SERIES 4 AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER As Seen on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre BRAMWELL follows the fortunes of Dr. Eleanor Bramwell (Jemma Redgrave) in her pursuit of public health and private amours in Victorian-er... more »a London. Her goal to become a leading surgeon is an ambition unheard of for women in Victorian society. Eleanor's father Robert would like his daughter to join him in his respectable private practice, but his feisty unconventional daughter has plans of her own which take her from the drawing rooms of the elite to the shocking deprivation of the slums of London's East End. Dr. Bramwell's search for love and professional fulfillment reaches a climax in this final installment of the series. She is now the doctor in charge of inspecting new recruits for the just-declared Boer War. Her fiance Joe Marsham deplores such unlady-like work, but it wins the respect of dashing Major Guy Quarrie, who convinces Eleanor that Dr. Marsham is no fit husband. Eleanor discovers she has unwittingly consigned a little girl to child prostitution after a brothel fire, and she becomes obsessed with locating her. The new manager in charge of her infirmary "The Thrift" is hostile to Eleanor's impulsive ways, but her relentless search for the girl drives her to risk everything.« less
Genres:Drama, Special Interests, Television Sub-Genres:Drama, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Drama Studio:SHANACHIE Format:DVD - Color - Closed-captioned DVD Release Date: 10/05/2004 Release Year: 2004 Run Time: 3hr 30min Screens: Color Number of Discs: 2 SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 5 MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated) Languages:English
"While I loved the beginning series of Bramwell, this series was produced by a different company and didn't seem to understand the characters as well. The acting is still superb, but the writing seems hurried as if the writers were just wanted to finish the production. Although I bought it to get "the end of the story", I was disappointed in the script and lack of character development. I think the second company simply did not have the vision of the first, and it showed, sadly."
Bramwell Series
victorian afficianado | MA USA | 10/12/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The Bramwell series is available at Amazon and was done by Masterpiece theater in the late 1990s. Its the story a woman physician in London in the late 1800s. It has a genuine Victorian atmosphere, a high realism factor, excellent acting, and a wonderful plot. I recommend it to all fans of the Victorian era."
Good, but the first 3 seasons were far better.
Suzanne Jara-almonte | Chester, VA USA | 09/10/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"While the first 3 seasons of Bramwell were delicious entertainment, full of sharp writing and endearing characters, season 4 seems to have come from another place entirely. I found myself even missed the theme song! I thought the writing tortured the two main people in the story and quite frankly, went overboard. Worth watching to see how it ends and of course to see how brilliant Jemma Redgrave's acting is -- no matter what was written for her!"
This is not Bramwell
wjd | 05/10/2008
(1 out of 5 stars)
"The first three seasons were excellent. In Season 4, Jemma Redgrave, Kevin McMonagle and Ruth Sheen were top notch, as was the production in general. However, the storyline was dreadful. The real Bramwell ended with the last episode of Season 3. Season 4 was a waste of money and time."
Destroyer cleverly disguised as Dr. Do Good
Medusa | 03/26/2010
(1 out of 5 stars)
"The character of Eleanor Bramwell expressed it best herself in this last season when she said "It's all me! It's me! I ruin everything I touch!" Yep, she sure did. She was haughty, proud ("I AM the Thrift!")and headstrong, insisting on always having her way and it was always to the detriment of others. In the first three seasons a baby died needlessly in her care as did her infirmary porter, she ruined one relationship after another and now in Season 4 a child prostitute was taken and murdered after she screamed and pleaded w/Dr. Bramwell not to let her go and all b/c Dr. Bramwell was angry and bitter b/c she was exposed for who she really was. She chose bad boys and then whined and became angry when they treated her as bad boys do, w/disrespect. The last one married her but they both admitted that it was a mistake but that didn't matter. Dr. Bramwell got her way yet again.
The first three seasons were excellent; hated the Eleanor Bramwell character but loved Jemma Redgrave's portrayal of her. That rates 5 stars. We truly got a taste of Victorian life both on the posh side and in the slums. Then season 4 came along and it went south from there.
I can't say that I didn't like the acting b/c I did, especially that of Jemma Redgrave as Eleanor Bramwell. However, Season 4 is a travesty. The changes that were made in the set, the lighting and the music alone made me fidget until the very end. Marimbas and drums played throughout? Please.
Avoid Season 4. Be content to be irritated w/Dr. Bramwell at the end of Season 3 b/c it'll be even worse next season. I'm still mad at myself for sitting through Season 4. I should've ejected it and forgotten it. UGH!"