Mr Selfridge

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.

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.

'Mr Selfridge' (PBS)

The great American playwright Neil Simon, in his memoir "Rewrites," recalls that he was on the brink of "replacing" the late actor Jerry Orbach in the Broadway musical "Promises, Promises," when suddenly, Orbach seemed to pull a performing rabbit out of the hat and became absolutely brilliant in the part. The show, an adaptation of the 1960 Oscar-winning film, "The Apartment," had 1,281 performances from December of 1968 to January of 1972, and Orbach won the Tony Award as Best Actor for his performance. I was reminded of this as I watched Jeremy Piven in the title role of the PBS drama series, "Mr Selfridge," which has just begun its second season. The series, a British period piece about Henry Gordon Selfridge, the American who came to London and opened his department store, Selfridge & Co., at the beginning of the 20th century, has clearly been a class production since the moment it premiered (January 6, 2013 in the United Kingdom and March 30, 2013 in the United States). What I was less certain about was Piven. He didn't, at first, seem up to the task of matching stride for stride a cast that was chock-full of fine British actors. My suspicion is that he himself was questioning his abilities. But he had his moments, enough to have hope for him in the second season. He's now proved, as the next go-round gets underway, that like Orbach, he possesses a deep reservoir of talent that has allowed him to pull the performing rabbit out of the hat, doing not only a capable job, but an outstanding one, certainly worthy of consideration when awards season rolls around. Like the Selfridge character itself, a man who matured and evolved from a philandering husband and mercurial businessman to a steady spouse and solid leader, Piven also has grown, delving into the many sides of a truly prismatic man, as complex as he was brilliant, with a sure hand that reveals an actor who knows what he is doing and mesmerizes in the process. The series itself is knee-deep in colorful quality, depicting the landmark Selfridge department store and the period in which it was born with a brilliance that both captivates and explains. The supporting cast is superb _ Frances O'Connor as Selfridge's beleaguered wife, Rose, Aisling Loftus as the blossoming young woman and retail whiz Agnes Tower, Gregory Fitoussi as Selfridge's best friend and business confidant Henri Leclair, Amanda Abbington as the emotionally fragile sales head Miss Mardle (it's nearly impossible to imagine Abbington as the icy, assured Mary Morstan that she so effectively portrays in the BBC's hit series, "Sherlock"), Tom Goodman-Hill as the sad personnel head Mr. Grove, Ron Cook as the ever-dependable right hand man Mr. Crabb, and on an on. But without an effective Piven as Selfridge, the foundation of this universe would crumble. Especially now. The plot is beginning to thicken, as they say, with World War I on the horizon. Complex issues, plots and characters obviously await. It's clear that Piven, as Orbach did decades ago on Broadway, has found his sweet spot with his character. And as with "Promises, Promises," the sky's the limit for "Mr Selfridge."

Once this show got the done-to-death-unnecessary-sex-scene box checked it became original and compelling.

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.