Akron Public Library

Set in an Edwardian country house in 1912, Downton Abbey portrays the lives of the Crawley family and the servants who work for them. In the drawing rooms, library, and beautiful bedrooms, with their tall windows looking across the park, lives the family, but below stairs are other residents, the servants, as fiercely possessive of their ranks as anyone above.

Step into the charming world of "Cranford" by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell. This delightful novel invites you to a quaint English village, where the lives of its eccentric and endearing inhabitants are interwoven in a tapestry of humor, heartwarming moments, and social observations. Set in the early 19th century, the narrative unfolds through the eyes of Mary Smith, an outsider welcomed into the close-knit community. As she navigates the idiosyncrasies...

September 1940, as German bombs fall on Britain, fears grow of an impending invasion. Since losing her parents as a child, Susan Shepherd has raised homing pigeons with her grandfather, Bertie. All her birds are extraordinary to Susan, but none more so than Duchess, with whom she shares a special bond. When a young pilot named Ollie Evans travels to Britain to join the Royal Air Force, his quest brings him to the National Pigeon Service, where Susan...

In the idyllic early summer of 1914, life is good for the de Witt family. Rudolf and Verena are planning the wedding of their daughter Emmeline, while their eldest son, Arthur, is studying in Paris and Michael is just back from his first term at Cambridge. Celia, the youngest of the de Witt children, is on the brink of adulthood, and secretly dreams of escaping her carefully mapped-out future and exploring the world. But the onslaught of war changes...

The story, told in flashback, of two young British sprinters competing for fame in the 1924 Olympics. Eric, a devout Scottish missionary runs because he knows it must please God. Harold, the son of a newly rich Jew runs to prove his place in Cambridge society. In a warmup 100 meter race, Eric defeats Harold, who hires a pro trainer to prepare him. Eric, whose qualifying heat is scheduled for a Sunday, refuses to run despite pressure from the Olympic...

Epic story of three decades of the life of a young man, Ryder (Irons), who meets the Marchmain family and becomes wrapped up in their lifestyle, but who eventually comes to accept his own fate.

Follow the Bellamys and their servants through some of the most memorable moments in TV history. From the joyous days after the Armistice, when the laughter of children returns to the household, to the tragedy that befalls them, the enchanting saga of the aristocratic Bellamy family and their loyal and lively servants winds to its bittersweet end.

"Set amid the politically turbulent times surrounding World War II, Strangers & brothers chronicles the impassioned life of young Englishman Lewis Eliot. In a world where truth and justice test the personal philosophies of even the strongest men, Eliot is the ambitious lawyer fighting the temptations that could ruin his personal and professional life. Eliot's decisions lead his career on a tempestuous journey of success, tragedy, and rekindled love....

Story of two English runners that were both driven by different means to win the Olympics. One used his faith in God, and the other his hatred of Anti-Semitism. Special Edition features include: additional scenes, interviews, featurettes, and more.