Executive Stress

Recently having subscribed to ACORN TV I discovered many of the British Television shows I had enjoyed like Reggie Perrin and Fresh Fields. But one I had never heard of was Executive Stress with Penelope Keith who I had always enjoyed on the The Good Life. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the first few episodes I was disappointed in the departure of Geoffrey Palmer does anyone know why he was replaced ?

Don't get me wrong. I can complain about very little about this series. Penelope Keith is wonderful. I have to admit that I prefer Geoffrey Palmer as Donald. Peter Bowles characterization is less bewildered and more condescending, which changes its comic timing. Even so, the series is far better than the vast majority of all the drivel you see on TV. Its portrayal of the publishing industry is suitably sarcastic and wonderfully satirical. Having said that, I rarely award anything a rating of 10.

My biggest complaint is that the DVD is available ONLY for Region 2, so those of us who live in the Western Hemisphere are left in the dark (so to speak).

SOMEBODY PLEASE ISSUE THIS DVD FOR REGION 1. Maybe Shout Factory, or some other company that cares more about authenticity than sales volume.

"Bewitched'" switched Darins (unfortunately Darin 1 became ill) we at least write out the character and bring in another if similar character- but I dislike this practice of changing out major characters- so this series was "OK" in the tired sitcom variety. but when I saw Donald was now Peter Boyles, not Geoffery Pqlmer, I thought, that's it for me. A little tired and dated, but it's same format today. and the so called American has an awful American Accent- I am tired of seeing Aussies, English playing Americans. But I have yet to see an English show- with an non-American actor do an American accent. who thinks they can do this successfully (except Hugh Laurie). Martin sheen has played 2 Americans and is always a cartoon character.

2 French shows- recently did it- Origins switched out a great actress because she was "too old"- the replacement is dull and bland. and Julien Baumgarten, in Origins, became Caine, the wheel chair bound detective- (yes it pushes credulity). French TV what gives!.

Penelope Keith is absolutely delicous as Caroline Fielding Fairchild, a woman who wants to return to the publishing world after spending her best years raising her family and taking care of her husband, Donald.

Over the course of the series, we see Caroline and Donald try to keep the secret of their marriage from their co-workers, and the writers continually found original ways to get the characters out of scrapes. Donald's continual refusal of the advances of the lovely Angela Duxbury leads to raised eyebrows and the most comic of complications.

I first saw this series when it was still quite new (I was only about 10 at the time) but it continues to be one of my favourites. As I've gotten older and experienced a bit of the business world, I see just how accurate the series was in portraying the soap opera world of the rat race. If you have a chance to see this hillarious and delightful series, don't miss it!

There aren't greater actors in a situation comedy than Penelope Keith, Geoffrey Palmer and Peter Bowles - Americans have loved them in their various series for decades

Yet for some reason, this series is unavailable to rent or purchase in Region 1 DVDs. PLEASE make them available!