The Darling Buds of May - Complete Collection 20th anniversary [DVD]

something easy to watch with its old world charm.

The complete set of DVDs of the TV series. Very enjoyable. I watch them repeatedly.

Well, not quite perfect but close enough. The England depicted here — the garden of Kent in the 1950s — never existed. Or never quite as shown here, the days endlessly sunny and bright, the flowers perpetually in bloom, the honeybees buzzing, the villagers happy, the Larkin family generous, loving, content and kind. But this is more than acceptable: it’s wonderful. Nostalgia and escapism can be good medicine, a respite from reality. Our culture is informed by fables anyway: the Garden of Eden, Shangri-La, the yellow-brick road in The Wizard of Oz. We love and long for well-ordered, peaceful worlds, our earthly versions of heaven.H.E. Bates (1905-74) was a traditional, conservative writer. His stories celebrate ideal worlds. He loved England, or his versions of it, and wanted to share this love with others. The village green, local pub, parish church, beautiful lanes, streams, fields, woodlands. Farm animals and rustic people too, people of sturdy stock: grounded, decent, humorous. He seems to have lived a good life, one that affected his imagination. The dark world of Hardy was absent from it. Instead, his England was a flower garden to be happy in.Sidney Larkin was not a Kentish lad. But he wandered into the so-called garden of England, loved it, stayed. Florence, his Kentish maid, helped keep him there. They loved without marrying, producing a large family. Sidney therefore became Pa Larkin and Flo became Ma. They gave their kids unusual and colourful names because they felt like it, some honouring the seasons, others famous historical figures such as Marie Antoinette and General Montgomery. Both Pa and Ma love their tipple, and drink just about anywhere — at the kitchen table, outside at picnics, in the pub, bath, bed. Cognac, champagne, brandy, but especially local beers brewed from Kentish hops. They are also epicures and gourmands, their eating rivalling their drinking. Pa you might say is a bon vivant, the beauties and comedies of life not lost on him. His enthusiasms are also infectious. Ma loves how he is. Throughout the series Ma and Pa may have some disagreements or misunderstandings, but they always work through whatever challenge there is, each of them confident in their love. The children of course pick up on this too, as children will. Their parents don’t bicker and fight. They don’t belittle one another. Instead, they laugh, tease, joke, kiss. Some of the funniest times for us, the viewers (not the children), are when they get frisky in the bath or bed. Ma giggles like a schoolgirl. Pa snorts and laughs as he tickles and kisses her.The book and film series are too well known for one to go on here about them. Let’s just say the series is a delight because of the characters in it: the Larkin family, their friends and neighbours. One of my favourite characters is Edith, a local spinster. She’s good-natured, cheerful, comical. Her laugh is a little like Ma Larkin’s — the giggle of a bashful schoolgirl. She’s probably about 35 now, but her girlishness attracts Pa Larkin. There’s a touch of the playboy in him still, despite his love for Ma, so he can’t help flattering women. He loves to see Edith blush as he enthuses over her charms and beauty. “Oh, you naughty man,” she says with feigned offence, his naughtiness part of his own charm. Or so she thinks. Thus his affectionate kisses are not rejected by her, though they are always limited, their game of mutual affection stopping short of carnality. Ma is even aware of it and laughs it off as “how Sidney is.” If she’s ever jealous she doesn’t show it. Perhaps she just accepts that her loyal, loving man is also capricious, thus any effort to change him would be counterproductive.An idealised world, as stated. Yet the stories in the episodes are not maudlin and sentimental. Probably because of the humour. There is always something to laugh about. It’s a drama of course, but one redeemed by the gentle humour in it, comedy that isn’t scathing, cutting, cruel.Tolstoy famously said in “Anna Karenina” that all happy families are the same. Therefore, not very interesting. It’s the unhappy ones, unhappy in their original ways, that are fascinating. Who’s to argue with Tolstoy? Yet this happy Larkin family is not boring. In fact, quite the opposite, the biggest pity being that the story had to end, even though there is no definitive ending to it.I was sorry to leave Ma and Pa Larkin, their children, friends, neighbours, geese, horses, and the antics that make up their colourful lives. In this sense, I’m just like millions of others who adore the series. Perfick? Close enough in this imperfect world!

Good comfort viewing, evoking a gentler time. Use as prescribed!

Bought this for a lady, who is a friend of the family, who doesn't get out much, housebound at times. She was thrilled to bits! and loves it, has taken away boredom, through sheer enjoyment, of being with the dear Larkin family. A morale here, do good to other people and love them ,you ,will then have friends, and be well respected. Anyone with love, should watch this happy family.

I am very happy with this purchase as it is good condition and the quality is good also the delivery was very quick, it was purchased as a Christmas Present

Bought this for my neighbour and he loves it

The Darling Buds of May was a smash hit when it first appeared on British television in 1991, and deservedly so. In case there are those who don't know what it's about, the series is a mini soap that follows the life of a large, warm and gregarious family - the Larkins - in rural Kent during the 1950s. This is by no means a filmic version of The Archers. Rather, it's a cheerful fantasy that requires the viewer to suspend belief more or less throughout (that said, immense pains have been taken to make the backdrop as authentic as possible, from the old farm implements to the 1950s cars).The Larkin family spend dosh, eat gloriously gargantuan meals, and knock back the booze - bottles of bubbly included - as though there's no tomorrow. No-one gets liver problems, no one falls prey to diabetes, and no-one runs out of money. In other words, we are presented with of a kind of earthly Paradise (or Land of Cockaigne), and one well filled with high comedy and good simple jokes.The series takes a little time to get into its stride, and the first two episodes lack the drive and coherence of the later ones. Be warned, moreover, that this is medium-brow stuff - the poetry-loving Charley is the nearest we get to anything intellectual, and a rather jolly and bucolic bawdiness gets a fair old run for its money.As Pop Larkin, the brilliantly cast David Jason gives an astonishing virtuoso performance that never flags. Pam Ferris, in the motherly role of Ma Larkin, provides an excellent foil. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Philip Franks give well judged interpretations. If towards the end the relentless earnestness of Philip Jones (as Charley) begins to irritate a little, that's probably the fault of the novel rather than the fault of the actor.Unlike some of the other reviewers, I found the box complete and the DVDs physically without flaw. Be warned that the on-screen episode titles are confusing - to select the episode you want, you have to click on the white title and not on the yellow one. The supplementary "commentary" (included on the first disc) is lazily thought out and not really worth viewing. Otherwise the production of the discs, in my experience anyway, leaves little to complain about.Recommended for all but the most fastidious.

El articulo ha llegado en perfecto estado a pesar de ser algo bastante fragil. Muy bonito.

Your regular DVD player won't play this if you live outside the UK and surrounding countries. My MacBook Pro gave me the option to switch regions only four times (I'm in the US), but The Darling Buds of May was worth it! I viewed this series back in the 90s and have always wanted to see it again. Very idyllic with all the good feels of a simpler time in a happy-go-lucky family's country life. One main reason was to see Catherine Zeta-Jones in her earlier days, when I felt she had so much potential. All the actors were well cast and carried the story line perfectly. So glad I purchased this series!

Brilliant

パソコンで再生し、英語字幕もありましたラーキン家の生活を中心に1950 年代のケント州の田舎を舞台に描いてあり面白いです。基本的に約50分で1話で2話で一つの物語になっており、シーズン3まで放送され全話収録されています。DVDでは2話分が1話に違和感なく編集されてます。しかしそれもDisc4までです。ここでシーズン2の6話が終わり、シーズン2に7話だけが唯一50分の番外編的になっていますが、時系列は続いています。なぜかこれがDisc5に入っておらず、Disc6の最終話に収録されています。順番に再生していくと、この話が飛ばされ、シーズン3に入り、きれいに終わってあとに最後にこの話を見ることになります。これだと、やや違和感感があるというか、最後に番外編が付いているように感じてしまいます。物語は素晴らしいだけにこの収録順は残念です。これ星‐1です。あとは完璧です。

I first watched it at a friend's home and decided to get my own copy as it is the type I would want to watch again and again.Unfortunately, I was sent the wrong version from the UK, which I did not order and was unable to play it in my American DVD player. After many emails back and forth, I was told that they did not have the American version and the non refundable return postage amounted to the same cost as the DVD, so it was pointless to send it back so they could scam another American. I just wanted to let others know before they, too, are scammed. In essence, I was stuck with an unusable product. Rare Waves Imports will never get any business from me again! Buyers BEWARE!