The Irish R.M.: The Complete Collection

Based on the books by novelists Somerville and Ross, The Irish R.M. stars Peter Bowles as Major Sinclair Yeates, “a fine gentleman from England,” who resigns from the military to take a post in rural 1897 Ireland as the Resident Magistrate. “Things are different in Ireland,” the increasingly confounded Yeates discovers, as he finds himself presiding over “improbable” cases. This gentle fish-out-of-water comedy recalls Northern Exposure, but with a Masterpiece Theatre pedigree. As the series unfolds, Yeates and his incredibly tolerant wife, Philippa (Doran Godwin), interact with (and are frequently at the mercy of) a gallery of eccentric characters, including his formidable housekeeper (Beryl Reid), his landlord Flurry (Bryan Murray), and Flurry's grandmother, Lady Knox (Faith Brook), who's no Dowager Countess, but is indomitable in her own right. As one character remarks, “It's all devilishly funny, no doubt,” right up to the satisfying last episode, in which Yeates is offered a job transfer that might allow him to “get the better of them just this once.” Compiling all 18 episodes from the 1983-85 three-season run, extras include a “making-of” featurette. Highly recommended. (D. Liebenson)