It pains me to have to disparage anything that stars Stephen Fry, but I'm really not convinced by Kingdom. Full disclosure: I've not made it through the first season so it may be my fault for not putting in the effort. The show is mildly entertaining, I suppose. It ambles on amicably with a few japes here and there. Nothing too exciting. Its saving grace is the aforementioned Mr. Fry who manages to add some charm and likability. But other than that it all just feels so trite and uninspired. And above all: it feels old. From the opening shots to the fonts that are used, the colour balance, the cinematography, the music... If it weren't for the widescreen format I'd be sure I was watching something from the 90s, if not 80s - not a show from 2007. Unfortunately, its not just the production that feels dated. Most of the supporting characters are the sort of stereotype that would be more at home in a 70s sitcom. The sister (Beatrice) in particular reminds me of a character from "Grace & Favour" (Miss Lovelock), the ill-conceived sequel to "Are you being served?". To be fair, Kingdom is a little more watchable than that, but sadly only marginally. Even its dated feel could be forgiven if this was made up for in plot, but it just isn't. The cases aren't particularly interesting, and they are worked through at same calm pace as an episode of Morse. However, where the latter starts with an intriguing murder mystery and builds tension from there, Kingdom just sort of goes through the motions; preferably with a bit of a moral to the story thrown in at the end. All in all, it makes for good Sunday afternoon telly for the elderly or those with a weak heart. Kind of like a pastoral, British antidote to Breaking Bad (its opposite in every respect), to be enjoyed after a big Sunday lunch and napped through most of the way. But sadly not worth it any other time.(I really am sorry, Mr. Fry...)

I think this TV show is brilliant. I rarely get this involved into TV shows and plus British ones as well as they tend to have a much cynical shape to them most of the time. Which is great when your are into that sort of thing. Stephen Fry does a great job and the rest of that cast do a fantastic job. I am saddened that it got canceled. I would have loved to keep on watching. It's a soothing TV show with good humor and just a feel good show. Worth watching! do not let the opportunity pass you by.If you like a bit of humor, eccentrics and a show that makes you feel good then this is the show for you. I kept putting it back watching this. Now that I finally have I have to admit that I was not disappointed.

Yes, it's just a fairy tale about a solicitor in a picturesque British market town, his wacky family, and equally eccentric clients and fellow townsmen, but I totally fell in love with it. Sadly, it only ran three years before being canceled for being costly to produce, but at least we have those three years. I recently watched it on Netflix and had a difficult time getting through the last two episodes. I kept pausing the streaming because I didn't want to get to the end of the series. Stephen Fry is simply wonderful as Peter Kingdom, but so is the rest of the cast in their roles as family, colleagues, and clients. This show is such a charmer, you might well fall in love with it too.

I surprised myself by enjoying this - it's not usually the kind of programme that I'll sit down and avidly watch, but the producers have successfully managed to put all the ingredients into the pot and so turn out a very enjoyable meal.All of the main characters are well written and well portrayed, especially Stephen Fry who really excels in the title role.The stories are always interesting as are the underlying plot strands and there's a nice bit of comedy thrown in for good measure.Even if this isn't usually your 'cup of tea' I'd highly recommend giving it a go. I really hope there is a second series.