Search - Doctor Finlay - Volume 2 on DVD

A series to be watched, and watched again

Born to Read | Metro New York area | 12/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I loved the first series of Doctor Finlay - but I loved Volume 2 more. Like Series One, it is brilliantly scripted, acted, and filmed in the fictional Scottish town of Tannochbrae, and its post-World War II setting is impeccably recreated (although at a time when rationing was still in effect in Britain, there seemed to be a rather large supply of meat in Part 4 of Series One). But what I found particularly captivating about Series Two is that the episodes center on the main characters, themselves. There's square-jawed Doctor Finlay (David Rintoul), solid and focused but still unattached after his two romantic frustrations of Series One. And the retired Dr. Cameron (Ian Bannen), wise in the ways of the world, yet merry and always ready for a `wee dram.' And handsome Dr. David Neil (Jason Flemyng), the new partner: beneath his capable but feckless façade lies a young and inexperienced heart that, in both series, takes medical science's inadequacies all too personally. And last but hardly least, there's the inestimable Janet (Annette Crosbie), housekeeper for decades at `Arden House' where the doctors and their practice reside; never married, she becomes engaged to the local pharmacist in Series Two, but clearly has mixed feelings about radically altering her life at this late stage.

Series Two does not defer to the current need for satisfying `closure' on every issue. Patients with problems are introduced but, just as in real life, their stories do not necessarily resolve to our satisfaction if, indeed, they resolve at all. The series instead concentrates on the relationships among the main characters. And, as in real life, we find in them the full spectrum of emotions: love, longing, conflict, fear, all packaged in captivating tales that not only entertain us, but also enrich us by teaching us about ourselves. We could hardly ask more from a drama.

This is a beautiful series that I will treasure as part of my collection. I plan to watch it again, and I'm sure I will enjoy it even more the second time around
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Splendid Doctor Finlay series continues...

J. Bentrup | East Coast and the world | 01/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Doctor Finlay series was one of my FAVORITE programs to ever run on PBS. Unfortunately, PBS only showed the first two series. (Great Britain had 4 series of this program, I think.) Series 2 continues the stories of these well-drawn characters.

I was delighted to see this series available on Amazon and have purchased Series 1-3. (Note to Amazon: please make series 4 available!)

This series would appeal to fans of "All Creatures Great and Small" and to those who have enjoyed other programs about life in post-WWII Britain. The actors are superb and do a great job making you truly care about the characters and their lives. David Rintoul, who was a fantastic Mr. Darcy, and whom I still slightly prefer to the Colin Firth version of Darcy, is engaging as Dr. Finlay. His character and those played by Ian Bannen, Annette Crosbie, and Jason Flemyng are all multi-dimensional and each is endearing in his/her own way. The secondary characters are well drawn too.

The stories are very true to life with twists, turns, misunderstandings, and not always a happy ending. I love the characters in this series, the "ambience" of the time period, the scenery, and the insights into what life was truly like at that point in time. It was also interesting to me to learn more about the changes in the healthcare system in Britain and how they impacted the Brits -though deep interest in medicine is not necessary to enjoy this series.

I hope others will take a chance on a wonderful entertaining evocative series! I will be starting series 3 later this afternoon! ENJOY!

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