Victoria: The Complete First Season (2016)

[merkman]

So I'm a huge Jenna Coleman fan. Loved most of her work in Doctor Who, and cried watching her last couple episodes.

Knowing she'd left Who to go on and make this series, I figured I'd check it out. So I watched the first 15 minutes or so of the first episode. Obviously I didn't give it much of a chance, but it didn't seem very interesting to me, and I never finished even the first episode.

US release on Blu-Ray is tomorrow. Couldn't find any threads on this, so figured I'd start one and ask:

1) Did you see it?

2) If so, did you enjoy it or not?

It'll be a shame if she did this series and it panned, but I'm not seeing a lot of love for it anywhere. Let me know what you thought.

[Zen_Amako]

It did well enough in the UK to get a second season.

I watched the first episode and enjoyed it. The problem most people seem to have with the show is that it's a highly fictionalized version of a true story (this or that event never happened, or that's not how it really happened, etc.). Basically, a lot of creative license was employed for the sake of adding more drama. Jenna Coleman is a very pretty Queen Victoria (too pretty, according to some), although she wears some odd contact lenses that may take some getting used to.

[anthonyls]

Jenna is great in this series. Unfortunately, she is the only thing worth tuning in for. The story/writing/and other acting is slow and dull in this series. I watched the first episode and wasn't interested in returning to watch more.

[worldchmps]

I'm listening to the book this was based on. The book is much more detailed and feels more authentic. From what I understand it was highly researched and based a lot on her letters. Lines are in different spots than in the show and things make more sense. That said I do enjoy the series. I got it today on Blu ray. Feels odd to own it before the series is done on tv. Got it from Amazon for just over $28 so I'm fine with the price. That price was their match to Target's 20% off they did for one day. For those wondering it did come with a slipcover.

[delped]

Is an excellent series.. was loved over here, will definitely be another series coming this Autum.

[lifepawn]

I came across Amazon reviews saying the episodes are edited from what aired. Can anyone confirm and tell me where/if I can buy Blu's of the first season that are definitely unedited?

EDIT: Looked into this more and apparently PBS cut footage to make the first 2 episodes into a movie-length one and added scenes to later episodes. The first season Blu-ray is the original UK versions.

[ElectricPeterTork]

Originally Posted by lifepawn

I came across Amazon reviews saying the episodes are edited from what aired. Can anyone confirm and tell me where/if I can buy Blu's of the first season that are definitely unedited?

I'm willing to bet this is the usual deal where PBS airs an edited version with a few different scenes, the Blus are the original UK airings as they were meant to be seen, and someone picked up on that.

[TheLaughingMann]

Originally Posted by lifepawn

I came across Amazon reviews saying the episodes are edited from what aired. Can anyone confirm and tell me where/if I can buy Blu's of the first season that are definitely unedited?

EDIT: Looked into this more and apparently PBS cut footage to make the first 2 episodes into a movie-length one and added scenes to later episodes. The first season Blu-ray is the original UK versions.

That is an odd way to go about it. I mean, if certain elements in those first 2 episodes had purpose being edited into later episodes, I could understand their want to fix it.

[Underworld54]

Are the UK versions region free?

[kevin87]

Originally Posted by ElectricPeterTork

I'm willing to bet this is the usual deal where PBS airs an edited version with a few different scenes, the Blus are the original UK airings as they were meant to be seen, and someone picked up on that.

Can't be nearly as bad as the butcher job on the PBS airings of Downton Abbey lol

Originally Posted by Underworld54

Are the UK versions region free?

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Victo...lu-ray/186208/

Series 1 says it's locked on here... so the others probably are too. It also says on here than US is 415 minutes while UK is 348, but that doesn't seem right... Also, season 3 aired in the US so far in advance of the UK that there were rumors were PBS had more footage than the ITV version.

[Underworld54]

Originally Posted by kevin87

Can't be nearly as bad as the butcher job on the PBS airings of Downton Abbey lol



https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Victo...lu-ray/186208/

Series 1 says it's locked on here... so the others probably are too. It also says on here than US is 415 minutes while UK is 348, but that doesn't seem right... Also, season 3 aired in the US so far in advance of the UK that there were rumors were PBS had more footage than the ITV version.

I'm so confused by these releases...are the U.S. versions worth owning?