The Canterville Ghost

Ignore the off-putting opening minutes of this, where Caroline Catz and James Lance try to speak with American accents. This is a well made and enjoyable family entertainment with some fine performances from the rather large cast. (I thought Laurel Waghorn was particularly good as Virginia Otis.)

I don't know how much this deviates from the original story by Oscar Wilde, but I thought this version was well written and quite affecting as Sir Simon's backstory is revealed.

As a Briton, I didn't care much for some of the UK versus US stuff, but I guess this had to have an element of locals versus immigrants and railing against the strange ways of foreigners.

Watched this over Christmas with my wife and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The cast were uniformly good,(..tho the twin boys were a little stilted,at times,not a dealbreaker,though...). Always had a soft spot for James Lance since he helped Alan Partridge tune in to 'Bangkok Chick Boys' in his Travelodge Room and he was good in this with a passable American accent,(..ditto,his screen wife..). Haydn Gwynn essentially played the same part she played in the riotous,irreverent 'The Windsors'....absolutely nothing wrong with that,might I add but for us the star of this production was Tony Head as the Ghost,making us smile whenever he was on screen. It was just good old-fashioned Family entertainment and we loved it.

I thought this mini series was a great family series. There isn't a bunch of violence or sex and it is family entertainment. I miss really great series' like this . I hope they make more.

This story has been told and retold in film many times. This remake is a fun rendition with great location shots and beautiful camera work! Worth the time!

Right from the start you know they didn't have much money to spend on this production.

There is a 'horse riding' scene that looks like something from a 1930s comedy.

The father is wearing a wig straight out of the dressing up box, yet the show won an Emmy for outstanding makeup and hairstyling!

The mother has an 'American' accent that changes often, sometimes in the middle of a sentence. I expect more from Caroline Katz even if the budget didn't include money for a voice coach. We will never be able to mock Dick van Dyke's 'cockney' accent again!

BYUtv part funded this so it will have been shown in America, I assume it was re-dubbed.

On the plus side Lizzy Connelly has fun playing 'Moppy' Stilton, her description of her 'charity' work in Africa is hilarious and maybe rather too close to the truth.

Overall it passed the time and the whole family can watch it but it should have been much better.