Slings & Arrows: The Complete Collection

As seen on the Sundance Channel

"Deliciously written" —TV GUIDE

"Big and powerful, a corker" —LOS ANGELES TIMES

"Charming and complex and lovely" —THE NEW YORK TIMES

Showered with awards and critical acclaim, this darkly comic Canadian series follows the fortunes of a dysfunctional Shakespearean theatre troupe, exposing the high drama, scorching battles, and electrifying thrills that happen behind the scenes.

Paul Gross (Due South) stars as Geoffrey Tennant, the passionate but unstable artistic director of the New Burbage Theatre Festival. Haunted by the ghost of his predecessor (Stephen Ouimette), he struggles to realize his creative vision while handling touchy actors, a jittery general manager (Mark McKinney), a pretentious guest director (Don McKellar) and his own tempestuous romance with the festival's leading lady (Martha Burns). The backstage bedlam mirrors the onstage angst as Geoffrey directs three of Shakespeare's masterpieces -- Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear -- one in each season. Guest stars include Rachel McAdams (Wedding Crashers), Colm Feore (Chicago), Sarah Polley (Go, The Sweet Hereafter), and renowned Stratford Festival actor William Hutt in one of his last performances.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE cast interviews, bloopers, deleted and extended scenes, photo galleries, production notes, trailers and song lyrics. Plus exclusive bonus disc: "A Look Behind the Scenes" featurette, more cast and crew interviews, and on-set footage.

Slings & Arrows Is Not To Be Missed!

Having attended the Stratford Festival in the past, this was a perfect compliment/send-up of what it could be like to mount a Shakespearean festival. Not only is this witty, well-written and well-acted; but it also provides short excerpts from Hamlet, Macbeth & King Lear. Just wish they had done more than three seasons. My only complaint is that the "extras" CD was not very informative. July 18, 2008

Brilliant & witty

After recently re-watching Paul Gross' other series, "Due South" on DVD I decided to go looking for another Paul Gross series and came across this one. I read some of the reviews and purchased the complete series. After watching it, I was left delighted. It is both brilliant and witty. I highly recommend it for any Paul Gross fan and for anyone who enjoys theater or humor that at times can be somewhat dark. July 6, 2008

Rise up Hamlet!

This series is brilliant. Wonderfully fleshed out characters and a story line that keeps you going episode after episode. Highly recommend it. Huge savings if you buy the complete set. June 21, 2008

Just Fantastic

As a theater-trained actor I of course fell in love with this series from the very first second; and I wondered equally how a show that's so good could stay so under the radar and yet how it could survive with such honest, incisive glimpses of a rather heady, esoteric subculture (of sorts).

Nevermind all that. Darkly hilarious, surprisingly literate, at times moving, but always frenetically entertaining, I believe someone who has never stepped foot in a theater could enjoy every episode and find themselves curious all over again about re-reading "Macbeth".

Different, but on a par with Ricky Gervais's brilliant "Extras" , at least in terms of depicting the sometimes absurdity of the acting world, this series doesn't settle for silly outlandishness. The story, the characters, it's all very real, and subversively addictive. June 15, 2008

So funny! A theater professional's worst nightmare!

I laughed; I cried; I loved it! It reminded me of so many people I have known and worked with over the years. . .and the theatre management headaches that I have agonized over and struggled to overcome for the sake of creating a good show!
Everyone to whom I have recommended this series has adored the whole concept - designers, actors, directors, writers, stage managers - really one of the most brilliant tours de force I have ever seen. From crisis to crisis, it's all drama - and all the world's a well-written play on stage for our enjoyment! June 12, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...