Product Description With evocative settings in Cooksons northeast England, eras from the mid-1800s to World War I come alive in these four powerful dramas that portray the harshness of the English class system and the redemptive power of love. Stars include Sean Bean, Julian Wadham, Juliet Aubrey, Jack Davenport, Honeysuckle Weeks, and Ian Bannen. The Wingless BirdOn the brink of World War I, three very different families are linked by a shopkeepers daughter who is determined to make a better life for herself. Seen on Masterpiece Theatre. Approx. 148 min. The MothIn 1913, a talented carpenter leaves the Jarrow shipyards to work in a small village where an encounter with an ethereal girl-child changes his life. Approx. 151 min. The Rag NymphIn an impulsive act of charity that changes her life, a rag and bone lady in the slums of Victorian Newcastle takes in the 10-year-old daughter of a prostitute. Approx. 148 min. The Fifteen StreetsA rugged Tyneside dockworker and the daughter of a wealthy local shipbuilder fall in love and try to bridge the social gulf that divides them. Nominated for an International Emmy® Award. Approx. 104 min. .com Brutal family brawls, World War I post-traumatic stress, religious skepticism, and child prostitution--not what you expect from a collection of romances! But though Catherine Cookson's novels emphasize the redemptive power of love, they never lose sight of the harsher side of life. Certain themes recur again and again, particularly the cruelty of class snobbery (before she became one of the wealthiest women in England, Cookson worked as a servant). But her treatment of class is nuanced and complex; in The Wingless Bird, for example, an upper-crust couple oppose their son marrying a shopgirl--but the shopgirl's middle-class parents are just as hostile to their other daughter marrying a lower-class bloke. In The Rag Nymph--perhaps the most enjoyable of the four, with its detailed Victorian setting and ripping plot--an orphan girl hopes a gentleman will marry her, but her dream is clearly portrayed as folly, while the class-bridging romance of The Fifteen Streets--set at the turn of the century--has a chance to triumph, as does the 1913 romance between a carpenter and an heiress in The Moth. Cookson's romances lack the wit and subtlety of Jane Austen or the theatricality and invention of Charles Dickens, but her vigorous storytelling combined with her unblinking eye towards class and violence in ordinary life--both physical and emotional--make her stories vivid and engaging. The excellent casts don't hurt either; these miniseries are dotted with actors who went on to great acclaim in movies and television, including Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings, the Sharpe series), Jane Horrocks (Absolutely Fabulous, Little Voice), Jack Davenport (Coupling, Pirates of the Caribbean), Juliet Aubrey (The Mayor of Casterbridge), Honeysuckle Weeks (Foyle's War), and more. Hopeful yet honest, romantic but skeptical, these four adaptations splendidly demonstrate Cookson's blend of tart and sweet. --Bret Fetzer
V**D
Fine productions, great subject matter and acting.
I don't understand why Catherine Cookson is not well known and appreciated in the US. Her novels are fine, gritty social commentary. Her characters are strong and often face difficult moral dilemmas. She is similar to Charles Dickens in her ability to bring characters to life and provide social criticism only with more realism and less sentimentality. Cookson is not for the weak of stomach. The fact that her characters tend to come out on top in the end makes them watchable.The Wingless Bird is set just before and during WWI. A strong female character of ordinary birth wins the hearts of two successive upper class brothers.The Moth follows the story of a dock worker who becomes a carpenter then a laborer at an estate. He wins the hearts two upper class sisters on the estate. Jack Davenport is wonderful in this role.The Rag Nymph follows the life of Millie, a girl with an upper class upbringing as her mother falls into prostitution after the imprisonment of her father. She is taken in by grumpy "Raggie Aggie" the rag seller. Aggie is also raising the cheeky Ben Smith, Jones, or Robinson, a deformed street child of unknown parentage. Aggie and Ben seek to protect Millie from the local Pimp, Boswell, who feels the suicide of Millie's mother has robbed him of his due. Boswell wants to place Millie as a child prostitute serving upper class customers. Aggie uses her savings to place Millie in a convent for her protection. Millie then gains employment on an estate as a nanny. This exposes her to upper class men who seek first to rape then to make her into a mistress. She flees this situation only to fall into the hands of Boswell. Only the efforts of Ben can save her now...The Fifteen Streets is classic Cookson, set in Tyne Dock, Cookson's home country. The role Sean Bean plays as the promiscuous and jealous brother was the start of his acting career.
S**A
Worth every penny!
This boxed set is truly a value for your money. The films are hardly high-drama Oscar contenders, but they are most enjoyable to watch. They are well-produced, faithful to the text, and utilize many excellent English actors familiar to those of us who love British period films. Although Cookson's tales are entertaining, I've never thought she was a great writer. This may explain why I actually prefer the film version of her works to the printed ones. And to their credit, these films follow the books' plot and dialogue very closely--often a verbatim transcript of the original text. My favorite by far is "The Moth" but my judgment may be colored by the winsome, charming actor Jack Davenport who plays the lead male role in the film. All the films in this collection, however, are worth viewing--especially for Cookson fans. Go ahead...treat yourself to some lovely romance!
R**.
Quality not very good!
The playback on several of the collection does not play!
R**S
Good viewing so far.
What can I say? It was delivered well, appears of good quality, & is what I requested. Thanks.
A**R
I got this 4 pack of movies
the rag nymph was not in it. Instead it had the gambling man in it instead.
K**R
Authenticity
I am a long time fan of Catherine Cookson and have probably read most of her books. The film adaptations have been pretty faithful to the books and the production values have been top notch. It looks like a whole studio has been created just for her books! Any Cookson fan would be pleased with the transiton of her books to film.
N**P
The Catherine Cookson Collection
Excellent!!! I have only seen "The Wingless Bird"-beautiful story, and I have seen the first part of "The rag Nymph", also a nice story. The only problem I found is that it doesn't have closed caption, and because of the brittsh accent it's hard to understand the conversations sometimes. Other than that i have no complaints.
N**P
Not Up to Cookson's Potential
Catherine Cookson movies are excellent, always contrasting the have's with the have not's. While I was very pleased with all the movies in Set 2 where Catherine's story lines improved or the movie productions did, I was disappointed with this Set 1. I enjoy drama with well developed stories and characters. However, I prefer entertainment that requires no censorship. These stories were okay, but I only found The Wingless Bird and The Moth worthwhile. While I understand that life is colorful but not always rosy, I don't care for stories laced with prostitutes or people with strange out of body experiences. Keep me on the edge of my seat with mystery, intrigue or suspense, not with an uneasy expectation of yet another sordid activity or image.
N**I
Catherine Cookson Collection Set 1
Good series. The acting is not great but not bad. The sound quality is low, but the video component was fine. If you are a fan of Cookson this is worth buying.
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