In the kingdom of craziness

Stephen Fry stars as solicitor Peter Kingdom in the lovely British series Kingdom. The series, shot in Norfolk, includes beautiful scenery, eccentric townspeople and and a wise, gentle main character. Peter is ably assisted by his efficient secretary Gloria, portrayed by the wonderful Celia Imrie. He is happily settled with his classic car, model trains, and little yappy dog, when his batty sister (Hermoine Norris) checks herself out of an institution and decides to move in with him. She proceeds to trash his home, paint the room he gives her black, destroy legal documents, and shred important papers. With each disaster, Gloria becomes more frustrated and alarmed, while Peter Kingdom just smiles and shrugs at his sister's little quirks. It wouldn't take me long to change the locks and call the police should such a person show up on my door, but he allows her to get by with all sorts of nonsense. Each episode of the series concerns a different case that is being brought by someone in town, and the Kingdom legal firm's efforts to sort everything out. Along the way are the never-ending complaints against the council brought by Sidney Snell, who finds himself retaliated against in imaginative fashion.

The scenery is beautiful and quaint, and there are enough humorous moments to keep the tone quite light most of the time. It's another wonderful series that makes you want to pack up and move right into the DVD!

By the way, is it just me, or does anyone else think Hermoine Norris looks much, much better as a blond?

Final Verdict for Kingdom: Four Gherkins, for being a charming series with endearing characters (well, except for the psycho sister!)