Discovering the Real World of Harry Potter

Customer reviews:

Deadly Dullness in the Real World of Harry Potter, 2008-01-12
Hugh Laurie,currently famous as the cynical doctor on "House" and Stephen Fry's comical foil on "Jeeves and Wooster",provides narration for this "special" about the "real" world of Harry Potter. As a narrator, Laurie is wonderful. He has an expressive voice,and is clearly having fun, despite the boring script.

There are tours of Oxford, Cambridge, English boarding schools, even an interview with a so-called "white witch" who claims broom-riding powers(???) It sounds more exciting than it is.

Seeing this on PBS,I found it terribly boring. JK Rowling's sources of inspiration are pretty clear,and this travelogue is a waste of time.

Rented from the library and still feel a bit cheated, 2008-01-12
I was hoping that this video would have done 2 things: 1, given me a bit of a tour of the filming locations, like Christ's Church, Gloucester Cathedral, Glenfinnan Viaduct, and more and 2. given me a bit of history that led to the book, both mythic in telling and in real locations like Wookey Hole Cave. Basically, I wanted a fan tour without having to pay the 2-3K it costs to actually do that. Instead, I was given sort of "this is the junk we have in our pocket" presentation. It's not worth your money, unless you're REALLY interested in listening to some guy who calls himself the "white witch" babel on about proper broom flying technique. I suppose the author date should have clued me in that it wasn't likely too be all that useful, but I'm still disappointed (to the point I signed on to author this review), and I watched this for free.