Having read Ellis Peters's "Cadfael" novels first, I regret that I was a little disappointed by some of the episodes in this series. "One Corpse Too Many" and "The Sanctuary Sparrow" were probably the best. "The Leper of Saint Giles" and "The Virgin in the Ice" show the bad features of the series at their worst.
On the plus side, the locations, costumes and overall authenticity of the series are good. Some supporting actors give excellent performances, especially Michael Culver and Albie Woodington. Most of the guest appearances are also well performed in a nicely restrained style. It is a shame that we have not seen more of Sarah Badel (Sister Avice) and Geoffrey Leesley (Sheriff Prestcote), especially as they are quite important to the plots of several episodes, and their absence seems to leave the plots a little contrived.
On the minus side, the continuity of more than one episode leaves a lot to be desired. Fleeing characters are inches ahead of their pursuers in one shot and leading by hundreds of yards in the next. The series was mostly filmed in Hungary and most of the Hungarian minor characters, while very photogenic, are being very badly dubbed indeed.
The worst feature of the bad episodes is the way the plot is sometimes butchered to fit the time available. This can leave viewers who have not read the book in question baffled, especially as the thing is supposed to be a "Whodunnit", and without the necessary development some solutions seem to owe rather too much to divine inspiration.
Finally, while Derek Jacobi's acting is as superb as always, he would not have been my natural choice in the role. In the first place, Cadfael's welsh nationality has been dropped. This admittedly is of importance in one episode only ("A Morbid Taste for Bones") and perhaps in another ("Monk's Hood"). More important, he seems rather too refined and donnish to be the former common soldier, crusader and seaman he professes himself to be. Few actors could play such a role as originally penned: Philip Madoc would be one, Gareth Thomas another.
On the plus side, the locations, costumes and overall authenticity of the series are good. Some supporting actors give excellent performances, especially Michael Culver and Albie Woodington. Most of the guest appearances are also well performed in a nicely restrained style. It is a shame that we have not seen more of Sarah Badel (Sister Avice) and Geoffrey Leesley (Sheriff Prestcote), especially as they are quite important to the plots of several episodes, and their absence seems to leave the plots a little contrived.
On the minus side, the continuity of more than one episode leaves a lot to be desired. Fleeing characters are inches ahead of their pursuers in one shot and leading by hundreds of yards in the next. The series was mostly filmed in Hungary and most of the Hungarian minor characters, while very photogenic, are being very badly dubbed indeed.
The worst feature of the bad episodes is the way the plot is sometimes butchered to fit the time available. This can leave viewers who have not read the book in question baffled, especially as the thing is supposed to be a "Whodunnit", and without the necessary development some solutions seem to owe rather too much to divine inspiration.
Finally, while Derek Jacobi's acting is as superb as always, he would not have been my natural choice in the role. In the first place, Cadfael's welsh nationality has been dropped. This admittedly is of importance in one episode only ("A Morbid Taste for Bones") and perhaps in another ("Monk's Hood"). More important, he seems rather too refined and donnish to be the former common soldier, crusader and seaman he professes himself to be. Few actors could play such a role as originally penned: Philip Madoc would be one, Gareth Thomas another.