magical-kingdom
A Place to Call Home: a gripping, captivating tale, reminiscent of Downton Abbey but with more scandal.Focusing on an aristocratic Australian family saga during the early to mid 1950's. The acting is phenomenal, and the series is very well written. It addresses a wide range of many social issues that are still relevant today. Shocking secrets, twists and turns and lies to keep you thoroughly involved. Characters to admire and abhor.Sarah,lead female character is brimming with wisdom. Showing great endurance, determination to keep the faith and poise. The series is a great teacher of history, human pain and modern issues that still remain unresolved in society. Jack and Olivia are other favorites.Patriarch George, a good man at heart but narrow-minded. He has difficulty with acceptance, understanding and empathy. Likely attributed to his Matriarch Mother Elizabeth who thrives on running other lives and cannot be described as a lady who wishes everyone well. Really enjoyed seeing her change while recognizing her shortcomings. George is much slower following her lead.Villains: Regina and Sir Richard. Two of a kind evil incarnated individuals. Hope to see them both get their comeuppance without further damaging consequences to other characters. So pleased to discover this wonderful binge worthy series.
pensman
A series that relies on Anti-Semitism to work but good old hatred and envy run a close second. Sarah Adams, Marta Dusseldorp, is returning to Australia after being away for twenty years. On the ship bringing her home, she is working as a nurse and she stops passenger James Bligh, David Berry, from killing himself. This chance encounter brings her into the life of the Bligh family. The male head of the family George Bligh, Brett Climo, forms a relationship with Sarah which brings down the wrath of his mother Elizabeth, Noni Hazlehurst, and the vicious jealously of his sister-in- law Regina Standish, Jenni Baird. While there are subplots aplenty in this high-class soap, it is watching the extreme viciousness of the females that will make most watch. There is a homosexual son, illegitimate babies, family secrets revealed, more skeletons (secrets) than closets, the aftermath of WW II, and far too many coincidences. Only thing left out, barely, is an Oedipus complex. The series also has a great musical score. Great fun overall but can get a bit tendentious at times. I have to admit at the end of season two episode four both I and my wife decided enough. A soap usually strains credulity but this series just didn't know how to stop becoming a caricature or what Sherwood Anderson would have classified as a grotesque.
