Masterpiece

Starred review from October 1, 2020

West (English, Univ. of Missouri; Tabloid, Inc.) presents a comprehensive guide to and assessment of Masterpiece Theatre (now simply called Masterpiece), PBS's award-winning anthology program that began in 1971 with The First Churchills; a recent high point was the tremendously successful Downton Abbey. The crime series Mystery! followed nine years later, and though both were unapologetically British in content, they resonated with American audiences. Why? According to West, Americans yearn for tradition. She analyzes the impact of the programs, considers Alistair Cooke's contributions (he wasn't just the gentlemanly host of the early shows), and explores politics and culture, such as race and color-conscious casting as well as the funding challenges PBS has faced. The author includes a "travel guide" to the shooting locations in case fans want to make the pilgrimage and delves into each series, from Upstairs, Downstairs to Downton Abbey, from Miss Marple to Grantchester, with lots of juicy bits for celebrity mavens. But this is no gossipy tell-all or mere coffee-table book; with trenchant analysis, extensive notes, and a lengthy bibliography, this is a scholarly look at two series that had great influence on the American psyche and put PBS on the map. VERDICT The definitive guide for scholars and fans alike to all things Masterpiece and Mystery!--Rosellen Brewer, Sno-Isle Libs., Marysville, WA

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2020
Few television programs last a decade, let alone five, but PBS's Masterpiece has been a Sunday night delight since the January 1971 broadcast of The First Churchills. The longest-running dramatic series airing on American television, Masterpiece has presented a carefully curated collection of 100 percent bona fide British programs. The PBS anthology series Mystery!, which aired from 1980 to 2006, offered the best in British mysteries and eventually became part of Masterpiece. West takes a thoughtful look at the series in nine thematically organized chapters that address Masterpiece's origins, appeal, politics, culture, and more. She devotes an entire chapter to the phenomena of Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey and celebrates the most popular series and performers. West expounds on what she calls the five cornerstones of Masterpiece's appeal: aspiration, nostalgia, Anglophilia, conventionality, and sentimentality and concludes with lists of Masterpiece and Mystery! productions and casts along with a generous bibliography of academic and popular sources. For Masterpiece and Mystery! fans and anyone who wonders what all the fuss is about.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)