Mr. Selfridge: Season 4

The fourth and final season of the British drama centering on an American department store magnate in London jumps ahead eight years to the late 1920s. Harry Selfridge (Jeremy Piven), dubbed the “Earl of Oxford Street” by the press, is living the high life, spending lavishly on the Dolly Sisters—American showgirls who are constantly in the gossip columns—and gambling himself into debt. The maverick streak that has been Selfridge's greatest asset becomes his worst enemy as he drives the store to the brink of bankruptcy, ignoring the advice and council of loyal managers, as well as that of his son, Gordon (Greg Austin), who is managing their satellite stores around the country. In addition to telling the splashy tale of Selfridge (his flair for publicity and gambles on big ideas) and the soap opera lives of his employees, the series celebrates Selfridge's American attitude of putting talent and hard work over social status or impressive diplomas as the measure of an employee's worth. That is apparent in the stories of both Lady Mae Rennard (Katherine Kelly), a recently divorced and completely broke woman who brings her ideas of high-end off-the-rack fashion to his store, and of a young black seamstress (Mimi Ndiweni) whose talent and innovative ideas make her a target of bigoted co-workers. Although the show fictionalizes Selfridge's real-life story, it is true to the general contours of history. Compiling all 10 episodes from 2016, extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes and an interview with Piven. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)