Description: From the creators of Upstairs, Downstairs (Jean Marsh, Eileen Atkins) comes an addictive drama series set in the era of flappers and suffragettes. Louise Lombard (Hidalgo, CSI) and Stella Gonet (Nicholas Nickleby) star as Evangeline and Beatrice Eliott, daughters of a prominent doctor who must support themselves after their profligate father dies and leaves them penniless. They have no education or training, just a passion for fashion design. As suitors try to woo them and scoundrels try to trip them up, they make independent, exciting lives for themselves and the women they employ in their house of haute couture. Seen on A&E, PBS, and BBC America. Winner of top awards for costume design, including an Emmy(r) and a BAFTA.
Amazon.com: Family secrets, scandal, thwarted love, intriguing characters, and great clothes: what more could an Anglophile want for a satisfying series of evening entertainment? The House of Eliott, which originally aired in the U.K. from 1991 to 1993, has it all. Stella Gonet and Louise Lombard star as Beatrice and Evangeline Eliott, two free-spirited, talented sisters whose lives come unraveled when their father dies and leaves them unexpectedly broke. Their discovery of where his money went is just the first of several betrayals that befall them as they struggle to start their own fashion business. Yes, it's about women and clothes, but The House of Eliott is much more than a chick flick. Bea and Evie's determination to make it on their own terms reflects every artist's struggle, and the fact that they are women trying to start a business in 1920s England adds another layer to that challenge. They are helped and hindered by a wide-ranging cast of characters: a freewheeling photographer, an impostor half-brother, a stuffy cousin and even stuffier aunt, temperamental bosses, and a handful of dedicated employees. Several of the supporting characters face their own struggles in subplots that are seamlessly woven into the main story. Series creator Jean Marsh's introductions helpfully remind the viewer where the last episode left off and also providing valuable historical background on fashion, politics, and women's rights. The characters that Marsh and the actors have jointly created are so compelling that watching the closing credits feels like bidding farewell to old friends. --Larisa Lomacky Moore
Like Watching Paint Dry... Yes, watching The House of Eliott is quite a bit like watching paint dry... Farrow and Ball paint in Porphyry Pink, whilst sitting in a comfortable armchair with a nice cup of tea and a biscuit. Meaning this is lovely for those of us who prefer the slow drip of Englishy Atmosphere to a big shot of American Action. Unfortunately all of the BBC productions nowadays, even the new adaptations of Dickens and Austen, are filmed and cut in the requisite "Law and Order" style which in my opinion has become exceedingly tiresome indeed. This was one of the last BBC soundstage productions that has that old "I, Claudius" or "Pennies From Heaven" look, which I have a strange nostalgia for. The pace, as I've said, is super-slow but somehow one sinks into it and is charmed (even my husband begrudgingly admitted "This show is alright"). Simply, it's the story of two pretty sisters who start up a fashion house in 1920's London. The actresses are adorable and the clothes are all kinds of awesome. Oh, and I have big love for any show that name-checks the great French abstract artist and designer Sonia Delaunay.
INCOMPLETE iT'S A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY TO WASTE WHEN YOU CAN ONLY GET 3 VOLUMES OUT OF FOUR. THE BOOK HAS THE FOURTH PART SO BETTER PLAN ON BUYING THAT, TOO
Excellent Period Drama The house of Eliott is an excellent British series about two sisters suddenly left penniless in postwar England. To make ends meet they take in sewing, and eventually open a dress shop. The two sisters are very good friends with the older sister (Bea) being the more practical sister and the younger sister (Evie) more impulsive and kind hearted.
I liked the series a great deal. The costumes, historic detail and characters are wonderful. At times I found myself annoyed by Evie (who I thought was occasionally inconsiderate and selfish), but that's what makes great characters. They are memorable and flawed. I also didn't care for the suffragette character who was a bit harsh in her judgement of her fellow man. Sometimes listening to her scolding other characters for their selfish ways ruined the mood (at least for me). While I concede poverty and inequity are serious issues, having her bray about it bored me.
5 stars. Excellent.
Superb This fabulous series, a hit around the world, was not filmed in London, but in my ex home city of Bristol, in the Clifton district and in the country houses of Wiltshire, such as Stourhead, and surrounding countryside to be exact. Many locations I know well and recognise. Clifton is a mini Bath, with similar fashionable features, buildings and parks, and my distant ancestor, the Spanish Empress Eugenie also lived there in the 19th century. However, it provided the BBC with an ideal place to film this series and it created a gripping rags to riches tale of two sisters making it in the 1920s fashion trade, and the stunning costumes were second to none. An added dash of romance, a horrible villan who got his just deserts, a gorgeous damsel, the perfect English rose at his mercy, plus lots of other characters providing fun and entertainment and plenty of meaty story lines, not to mention glamour by the bucket load, and you have a dvd set to treasure. Having the series on dvd now, means it is preserverd for future generations and the picture will never fade. Once again, this is the BBC at its very best, justly proving its reputation for great drama at home and abroad. The dvd set is a worthwhile addition to any home collection and I will certainly be adding each set as they come.
A classic for women Although this series is from the early '90s, I only recently discovered it. A timeless story about coming of age - for both of the main characters, as well as the transitional time period of the 1920's for women. The story caught me immediately as I could relate to the characters struggle. While the two sisters have grown up comfortable and sheltered, their father's sudden death leaves them with an uncertain future. Their realistic fate greets them with constant challenges to be overcome. The older sister Beatrice has a great deal of emotional baggage from having to raise her sister and missing her chance at marriage. According to her time period she might be considered an old maid, so she is understandably a little bitter and uncompromising. However, she is a likeable character with much creativity and sensibility. Evangeline, the younger sister, seems intelligent but often immature. Portrayed as most young adults as being opinionated without experience, but her innocence makes her charming and creative. She is free from the baggage that her sister carries, however life will not leave her unaffected. Obviously it is on this age difference and maturity that the sisters often clash despite their close relationship. The series also delves into the 1920s lifestyle describing women on the verge of independence. Some are clinging to the outdated traditions, while others are embracing the change. Needless to say that the sets and fashions in the series are excellent.
The DVD visual quality seems adequate, although I agree with another review that the sound quality is poor. Music seems loud, while taking too low. I've had the volume at max as well. And a shame there are no captions or subtitles to make up for this audio lack. I also wish there were some extras to go with the series.
Overall, I would highly recommend the series. I watched it with my mother, so its a great show to share with someone else.
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