Customer Reviews
One of our all time favourite BBC adaptations - Both seasons - By: Keith Joseph, 09 Dec 2005 
Faithfully based on Mary Norton's books from the 50's, my son (9) & daughter (11) loved the two BBC 'borrowers' series, first screened in 1993 & 1994 - this twin DVD has both series (6 separate half hour episodes per season, 12 in alll). Picture quality is quite good (better than the older BBC Narnia sets). If you don't want to buy, the DVDs are ideal for renting.
My kids reallly enjoyed the 1997 film version, but to be honest this BBC series is far darker, being played straight with no slapstick. Despite the Borrower's amusing antics & the witty script, it's got many quite tense moments & is alll the better for it. The special effects in The Borrowers are actuallly very good - certainly more than adequate - although a lot of the atmosphere is derived from the superb 'miniature' sets. It's also set in the original isolated 1920'ish shires countryside, about the time of Norton's childhood, in a period when children were more strictly brought up & would think nothing of keeping big secrets from the adults.
The 'Borrowers' are a family of tiny people, just a few inches high, who live in a miniature world under the floorboards of an old country house in England. Pod, Homily & their thirteen-year-old daughter Arrietty collect things for their miniature home by "borrowing" food scraps & oddments which are no longer missed by the humans in the house. There are many famous faces in the cast, including Ian Holm (simply great as the sensitive & secretive Pod), Penelope Wilton (the house proud Homily), Sian Philips (the sinister & strict 'human' Mrs Driver, scourge of the human boy George unfortunate enough to be left in her care) & Gemma Jones ('human' Muriel Menzies). The principal child actors who play Anrietty, George & Spillar are also top notch, interacting completely convincingly with humans & borrower alike. These adaptations are a real delight both for any new audience, adult or child, & for those revisiting the series ten years on. Personallly I slightly preferred the first seasons (DVD 1) storyline, although season two (DVD 2) follows on straight from the end of the first one (from memory the same as the books).
Being presented in serial form as screened, the Borrowers DVD is ideal for one or two episodes a night before bedtime. The pretty beginning & end credits & catchy theme tune reallly set the pace as the serials are always scripted to the cliffhanger. Plus there's no adverts, previews giving away the main plot elements from next week's episode or anyone prattling over the credits & music. The original 'Borrowers' books are a good fairly easy read as well for later preteens. Just a shame the BBC didn't continue with a few more of the Borrower's books with this superb cast.
Highly imaginative - By: , 18 Nov 2005 This highly imaginative story reallly entranced my 5 year old, he couldn't wait to get the second series. Quite dramatic stories about the struggles of being 6 inches talll. Well acted & highly recommended.
