North and South (I and II) is the GREATEST.....

I completely agree! I am currently watching the dvd's again (at least the forth time since I bought them) and have just started part two. I have been in love with this movie and all its characters since the first time I watched as a kid. Glad to know that there are others out there that still feel the same way.


I don't suffer from my addictions I enjoy ever second of them!

No way! As you mentioned, I Claudius is superior, as is most of the programming on Masterpiece Theatre: The Jewel in the Crown, The Pallisers, War and Peace, The Forsyte Saga (predates Masterpiece), Edward the Seventh, Cranford, Pride and Prejudice, and the A&E P&P, Ivanhoe (A&E), I could go on and on.

And for strictly USproductions, The Winds of War, War and Remembrance, The Blue and the Gray, And others, are far better. They manage to portray villains without resorting to cartoon characterizations (and have better acting, overall).

North and South has gorgeous production values, although the 80s hair And makeup is distracting, but the costumes are superb (mostly from stock and many rented from UK costume houses). But iNorth and South is still a melodramatic bodice ripper. And rewatching it now in the second decade of the 21st century really exposes its other weaknesses. It wasn’t strong enough in its handling of important themes such as slavery and women’s roles, and fell into the GWTW trap at times of painting a quaint picture of gentility. Much blame goes to Jakes, but also writing and production.