Mr SelfridgeITV1, STV, UTV, Sunday 6th Jan 9pm - 10:30pm
Repeat: ITV1 +1, UTV1 + Sun 6 Jan 10pmCan the world handle two TV dramas based on the birth of the British department store? BBC1 had The Paradise, where a charismatic, visionary man set up a shop that revolutionised retail, while Mr Selfridge has a charismatic, visionary man… oh dear.
There are many entirely coincidental similarities, and not just in the lead male characters. Both have a bright and plucky female shop assistant with ideas and ambition, and both have an icy female ladies’ department boss who rules with a rod of iron.
It makes little difference that Mr Selfridge is based on a real man, Harry Gordon Selfridge, who set up the eponymous shop on Oxford Street. He’s played by American actor Jeremy Piven who makes huge expansive gestures (he opens his arms wide a lot while grinning broadly). But Katherine Kelly adds a touch of class as his financial saviour.
1/10. New series. Andrew Davies' drama based on the life of American retail magnate Harry Gordon Selfridge, starring Jeremy Piven (Entourage) and Katherine Kelly (formerly Coronation Street's Becky McDonald). Harry arrives in London in 1908 with a grand plan - to open the biggest and finest department store in the world, and to do it within the year. With a frosty reception from the British press, the last-minute departure of a business partner and an ever-growing staff already on the payroll, not to mention his wife and family arriving from the US, the pressure is on for Harry to complete the project on time. As opening day approaches, he pulls out all the stops to achieve his dream - whatever the cost. With Frances O'Connor, Trystan Gravelle, Aisling Loftus and Tom Goodman-Hill.
RadiotimesMeet the cast of Mr Selfridge
Jeremy Piven, Katherine Kelly, Frances O'Connor, Aisling Loftus and Zoe Tapper offer the lowdown on their characters and a behind-the-scenes glimpse of ITV's latest period drama Radiotimes
