'Capital City' fans rejoice! This first season of this series is now available from Network DVD and I've recently got my copy! Although very much an ensemble piece of key 'maverick' trading floor characters 'CAPITAL CITY' does present us with various moments through both its first and second season when each member of the team plays a significant part in a particular central or peripheral plot line. The cultural mix (English, Irish, American, German, Polish) of Head Trader Wendy Foley's (played by Joanna Phillips-Lane) group of staff is balanced with their own distinctive mannerisms, interests and personalities which helps to make the rather unfamiliar and, to most people, seemingly sterile subject of financial trading reasonably engaging through the engaging performances of the cast. In fact this seemingly dynamic young team of employees is in direct contrast to the rather staid and old-fashioned senior management of Shane Longman as represented by Lee Wolf (Richard Le Parmentier) and James Farrell (Denys Hawthorne). I suspect that such an unconventional way of working as employed by Wendy's team would not have become a reality had it not been for youthful reclusive 'free spirit' Peter Longman inheriting his thirty per cent stock in the company from his father and allowed a more trendy, relaxed modern way of business become a reality. To a certain degree Wendy's (I am led to believe) immediate supervisor Leonard Ansen (John Bowe) follows the establishment in the traditional manner of running the company however his fondness for Wendy rather sees him occupying the 'middle ground' on most occasions. The main interest in the series, I believe, stems from the simmering romantic attraction between Douglas Hodge's Declan and the cool self-assured blonde haired German trader Michelle Hauptmann (played by Trevyn McDowell) which had viewers continually wondering if the situation between these two colleagues would develop beyond the close friendship/fondness that they undoubted have.Looking forward to browsing through this title, and hopefully the second season of thirteen won't be too far away!

As an ex pat Brit now living in Canada I was and indeed am a huge fan of Capital City. So much so in fact that I have both series one and series two of the show on VHS, taped back when it was first shown in the late 80's. To my Aussie friend who's comments are above I can only say..*you're in luck* because in fact there are 26 episodes of the show. Having said that of course how you are going to get to see the others I don't know. I can't understand why the producers don't release the entire series on DVD... there's a load of absolute old rubbish out there so why a great show like this hasn't been exploited I can't understand. Following the lives and exploits of a group of city bond traders, everything about the show was fantastic from the writing to the performances, and especially the production values. It was also the first TV appearance of many many now famous faces. Julia Ormond (First Knight and Sabrina), Clive Owen (Closer), Louise Lombard (Hidalgo and lately CSI)... and of course the utterly gorgeous Jason Issacs who is perhaps best known to American audiences as the hideously slimy Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series. Unfortunately in-spite of all this talent the show's popularity suffered as a result of a sudden downturn in the British economy. Since it's plot lines and characters were inextricably identified with the excesses of the *loads-a-money* 1980's, the advent of a new decade, (and public attitude to money) saw its demise. Which is a terrible shame. I highly recommend the show, and also its close compatriot Chancer, which shared a lot of the same themes and the same high production values. And which of course gave a first starring role the above mentioned and equally gorgeous Clive Owen. If ever the James Bond people had an easy decision to make... SURELY this is the one. How can they not have already handed the man the role he was born to play.!! Watch the two seasons of Chancer, (which I believe in the UK at least ARE available on DVD), and you'll see what I mean.

Shane-Longman, a mid-size, up-and-coming investment banking house in The City (akin to WallStreet) in London prides itself on its youthfull staff, and an uncanny ability to come through innovative, yet more than usual unconventional financial solutions. Although all the characters in the series come to the spotlight at one point, some might say the series resolves around the relationship of the two primary characters Declan McConnachie, a young, high-riding trader on the primaries desk, and Michelle Hauptmann, a vibrant trader with Shane's German branch, who is temporarily located in England. This series features some other notable actors like Rolf Saxon as the American attorney Hudson Talbot the Third, along with an apprehensive, and almost timid Saira Todd, playing Hillary Rollinger, a new trader, who comes under the wing of Michelle Hauptmann. Who would've thought that Saira Todd would later play a key role in Channel 4's "Queer as Folk!" Through the series, topics such as stress, drug-abuse, insider trading, homosexuality, and black-market trading are addressed through the experiences of the staff. In the United States, this series was originally distributed to PBS stations in the mid 1990s via the Program Resource Group. I eagerly await the series reruns.

Series set in a trading room of a bank (Shane-Longman) dealing with the financial goings-on, but, of course, the personal lives of the people involved.I remember it as very good, and never knew why it only ran for 2 seasons.