writers. The drive, innovation, quality and forward thinking of the actual Selfridge has been captured here in a way that makes the viewer see how astonishing and astute Selfridge the businessman was.

Kudos to everyone involved. And the theme music for the series is truly inspired. Every time I hear it, I want to shop.

As a Downton Abbey fan, completely out of episodes to watch, I was grateful to have Mr. Selfridge to turn to. With a week of completely free-form time on my hands I wanted the great luxury of spending a decadent number of consecutive hours consuming an entire season of shows in one sitting, night after night. Mr. Selfridge filled the bill beautifully. Oh, it is pretty light and with a few dropped threads, but no matter, I was happy from the opening score. The characters are easy to develop an affection for, especially Mr. Harry Selfridge. Over the course of the three seasons you witness a man rising to the top of his game, operating a large department store in turn of the 20th century London. Typical birth-life-death situations, plus the extraordinary game changer of World War One, unfold in the lives of Harry, his family and selected employees. Throughout it all, important lessons are learned, while the bad actors ultimately get their comeuppance. One unexpected dimension was the historical look at the development of department store marketing. While not presented in- depth, there was sufficient homage paid to innovations risked by Mr. Selfridge to give a good insight into the evolution of retailing. Window dressers in particular will love the series!

I am loving this series and the details that the production company have put into the costumes and sets are a delight to watch. The hats (referring to some of the previous reviews) are in keeping of the time and reflect, with some humour, some the huge hats women wore at this time. Though I am sure that Mrs Selfridge would have had more hats as she was very wealthy would be nice to see her wearing a few more designs (hint hint ). The cast is very well put together a nice mix of interesting characters, reminds me of the original series of Upstairs Downstairs showing both the upper class and working class characters. I hope they continue to explore all of these characters as well Mr Selfridge.

Some people have made mention to the lack of locations used in the series so far, myself I actually like the fact that it's not filmed in hundreds of locations. With good story and characters I don't need to be shown lots of location filming to grab my interest. Though it would be quite nice to see some more of the homes of the workers. As much as I am enjoying this series as pure entertainment I am actually finding it historically interesting to see the beginnings of the modern department store that we know today. Having worked in department store myself I found all those little details such as the introduction of the perfume counter at the front of the store very interesting from a geeky historian point of view lol. Over all a Lovely series to watch on a Sunday night, I hope there will be a 2nd series, nice to see ITV doing more period dramas.

When I saw this series advertised, I thought- Ah yes, another period series. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love series set decades (or in this case, a century) ago. However, in recent times, with the growth in number of these shows, I worry that some are churned out lacking the necessary quality and are present more as an exhibition of period clothing than exceptional story lines. This show, however, was just excellent in my opinion. It challenges viewers whilst capturing the time period. The characters are all divine in their ways. One even finds a place in their hearts for the least desirable characters on the show. I think Mr Selfridge, as well as Call the Midwife, should be ranked and awarded as highly as Oscar-winning Mad Men. Mr Selfridge surpasses expectations by tenfold. For viewers reading this review, who agree with my appreciation of Mr Selfridge, I also recommend Call the Midwife.