Great Romances of the 20th Century: Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton

Actor Robert Powell narrates this series of 30 minute programs dealing with great romances of the 20th century, which must have originally been done for a British audience, but have recently been turning up as late night PBS filler. It's a bit lurid, kind of dry, but ultimately entertaining, due to to Powell's excellent voice work and wonderful, glitzy, leftover background music by De Wolfe Music Limited. This stuff has been used umpteen times in countless films and television series. If you grew up in the sixties, you'll recognize it immediately. It is at once familiar and well-suited to the material. The shows take on lots of Hollywood legends, including Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton, Howard Hughes and any of his many women, plus historical and political figures, i.e. British and Russian royalty and others. It's the kind of thing which you'll neither turn off, nor seek out. There's lots of fine rare photos and footage throughout, as well as some famous shots. You could do a lot worse. What takes it down a notch, is the feeling that all of this is a retread of an earlier series with added narration, the same music and scant new visuals. The bottom line is, if you run across it, it might be worth your time to check out, but I wouldn't fall over myself to find it. It's a tame entertainment and I believe, was meant to be exactly that.