Monarch Of The Glen - Complete Series 1-7 Box Set [DVD] [2000]

I was torn between four and five stars. Five star wise - I never saw this on TV, but can now well understand why it was such a big success, and lasted for so many years. The basic set up - an estate in the Highlands, providing ecstatic backdrops, peopled by a mix of charcaters, provides light-hearted, addictive, escapist entertainment. Great for kicking your shoes off and having a quiet night in. But it is certainly not intellectual stuff, the writing (by too many different writers) can sometimes be laughably repetitive, and on the four star side the various departures as the series progresses are sometimes annoying. Susan Hampshire is a joy, and thankfully is in all series, but various lesser known actors decided, having succeeded in major parts here, to try their luck elsewhere, and , frankly, have dissappeared without trace. The biggest dissappointment is the change of young laird from Archie to Paul, which also required the departure of Archie's partner, and replacement by a string of Paul hopefuls. This makes the box set uneven. That said, we enjoyed it and would recommend. Some excellent cameos from Julian Fellowes (perfectly caste - if only he had also taken over the writing....) and others. The House and the estate are the real stars.

Delightful series from start to finish. It's a shame they don't make them like this anymore. It was particularly good because the 7th series tied up all the loose ends and it was actually completed rather than just abandoned like some long running series are. The subtitles were of benefit to me, and overall the disc quality was good except for an irritating glich on two of the episodes where the sound kept breaking up a little. Would certainly buy again and having the dvd's meant we could watch it as and when we fancied.

In today's troubled times, it's a good idea to watch something nice. Something not too taxing on the brain, with well-written characters, lovely scenery and quite a bit of comedy. Monarch of the Glen is such a show, dating back to the early 2000s.I missed it when it was originally shown on the BBC, due to working away from home. My loss. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I finished the DVDs of "Hamish Macbeth", another show set in rural Scotland with much darker plots, murders and supernatural elements. Monarch of the Glen popped up on my radar and I took a punt on the complete boxed set. Glad I did.

'Monarch of the Glen' is a wonderful series. The scenery is outstanding. As with most series, the actors get the credit for bringing to life that which is created on paper by the writer. During its length MOG had 12 Directors, 17 Writers and 15 Producers, with extra staff of over 300: what a marvelous job these people in the background did. I can't name any of them but the main actors and actresses stick in my mind.Alexander Morton - Golly Mackenzie a rather solemn man of few words: always softly spoken.Susan Hampshire - Molly Macdonald a delight to behold.Hamish Clark - Duncan McKay, a person with schoolboy charm, lacking in confidence but with great appeal.Dawn Steele - Lexie McTavish, a charming lassie with a devilish streak in her. (Kellyanne Farquhar - Amy McDougal who came into the later episodes, in looks, could have been Dawn Steele's daughter: she isn't.)Richard Briers - Hector MacDonald, the likeable, if somewhat potty, head of the household.....Just a few of the actors/actresses who will be instantly recognizable.To appreciate just how engaging this leisurely moving series is, get it on your DVD shelf: you will not be disappointed.

For fans of the series this is an absolute must! If you have not viewed the original series then what are you waiting for? Fabulous Scottish scenery, great quirky script - you will be drawn into to this wonderful highland drama. Sooo glad I bought this set to watch again.

What can I say about this excellent series? When I brought the box set, I hadn't actually seen a single episode (just snippets here and there when it was originally aired) but from the off I was absolutely hooked.The acting, the scenery, even the score, all combines to make an absolute delight to watch. To steal from another box set I own - you don't just watch it - you live it! And you do - you genuinely care about the characters, you feel their happiness or sadness, and you just can't wait to see what happens next. It's like you have a second family living in the `big house'. So many box sets I own become rather tiresome by the time you get to the end, but not Monarch of the Glen. When the final credits roll, it's back to the beginning to enjoy it all over again!The casting is spot on - even the less likeable characters don't outstay their welcome so as to annoy, but there are departures along the way which will have you reaching for the tissues.I could waffle on all day about how much I treasure MoTG, but I won't - just take my word for it!My only gripe (but not big enough to lose a star) is the fact that the series information on the back of the box, and in some instances the images on the DVDs themselves, actually give away spoilers for what is coming up. Not a problem if you've already seen it, but a shame for anyone coming to the series for the first time. So if you're a newbie, I'd advise not to read the back of the box (it may be more difficult to avoid the DVD labels though!)

This set has just arrived and I am very exited about 60 plus hours of drama at the big hoose! I have been watching repeats on Drama (channel 20) and have been surprised how little I remembered about the outcomes of each episode. When I watched it on BBC originally I was hypnotised by the charming and georgous Laird in the form of Archie - woo hoo! And like many others I was gutted when he disappeared from the series. However now that I have watched him again (and I am a little more mature myself) I was surprised that I noticed some of the more un-desireable traits of his character like his insensitivity to what's going on around him especially with the lovely Lexie at the end. Anyway I still love it - its full of humour and fantasy and Im looking forward to escaping to Glenbogle for the forseeable (even if it is just in my living room)!