Mr Selfridge is a British period television drama series about Harry Gordon Selfridge, who established the department store Selfridges on Oxford Street in London in the early 20th century. The first series began to air in 2013 and the second series in 2014.
The historical Selfridge was born in 1856 in Wisconsin, USA. He first worked as an errand boy in an American retailer company and married Rose Buckingham of a prominent family. He built Selfridges in London where he made shopping a fun adventure instead of a practical chore. He transformed the way the British people shopped in the early 20th century and many of his policies and strategies are still followed by department stores today. For example, he put merchandise on display instead of hiding them in counters to be presented to the customers on demand; he put the perfume counters in the main location in his store; he advertised and marketed his store extensively; he attracted customers to his shop with educational and scientific exhibits. After the first cross-Channel flight, Louis Bleriot's plane was exhibted at Selfridges in 1909; John Logie Baird did his first public demonstration of television in the store in 1925; in the 1920s and 1030s, the roof of the store with its terraced gardens, cafes, a mini golf course and an all-girl gun club, began a major London attraction. The roof garden was destroyed during WWII but most of the store survived relatively unscathed.
Though the TV series is about Mr Selfridge (shown in the photo below, photo from IMDb), it is the female characters who make the series worth watching. There is Agnes Towler, a very pretty shop girl that appears from the very beginning. We find out more about her life and her talent in marketing as the series unfolds. (Agnes Towler is the woman with the darker hair colour in the photo below.)
Then there is also the beautiful singer Ellen Love. There are many scenes of her dancing seductively on stage (she is shown in the photo below, photo from IMDb).
There is also Lady Mae, an enchanting, seductive, manipulative lady who knows what she wants and how to get it. (Lady Mae is shown in the photo below, the lady in a long pink/purple dress).
There is a mixture of romance, business, marketing, intrigue, bitchiness, friendship, and broken marriages. The costume and set are amazing. The actresses are all beautiful, and each plays her part well - the innocent and somewhat tongue-tied Agnes Towler; the manipulative, seductive Lady Mae; the careless and demanding Ellen Love; the serene, wifely, and controlled Rose Buckingham, or Mrs. Selfridge, with her emotional undercurrent.
There are also some interesting male characters. Mr Selfridge himself commands attention. He is flamboyantly American and businessy finding his way in early 20th century London. Henri Leclair, the French window dresser, is the artistic force behind Mr Selfridge's business strategies. The other male characters are not as interesting.
The main drawback is the lack of drama. Nothing much happens apart from the bursts of drama. The TV series depicts life as it might have been, but more glamorous.
Series One: 8/10
Series Two: airing
