Clatterford: The Complete Season Two
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DVD details
Actor: Dawn French, Patrick Barlow, Rosie Cavaliero, Sue Johnston, Suzy AitchisonBrand: Warner Brothers
Performer: Jennifer Saunders
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 181 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-09-01
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Worldwide
Product features:
- The Women's Guild- it's ideals are to promote truth, justice, tolerance and fellowship- or is it just an excuse for good old gossip? The ladies of the Clatterford Women's Guild are back for a second series of the acclaimed Jam & Jerusalem. Set in a small west country town, Series Two follows the continuing exploits of ex-practice nurse Sal Vine and the memorable - and not a little eccentric -
DVD Reviews of Clatterford: The Complete Season Two
DVD Review: Very disappointed after excellent first season - limited recommendation
Summary: 3 Stars
I wrote a review rhapsodizing over season 1 of Clatterford and couldn't say enough good things. We were on the list to get season 2 the second it became available on Amazon U.S. Alas, we are sadly disappointed. We should have been alerted when we saw a second name on the writing credit. However, we figured Jennifer Saunders would have remained on top of things and kept the characters and plots congruent, as they had been in season 1. The stories flowed so naturally from the characters that we were able to sit back and simply bask. However, season 2 is not in the same category - it is still better than most television, no matter what side of the Atlantic it's being produced, hence the 3 stars - but it certainly is not a 5 star series any more.
I'm going to confess here that a big piece of our disappointment was a totally unbelievable glitch in the behavior of one of the main characters, Sal. Sal's daughter, 36 years old and mother of a young child, is unable to take care of herself, can't make a decent decision, has to live with her mother because she won't/can't find work, and is neglectful of her son. This is not pretty, but it is believable - as is the way Sal alternates between being frustrated beyond reason, and co-dependent to a fault. This rang true to us, as we have a similar situation in our own family - and we identified mightily with all of it- the frustrations, the co-dependency, the futile attempts to expect and demand adult behavior from someone who simply isn't capable of it - and continuing to love and hope despite all evidence to the contrary. It was the first time we'd seen this situation portrayed with sensitivity, honesty, and accuracy in any medium and we were mightily impressed. In Season 1 that is.
Then comes season 2 - wherein Sal, portrayed as an intelligent, experienced woman, who, although co-dependent, is not blind to her daughter's flaws - encourages her to hook up with a man who is in worse mental health than the daughter, addicted to drugs, and even less responsible. Are we to believe that Sal lost enough IQ points in a year to take on a life time of supporting 3 people, rather than passing along the two she's already in bondage to? There is a solid and responsible man who wants to take care of them - are we to believe Sal would actively try to disrupt this happy state of affairs? I don't think so. It is especially annoying because this idiotic plot theme takes up a good bit of the season. Look around you - feckless, aimless, helpless people marry stable people who will take care of them. And then there's changing Tip from a funny, witty, kind, hard working woman who has a difficult life with a man she loves and who loves her - and the fortitude, wisdom, and humor to keep on with it - into a bitter, unhappy, whiner. A conflict with a lot of inappropriate verbal sniping between two other characters - Eileen and Katie is unlikely, unpleasant, and irritating to watch. Given the character development of these two women, it simply wouldn't be. And we are smart enough to know that.
Conflict for conflict's sake is just plain painful (as well as boring and annoying) to watch. This plot technique only causes a person to click the clicker and pop in a different DVD - or go read a well written book. Season 1 of Clatterford we watched virtually in one sitting, it was so compelling. Season 2 we turned off before the disk was done. We will probably finish watching it some time - but we felt no need to lose sleep over it. My only regret about writing this review is that I plan to resell it and have to hope no one reads it before buying!
To be honest, there is some constancy as well, which makes it worth a viewing. Is it that there was only one good season in this setting, with these characters? Certainly I expected there was more gold to be found in Clatterford. Or is it that the firm and talented hand that guided the first season is doing something else, and a television hack writer has taken charge? The acting remains topnotch, it's the writing that has fallen off. We've seen a few television series where that has happened - the originator has said all he/she has to say and moves on, leaving the plotting to a lesser talent. After a season or two of implausible plots and incongruent characterizations, the series simply fades away. What a shame to have this happen to Clatterford.
I am giving a limited recommendation: you will find some of it less than plausible and therefore not nearly as entertaining as season 1; but there is still enough remaining of the superb characters and their doings to be worth a watching. I'm not so sure I'm glad we bought it, however. I would love there to be a season 3, back to the quality of the first season.
Description of Clatterford: The Complete Season Two
Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous, Shrek 2), Dawn French (The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Vicar of Dibley), Sue Johnston (The Royle Family, Waking the Dead), Pauline McLynn (Father Ted), Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones? Diary).Synopsis: The ladies of the Clatterford Women's Guild are back for a second season of side-splitting hilarity! Set in a small west country town, Clatterford follows the continuing exploits of ex-practice nurse Sal Vine and the memorable - and not a little eccentric - members of the local Guild. The Women's Guild - its ideals are to promote truth, justice, tolerance and fellowship - or is it just an excuse for good old gossip? Written by Jennifer Saunders and starring some of the best-loved names in British comedy, Clatterford is a comedy that takes an affectionate look at village life and the empathy and togetherness found in a local community where everyone knows everyone else's business.
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