Search - Rumpole of the Bailey, Set 3 - The Complete Seasons 5, 6 & 7 on DVD

Rumpole's Last (TV) Cases

Thomas Munzer | Washington, DC | 08/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am very glad that all the Rumpole's are on DVD. Now I can toss my ageing collection of tapes pieced together from PBS broadcasts over the years when the series was on TV--and not a complete collection at that. "Mystery!" host Vincent Price once said, "We may not have had all the Rumpole's we'd like, but we've liked all the Rumpole's we've had." Amen. I've always felt that the series was basically about friendship and a humorous acceptance of human shortcomings: things we need throughout life. I think that is why the episodes retain their freshness no matter how may times you see them. The slipcase packaging makes it easy to select an individual disk from the set."

As good as ever

A viewer | Northern Michigan,USA | 08/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Rumpole is as good as ever in Set 3.Photography,acting,story line
are all excellent.Sound could be louder-but at least is fairly
consistent.As uaual,Rumpole wins many of his cases (right at the
end),while often patching up relationships of chambers members.In
turn,he is sometimes helped (re relationships)by one of the two
female barristers.The London scenery is a plus for me. You'll
want to read the reviews of Moore and Behrens of Set 1 regarding
McKern's acting career.Their reviews are just as applicable to
Set 3. Happy viewing!"

Rumpole For Eternity

John D. Cofield | 01/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here are the (alas) final three seasons of Rumpole of the Bailey. Despite the fact that Leo McKern had been playing Horace Rumpole for over ten years, and that John Mortimer had been writing Rumpole stories for longer than that, these episodes are all fresh and funny. The usual suspects are all present, of course: She Who Must Be Obeyed, Soapy Sam, Miz Liz Probert (played by Abigail McKern, who provides some nice reminiscences of her father and of filming the Rumpole series) and sundry petty-criminal types like the Timsons.

Longtime Rumpole aficionados will wonder from time to time about some of the continuing questions of the series: Why does Phillida put up with her always-unsuccessfully-trying-to-philander husband Claude Erskine-Brown? Where do all these highly bred but incompetent barristers Soapy Sam keeps trying to make room at Equity Court by squeezing Rumpole into retirement for come from? (etc, etc,) We'll never get all the answers, but it will always be fun to watch and wonder.

The episodes in these last three series are usually set in and around London in various courts, but occasionally Rumpole goes further afield and tries cases in the shires. Once he even takes on a Prosecution! (He regrets it almost at once, of course.) The last episode is one of the best: when Rumpole gets in trouble yet again with Justice Oliphant and gets a complaint lodged against him that could result in his disbarment, She Who Must Be Obeyed and Miz Liz make common cause with Soapy Sam to save the day.

Although the seven series were filmed over a period from the late 70s to the early 90s, they remain timeless and undated, like Rumpole himself. What a wise decision John Mortimer made not to seek another actor to play Rumpole when Leo McKern retired!"

Best of the Rumpole Box Sets

W. Bolam | La Mesa, CA USA | 09/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a Rumpole Superfan I love all the changes that occured through the years. "Set 3" has most of my favorite episodes (Quality of Life & On Trial), and is the least dated. Buy this one first and you're sure to have Sets 1 & 2 soon!"