9/10
Timely, interesting and entertaining
18 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I just finished watching the sixth and last episode of The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard on Masterpiece Theatre on PBS in the US. I loved it from the beginning. It's a fast-paced drama/comedy/fantasy/ which deals with the question of whether it is possible for a politician to avoid corruption. The way it plays out is intriguing and fun, with lots of good dialogue.

It's timely for us in the US because we have an administration which is certainly the most corrupt and destructive in our history. Current events are often used as reference points in the series, but it's not heavy-handed concerning Bush and things concerning the US.

In fact, I found it a wonderful escape from what is going on. What a fantasy: Someone in charge, a common person herself, who is determined to remain completely for the people, who promises the British people that she will never lie to them or mislead them and never forgets that promise; she is always conscious of it. We see an ordinary person take on the burdens of leadership and struggle to maintain her family life at the same time.

All the actors were good for the roles. Jodhi May again demonstrates her acting skills and versatility; Janet McTeer is outstanding, as usual -- I would watch it again just for her expressions and body language. It is beyond me how and why anyone could comment that the acting is bad, though I can understand why one of the viewers was upset that everyone in the series was white. Actually, that's not entirely true because a South Asian character is in a couple of episodes.

I didn't give it a full ten because I dislike the way it ends -- it leaves things hanging and we have to guess what might happen. But it might be that I am just upset that it is over.
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