Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill

When this Thames Television seven-part miniseries was first broadcast on PBS in 1975, it garnered extravagant praise, especially for Lee Remick's commanding turn as Jennie Jerome, the American-born mother of Winston Churchill (played as an adult by Warren Clarke), but also for its literate script and solid production values (with location filming at Blenheim Palace and other family homes). Today, Jennie seems stage-bound—the performances have the feel of actors playing to the second balcony—while the dialogue (particularly on political matters) sometimes sounds stilted. These caveats apply to some extent to Remick and Clarke (although one has to appreciate the latter's gift for mimicry), but especially to Ronald Pickup, who plays Winston's father, Lord Randolph, during the first four episodes (Pickup is so over the top that the character sometimes appears to be positively unbalanced). But there's still much to enjoy in this upper-class soap opera about the flamboyant woman who was instrumental in building the foundation of what her son later termed the “special relationship” between Britain and the United States. The strong supporting cast includes Jeremy Brett as Count Kinsky, Jennie's great love. DVD extras include text bios, filmographies, and historical notes. Despite the dated technical quality, this engaging artifact of a simpler era in television history is recommended, overall. (F. Swietek)