ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES-COMPLETE SERIES TV DVD REVIEW

One of the most beloved British sitcoms of all time is now out on DVD in a complete series collection. “Only Fools & Horses” is a show about a fast talking Cockney market trader living in an low rent apartment building in south London with his younger brother and their grandfather and later their Uncle while selling low quality & illegal goods. They also have a questionable company that sells on the black market, and most famously they drive a grubby three-wheeled van known as a “Reliant Regal”.

The trio also hangs out at a pub called “The Nag’s Head”. The show lasted solidly from 1981 to 1991 and had Christmas specials off & on until 2003 with 64 episodes produced. They finally became millionaires by the series end and lost it all only to get some of it back before the show finally stopped in 2003. Some well-known actors & actresses graced the show such as Tony Anholt, Jim Broadbent, Roy Marsden, Christopher Ryan, Richard Branson, Barry Gibb and Joan Sims.

The show also won countless Bafta and Comedy awards over the years there has also been a spin off show called “The Green, Green Grass” in 2005 without David Jason & Nicolas Lyndhurst. This set includes all 64 episodes with all the Christmas specials with a making of documentary with photo galleries and trailers for other BBC series.

VIDEO

The video quality is very good! All episodes are shot on videotape with filmed outdoor shots. All episodes run approx 32 mins each except Christmas specials.


Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also Mono on this set.

Disc 1- 1- “Big Brother”-with Roger Lloyd Pack
2- “Go West Young Man”-with Caroline Ellis
3- “Cash & Curry”
4- “The Second Time Around”
5- “A Slow Bus To Chingford”
6- “The Russians Are Coming”-with Derek Newark


Disc 2- 7- “The Long Legs of the Law”
8- “Ashes to Ashes”
9- “A Losing Streak”
10- “No Greater Love”
11- “The Yellow Peril”
12- “It Never Rains”
13- “A Touch of Glass”-with Geoffrey Toome


Disc 3- 14- “Homesick”-with Gilly Flower and Renee Roberts
15- “Healthy Competition”
16- “Friday The 14th”
17- “Yesterday Never Comes”
18- “May The Force Be With You”-with Jim Broadbent
19- “Wanted”
20- “Who’s A Pretty Boy”-with David Jackson

Disc 4- 21- “Christmas Crackers” (58:00)
22- “Diamonds Are For Heather” (58:00)
23- “Thicker Than Water” (58:00)

Disc 5- 24- “Happy Returns”
25- “Strained Relations”
26- “Hole In One”-with Colin Jeavons
27- “Its Only Rock and Roll”
28- “Sleeping Dogs Lie”
29- “Watching The Girls Go By”
30- “As One Door Closes”

Disc 6- 31- “From Prussia with Love”
32- “The Miracle Of Peckham”-with Carol Cleveland
33- “The Longest Night”
34- “Tea For Three”
35- “Video Nasty”
36- “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?”


Disc 7- 37- “To Hull & Back”-with Tony Anholt and Jim Broadbent-1985 Christmas Special (90 mins)
38- “A Royal Flush”-with Peter Tuddenham-1986 Christmas Special (76 mins)

Disc 8- 39- “The Frog’s Legacy”-with Joan Sims-1987 Christmas Special (59 mins)
40- “Dates”-with Nicholas Courtney (79 mins)

Disc 9- 41- “Yuppy Love”
42- “Danger UXD”
43- “Chain Gang”

Disc 10- 44- “The Unlikely Winner Is….”
45- “Sickness & Wealth”
46- “Little Problems”-with Roy Marsden, Christopher Ryan


Disc 11- 47- “The Jolly Boy’s Outing”-with Wanda Ventham-1989 Christmas Special (79 mins)

Disc 12- 48- “Rodney Come Home”-1989 Christmas Special (73 mins)

Disc 13- 49- “The Sky’s The Limit”
50- “The Chance of a Lunchtime”
51- “Stage Fright”

Disc 14- 52- “Class Of ‘62”-with Jim Broadbent
53- “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Uncle”
54- “Three Men, A Woman and a Baby”

Disc 15- 55 & 56- “Miami Twice-The Movie”-with Richard Branson and Barry Gibb-1991 Christmas Special (139 mins)

Disc 16-57- “Mother Nature’s Son-1992 Christmas Special (64 mins)
58- “Fatal Extraction”-1993 Christmas Special (82 mins)

Disc 17-59- “Heroes and Villians”-1996 Christmas Special (58 mins)
60- “Modern Men”-1996 Christmas Special (58 mins)
61- “Time On Our Hands”-with Michael Jayston-1996 Christmas Special (58 mi)

Disc 18- 62- “If They Could See Us Now!”-2001 Christmas Special (70 mins)
63- “Strangers On The Shore”-with James Ellis-2002 Christmas Special (73 mi)
64- “Sleepless In Peckham”-2003 Christmas Special (73 mins)


Extras

Disc 1- None

Disc 2- None

Disc 3- None

Disc 4- Making of “Only Fools… (67 mins)
Cast Biographies- (Text Only)
Photo Gallery
Peckham Concise Trotter Dictionary- (Text Only)

Disc 5- None

Disc 6- None

Disc 7- None

Disc 8- Cast Biographies- (Text Only)
Photo Gallery
Trailers for other BBC Shows

Disc 9- None

Disc 10- None

Disc 11- Cast Biographies- (Text Only)
Trailers for other BBC Shows

Disc 12- Trailers for other BBC Shows

Disc 13- None

Disc 14- None

Disc 15- None

Disc 16- None

Disc 17- None

Disc 18-None

Verdict

An infectious series, when you watch it, you’ll get hooked! Lovely Jubbly!


Rating; *****!

HAMISH MACBETH-COMPLETE SERIES TV DVD REVIEW

Hamish Macbeth is a series of mystery novels by M.C. Beaton that was turned into a TV series that ran from 1995 to 1997, starring Robert Carlyle. The series takes place in a small fishing village in the Northern part of Scotland, just like where my grandmother was born. Robert Carlyle plays a policeman that is the Constable of the village where interesting and weird things happen. Some actors in this series went on to bigger things. Shirley Henderson who played Isobel went on to portray Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films as well as Carlyle himself with Trainspotting and The Full Monty and Alistair Mackenzie that went on to star in the TV series Monarch of the Glen. This set includes all 3 seasons minus one episode “West Coast Story” presumably because of the extensive use of excerpts from the movie “West Side Story” and could not get the clearance to have it on DVD. The set also includes cast biographies and a behind the scenes featurette.

VIDEO

Excellent quality. There is also a Play All feature for every disc. Each episode runs approx 50 mins each.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also in Mono on the set.


Disc 1- 1. “The Great Lochdubh Salt Robbery”
2. “A Pillar of the Community”-with Phyllida Law
3. “The Big Freeze”

Disc 2- 1. “Wee Jock’s Lament”
2. “A Bit of an Epic”

Disc 3- 1. “A Perfectly Simple Explanation”
2. “In Search of a Rose”-with Alistair Mackenzie
3. “Isobel Pulls it Off”

Disc 4- 1. “Radio Lochdubh”
2. “No Man Is An Island”-with Michael Mackenzie
3. “The Lochdubh Deluxe”-with Andrew Keir

Disc 5- 1. “The Honorable Policeman”
2. “Deferred Sentence”
3. “Lochdubh Assassin”
4. “The Good Thief”

Disc 6- 1. “The Trouble with Rory”
2. “More Than A Game”
3. “Destiny Pt 1”
4. “Destiny Pt 2”



Extras

Disc 1: None

Disc 2: Cast Biographies- (Text Only)

Disc 3: None

Disc 4: Cast Biographies- (Text Only)
Good Morning with Anne and Nick-Hamish Macbeth- (04:54) 03/22/1996
Trailers to other BBC Shows

Disc 5: None

Disc 6: Cast Biographies- (Text Only)
Trailers to other BBC Shows


Verdict

I enjoyed watching this series very much and would love to actually visit the location sometime!


Rating; *****!

IRONSIDE-SEASON 2 TV DVD REVIEW

A blurb from Shout Factory about “Ironside Season 2”- With superb story lines dealing with socially important topics like racism, drugs, abortion and terror on a college campus, Ironside’s second season continued the tradition of attracting special guest stars-including Milton Berle, Anne Baxter, Bill Bixby, Ricardo Montalban, Burgess Meredith, Ed Asner and many more.

All 26 episodes from the second season are on this set. This show continued to springboard actors and actresses that have gone on to bigger things such as Sorrell Booke, Paul Winfield, Chad Everett and Ed Asner to name a few. The film quality is still very impressive. Returning for a second season was Don Galloway, Barbara Anderson and Don Mitchell with Galloway and Mitchell along with Burr were the only three actors that were in every episode in its 8-year run.


VIDEO

The video quality is superb! It seems that the episodes are not digitally remastered; however the video quality is excellent. There is a Play All feature.


Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also Mono on this set.

Disc 1- 1. “Shell Game” with Sorrell Booke, Charles Aidman and Lisa Todd
2. “Split Second To An Epitaph Pt 1” with Joseph Cotton, Troy Donahue and Andrew Prine
3. “Split Second To An Epitaph Pt 2” with Joseph Cotton and Troy Donahue
4. “The Sacrifice” with Ricardo Montalban, Robert Alda and Phillip Pine

Disc 2- 1. “Robert Phillips Vs The Man” with Paul Winfield and Diane Ladd
2. “Desperate Encounter” with Gene Raymond
3. “I, The People” with Milton Berle, Julie Adams and George Murdock
4. “Price Tag: Death” with Ralph Meeker and Clu Gulager

Disc 3- 1. “An Obvious Case of Guilt” with Anne Baxter and Warren Stevens
2. “Reprise” with Eddie Firestone
3. “The Macabre Mr. Micawber” with Burgess Meredith
4. “Side Pocket” with Jack Albertson

Disc 4-1. “Sergeant Mike” with Bill Bixby, John Dehner and Robert Cornthwaite
2. “In Search Of An Artist” with Broderick Crawford
3. “Up, Down and Even” with Alfred Ryder and Richard Anderson
4. “Why The Tuesday Afternoon Bridge Club Met On Thursday” with Arthur O’Connell and Ellen Corby

Disc 5- 1. “Rundown On A Bum Rap” with James Gregory and Clifton James
2. “The Prophecy”
3. “A World Of Jackals” with William Smithers and Charles Dierkop
4. “And Be My Love” with Chad Everett

Disc 6- 1. “Moonlight Means Money” with Skip Homeier
2. “A Drug On The Market” with Ray Danton and Alan Caillou
3. “Puzzlelock” with Simon Oakland and Dabbs Greer

Disc 7- 1. “The Tormentor” with Cary Collins and Mary Ann Mobley
2. “A Matter Of Love & Death”
3. “Not A Whimper, But A Bang” with Ed Asner and John Zaremba


Extras

Disc 1-7 : None


Verdict

Again, a great season of episodes! Come on Season 3!


Rating; *****!

YOUNG INDIANA JONES-THE WAR YEARS-VOLUME 2 TV DVD REVIEW

A blurb from Paramount Home Video about “Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Volume 2: From the creative mind of George Lucas comes a must-own action-packed, 9 disc DVD collection. This second set in a three volume series includes more than 13 hours of special features that explore the history behind the adventures of one of cinema’s greatest heroes: Indiana Jones.

This next set is the War Years mainly around World War I. The journeys of this show started in 1908 to 1920. This volume covers 1916 to 1917. This time, Young Indy meets up with such Historical figures as Lenin, Frank Kafka, Mata Hari, Albert Schweitzer, Baron Von Richtofen to name a few. There are also some well known stars as well such as Jacqueline Pearce, Jon Pertwee, Anthony Daniels, Christopher Lee, Terry Jones, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Daniel Craig and Colin Baker. This set also is crammed full of documentaries, some which are about World War I and the Middle East with a Timeline and much, much more!

VIDEO

The video quality is great! All episodes are shot on 16mm film but have been Digitally Remastered.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also Mono on this set.

Disc 1- 1. “Trenches of Hell”-with Sean Pertwee (88 mins)

Disc 2- 1. “Demons of Deception”-with Jacqueline Pearce (92 mins)

Disc 3- 1. “Phantom Train Of Doom” (93 Mins)

Disc 4-1. “Oganga The Giver and Taker of Life” (88 mins)

Disc 5- 1. “Attack of The Hawkmen”-with Jon Pertwee and Anthony Daniels (96 Mins)

Disc 6- 1. “Adventures in the Secret Service”-with Christopher Lee and Joss Ackland (91 mins)

Disc 7- 1. “Espionage Escapades”-with Tim McInnerny and Terry Jones (95 mins)

Disc 8- 1. “Daredevils of the Desert”-with Catherine Zeta Jones, Daniel Craig and Colin Baker (81 Mins)

Disc 9- 1. Bonus Disc
Interactive Timeline-DVD Rom
Historical Lecture-War & Revolution-(62 Mins)
Special Delivery Interactive Game-DVD Rom

Extras

Disc 1- The Somme: Storm of Steel- (26:48)
Siegfried Sassoon-A War Poet’s Journey (30:08)
Robert Graves and The White Goddess (30:17)
I Am France-The Myth of Charles De Gaulle (30:07)

Disc 2- Into the Furnace-The Battle of Verdun (28:45)
Marshal Petain’s Fall From Grace (30:41)
Flirting with Danger: The Fantasy of Mata Hari (29:53)
Reading the Enemy’s Mind-Espionage in World War I (24:20)

Disc 3- Chasing The Phantom-Paul Von Lettow-Vorbeck (24:53)
Dreaming of Africa-The life of Frederick Selous (25:06)
At Home & Abroad-The Two Faces of Jan Smuts (32:16)

Disc 4- Albert Schweitzer-Reverence For Life (29:47)
Congo-A Curse of Riches (32:39)
Waging Peace-The Rise of Pacifism (26:02)

Disc 5- War in the Third Dimension: Aerial Warfare in World War I (26:43)
Blood Red-The Life & Death of Manfred Von Richthofen (24:34)
Flying High for France-The Lafayette Escadrille (26:13)
Anthony Fokker- The Flying Dutchman (27:30)

Disc 6- Karl: The Last Habsburg Emperor (29:49)
The Russian Revolution-All Power to the Soviets! (33:35)
V.I Lenin-History Will Not Forgive Us (33:53)

Disc 7- Impresario-Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes (28:13)
Ballet-The Art of Dance (32:15)
From Kafka’s Dark Truth (31:21)

Disc 8- Lines In The Sand-The Middle East and the Great War (34:29)
Colonel Lawrence’s War-T. E. Lawrence and Arabia (36:05)


Verdict

I highly recommend this set and the last volume should be out in the spring!


Rating; *****!

UNDERDOG-ULTIMATE COLLECTION TV DVD REVIEW

A blurb from Genius Entertainment/Sony Classic Media about “Underdog-The Ultimate Collection” – Now you can enjoy the 1960’s classic cartoon superhero in a whole new way! Eighteen complete episodes, all digitally re-mastered!

When I was 4 years old, I would put a towel around my neck and become “Underdog”! My aunt was “Sweet Polly Purebread”. I watched Underdog every time it was on and then in syndication. The Underdog Ultimate Collection set is out. I personally would not call the collection “Ultimate” more like “Best Of” because there are only 18 full episodes in the 3-DVD set. This 3 disc set comprises of full shows from episodes 7 thru 12, 19 thru 22 41, 42, 47, 48, 51, 52, 55 and 56. An “ultimate” collection to me would be all 62 full episodes with a ton of extras. Don’t get me wrong; there is nothing wrong about this set! The episodes are digitally re-mastered and look light years better than they did in syndication. The special features are nice with an interview with the show’s co-creator Joe Harris and some original promos from the series as well as a sing-a-long to the theme music and more.

VIDEO

The episodes are Digitally Re-mastered. The episodes are approx 53 mins each.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. Audio quality is also in Mono. Very strong sound.


Disc 1-
1. “The Big Dipper” Parts 1 & 2 (53 Mins)
2. “The Gold Bricks” Parts 1 & 2 (53 Mins)
3. “Fearo the Ferocius” Parts 1 & 2 (53 Mins)

With Go Go Gophers, Klondike Kat and Commander McBragg

Disc 2-
1. “The Great Road Robbery” Parts 1 & 2 (53 Mins)
2. “The Big Shrink” Parts 1 & 2 (53 Mins)
1. “The Marbleheads” Part 1 & 2 (53 Mins)

With Go Go Gophers, Klondike Kat and Commander McBragg


Disc 3-
1. “Weathering the Storm” Parts 1 & 2 (53 Mins)
2. “Riffraffville” Parts 1 & 2 (53 Mins)
3. “Round and Round” Parts 1 & 2 (53 Mins)

With Go Go Gophers, Klondike Kat and Commander McBragg

Extras


Disc 1- Interview with Co-Creator Joe Harris (08:40)
The Underdog Show’s Family of Characters
Original Opening of Short Subjects (03:53)

Disc 2- Underdog Theme song sing-a-long (01:10)
Archival Broadcast Promos (01:24)

Disc 3-Underdog Show Trivia Challenge
Storyboard: The Nut of Nog (06:11)


Verdict

If you are truly a fan of Underdog as I am, you will greatly enjoy this set! Get it for Christmas!


Rating: ****!

THE MOD SQUAD-SEASON 1 VOLUME 1 TV DVD REVIEW

Another great trip down memory lane! The Mod Squad was a very popular series for its time and was Aaron Spelling’s first prime time series when it premiered on 1968. The co-creator of the series was Danny Thomas. The basic plot for the series was 3 young people on the wrong side of the law that was given a chance by the police to work for them instead of a life in prison. The series starred Michael Cole as Pete Cochran, Clarence Williams III as Linc Hayes and Peggy Lipton as Julie Barnes. The person who changed their lives was Captain Greer played by the late Tige Andrews. The show lasted 5 seasons and 123 episodes. This volume consists of the first 13 episodes in crystal clear quality. There are also 3 featurettes about the series with Michael Cole and Peggy Lipton.

VIDEO

All 13 episodes have been Digitally Remastered. Each episode runs approx 51 mins. There is also a Play All feature

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. Audio quality is good to very good.


Disc 1- 1. “The Teeth of the Barracuda”-with Brooke Bundy
2. “Bad Man On Campus”-with J Pat O’Malley
3. “My, What a Pretty Bus”-with Henry Jones

Disc 2- 4. “When Smiley Comes Marching Home”-with Lou Gosett Jr
5. “You Can’t Tell the Players without a Programmer”-with Julie Adams
6. “A Time to Love, A Time To Cry”-with Robert Lansing and Rex Holman
7. “Find Tara Chapman”-with Yvonne Craig and Sid Melton

Disc 3- 8. “The Price of Terror”-with James Best and Herb Vigran
9. “A Quiet Weekend in the Country”-with James Gregory
10. “Love”-with Arthur Franz and Isabell Sanford

Disc 4-11. “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Starlet”-with William Smithers and Joan Van Ark
12. “The Guru”-with Dabney Coleman and Adam Roarke
13. “The Sunday Drivers”-with Paul Carr and Woodrow Parfrey



Extras

Disc 1: Forming the Squad- (15:00)
Inside “The Teeth of the Barracuda”-(09:34)

Disc 2: None

Disc 3: Friends of the Mod Squad- (16:10)

Disc 4: None


Verdict

A great series and waiting on Volume 2 to come out! Go buy it!

Rating: ****!

P.S. Today is the 1st Anniversary of this blogsite! I want to thank everybody that has helped me with this site and my regular website and it hard to believe this is review 142!

David

SONIC UNDERGROUND-VOLUME 1 TV DVD REVIEW

A short blurb from Shout Factory about “Sonic Underground Volume 1: In the third animated series based on the popular SEGA videogame character, Sonic The Hedgehog along with his siblings Sonia and Maniac-battles the evil Dr. Robotnik, while making time for his real passion…their rock band, Sonic Underground.

This Sonic series is the last in a long line of Sonic: The Hedgehog shows. This show premiered in the summer of 1999. It was also the last time that Jaleel White was the voice of Sonic. This time the plot for the series is that Sonic with his siblings, Sonia and Maniac fight Robotnik on a Global scale on Sonic’s home planet of Morbius. Sonic’s mother, Queen Aleena Hedgehog is prominent throughout the series. One of the most popular characters, Tails does not show up this time. Another character is introduced in the form of “Knuckles”. Jaleel White provides the voices of all 3 siblings. Each episode has a “Music Video” pertaining to their adventures. On an interesting note, the voice of Knuckle’s great-grandfather is none other than 007 himself, Sean Connery! The show was believed to have ran for 65 episodes, but actually only 40 episodes were produced. This set comprises of the first 20 episodes. The set also includes a bonus CD of some of the more popular songs on the series and some special features!

VIDEO

The video quality is great! The episodes were digitally remastered. There is also a Play All feature. Each episode runs approx 22 mins each.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. Audio quality is also in Mono.

Disc 1-
1. “Beginnings” -song “Someday”
2. “Getting to know you” -song “Working Together In Harmony”
3. “Harmony or Something”-song “We’re All In This Together”
4. “To Catch A Queen”-song “Have You Got The 411”
5. “Mobodoon”-song “I’ve Found My Home”
6. “The Price of Freedom”-song “Money Can’t Buy”
7. “Underground Masquerade”-song “Let The Good Times Roll”
8. “Tangled Webs”-song “The Children Light The Way”

Disc 2-
9. “The Deepest Fear”-song “Face Your Fear”
10. “Who Do You Think You Are?”-song “We Need To Be Free”
11. “Last Resort”-song “Listen To Your Heart”
12. “Come Out Wherever You Are”-song “Society Girl”
13. “Winner Fakes All”-song “Built For Speed”
14. “A Hedgehog’s Home is Her Castle”-song “Let’s Do It To It”
15. “Artifact”-song “You Can’t Own Everything”
16. “Bug”-song “Never Give Up”

Disc 3-
17. “Sonic Tonic”-song “I Wish I Was The Fastest Thing Alive”
18. “Friend or Foe”-song “Not Always What They Seem”
19. “Head Games”-song “Take A Chance”
20. “When in Rome…”-song “When There’s A Will, There’s A Way”

Disc 4-Audio CD

1. “Sonic Underground Main Title”
2. “Lets Do it to it”
3. “I wish I could go faster”
4. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”
5. “Mummy Wrap”
6. “The Morbius Stomp”
7. “We’re the Sonic Underground”
8. “Lady Liberty”


Extras

Disc 1- Music Videos from the first 8 episodes

Disc 2- Music Videos from the next 8 episodes

Disc 3- Developing the Underground- (07:20)
Songs from the Underground (08:54)
Storyboard to Screen: Opening Titles (01:04)
Original Conceptual Art- (Heroes, Villains and Vehicles)
The Art of Morbius- (0:58)

Verdict

A fun little show to watch. Volume 2 will eventually comprise of the final 20 episodes.



Rating: ****!

KING OF KENSINGTON SEASON 1-TV DVD REVIEW

I remember watching this show on my local CBS station late night in the late 1970’s in Tampa, Florida. The show was great! It was one of the first Canadian sitcoms and one of the most popular and loved series in Canada. The series starred Al Waxmen as Larry King, a mom & pop grocery store owner that has a huge heart and helped people out. Larry also had a group of friends that he would hang out with. Many now well-known stars had their break on this show. A 12-year old Mike Myers (Austin Powers) was in an episode of this series. Up until Al Waxmen’s death in 2001, Myers kept in touch with Waxmen. Myers also name the heroine of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery by the last name of Kensington, in honor of the show. Other guests include Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy and Dave Thomas from the TV series: Second City Television”. This 2-disc set consists of the first 16 episodes and also has 2 Audio Commentaries from the creator of the series as well as a vintage “60 Minutes” type news program that interviewed Waxmen in 1978.

VIDEO

The video quality is great! Outdoor scenes for the opening theme music is grainy, but that was the practice with programs in the 70’s. Each episode runs approx 22 mins long.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. Is also in Mono but very clear!

Disc 1- 1. “Variety Store”
2. “Hot Line Host”
3. “Mr. Help & The Tax Audit”
4. “Save Old George”
5. “Where’s Cathy?”
6. “Half Way Home”-with Eugene Levy
7. “Lady Who Came To Dinner”
8. “The Gambler”

Disc 2- 1. “Joy Of Kensington”-with Andrea Martin
2. “The Real Mrs. King”
3. “Scouts Honor”-with Mike Myers
4. “The Christmas Show”
5. “The Detroit Story”-with Dave Thomas
6. “Cathy’s Hobby”
7. “Duke’s Dilemma”
8. “Delma’s Decision”

Extras

Disc 1: Audio Commentary by the show’s creator for “Half Way Home”

Disc 2: Audio Commentary by the show’s creator for “Scouts Honor”
Interview with Al Waxmen- (1978) (18:15)

Verdict

By all means, get this show on DVD! It’s worth the buy! Bring on Season 2!

Rating: *****!

DOCTOR WHO COMPLETE NEW SERIES 2- TV DVD REVIEW

I was just getting use to Christopher Eccleston and then he goes and quits the show after one season! The second season starts off with a whole new doctor! The new series stars David Tennant as the doctor with Billie Piper as Rose for another season. Again I was skeptical about a new doctor but was quickly pleased with the new pick. This season also started the yearly Christmas special. In this season it is called appropriately “The Christmas Invasion. Mickey and Rose’s mom joins the cast in more episode than in the previous season and the season has some really good and not so good episodes but defiantly my favorite is the 2-part season finale, the “Army of Ghosts” and “Doomsday”. This set has quite a few extras such as audio commentaries on all 14 episodes and what is called “In-Vision commentaries with the actors and you can actually watch them as they watch the episode! There are also outtakes, deleted scenes Billie Piper’s and David Tennant video diaries and the Children in Need Special that links the 9th doctor to the 10th.

VIDEO

The video quality is quite good being filmed on Digibeta! Excellent quality. There is also a Play All feature for every disc.


Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also able to hear it in 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound.

Disc 1- 1. “Christmas Invasion” (58:50)
2. “New Earth”-with Zoe Wanamaker (44:03)

Disc 2- 1. “Tooth & Claw” (44:33)
2. “School Reunion” (44:14)
3. “The Girl In The Fireplace” (44:42)

Disc 3- 1. “Rise Of The Cybermen”-with Roger Lloyd Pack (46:04)
2. “Age Of Steel” (45:42)
3. “Idiot’s Lantern” (45:10)

Disc 4-1. “The Impossible Planet” (45:19)
2. “The Satan’s Pit” (47:12)
3. “Love & Monsters” (45:08)

Disc 5-
1. “Fear Her”-(43:52)
2. “Army Of Ghosts”-(43:21)
3. “Doomsday”-(46:24)


Disc 6- Doctor Who Confidential (Cutdown Versions)

1. “New, New Doctor”-(12:34)
2. “Fear Factor”-(12:08)
3. “Friends Reunited”-(12:21)
4. “Script to Screen”-(12:36)
5. “Cybermen” –(10:30)
6. “From Zero To Hero” –(10:20)
7. “The Writer’s Tale” –(11:07)
8. “You’ve Got The Look” –(10:35)
9. “Myths & Legends” –(09:11)
10. “The New World of Who”-(11:39)
11. “The Fright Stuff”-(12:25)
12. “Welcome To Torchwood”-(12:43)
13. “Finale”-(10:03)

David’s Video Diaries- (85 mins)


Extras

Disc 1: In Vision Commentary on Christmas Invasion
Audio Commentaries on New Earth
Outtakes- (08:18)
Deleted Scenes- (16:05)
Billie’s Video Diaries- (04:18)
Children In Need Special- (07:14)

Disc 2: Audio Commentaries on Tooth & Claw and School Reunion
In-Vision Commentary on The Girl In The Fireplace
Deconstructing Big Ben (04:51)
On Set with Billie Piper (19:03)
Trailers- (1:02)

Disc 3: Audio Commentaries on all Rise of the Cybermen and Idiot’s Lantern
In-Vision Commentary on Age Of Steel

Disc 4: Audio Commentaries for The Satan’s Pit and Love & Monsters
In-Vision Commentary for The Impossible Planet
Designing Doctor Who (20:50)
The Adventures of Captain Jack (08:30)
Trailers- (02:27)

Disc 5: Backstage At Christmas: Behind The Scenes footage from the Christmas Invasion

Disc 6: None


Verdict

A very good start to the new incarnation of Doctor Who. Get it for your collection!


Rating; *****!

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE SEASON 3-TV DVD REVIEW

A short blurb from BCI/New Line about Wanted: Dead or Alive Season 3: For the first time on DVD, comes the final 26 episodes of the complete third season of the hit television series “WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE”. The show that launched the career of big-screen legend Steve McQueen.

This DVD set wraps up this underrated and extremely well done western series. This set consists of the final 26 episodes of the series with such guest stars as James Coburn, Mary Tyler Moore, Cloris Leachman, Richard Anderson and Warren Oates. This set also includes short features about Steve McQueen’s character and about his famous rifle. McQueen’s movie career was heating up and was purposely making it difficult for everyone until the network canceled the series and let him go.

VIDEO

The video quality is very good! All the episodes are on film. Film quality is quite good with little to no dirt or specks All discs have a Play All feature.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. Also here in mono but very clear!

Disc 1- 69. “The Trial”-with James Coburn and Paul Burke
70. “The Healing Woman” with Harold J Stone
71. “Journey For Josh”
72. “The Looters” with Dennis Patrick
73. “The Twain Shall Meet” with Mary Tyler Moore
74. “The Showdown”
75. “Surprise Witness” with Lee Bergere

Disc 2- 76. “To the Victor” with Richard Farnsworth
77. “Criss-Cross” with Mark Rydell
78. “The Medicine Man”-with Cloris Leachman and J. Pat O’Malley
79. “One Mother Too Many” with Joyce Meadows
80. “The Choice”
81. “Three For One” with Terry Becker and Richard Anderson
82. “Witch Woman” with Jeanette Nolan
83. “Baa-Baa”

Disc 3- 84. “The Last Retreat” with Warren Oates
85. “Bounty For Josh”
86. “Hero In The Dust”
87. “Epitaph” with Richard Anderson
88. “The Voice of Silence” with Roy Barcroft
89. “El Gato” with Noah Berry
90. “Detour” with Howard Morris
91. “Monday Morning”

Disc 4- 92. “The Long Search”
93. “Dead Reckoning”
94. “Barney’s Bounty” with Noah Berry

Extras

Disc 1: None

Disc 2: None

Disc 3: None

Disc 4: Featurettes- “The Art of the Replica” (04:11)
“The Mare’s Leg” (08:36)
“The Women of the Series” (09:54)
“Reckless” (08:38)
“Winchester: A Weapon of Legend” (08:15)
“The Autry National Center” (17:50)
“The Matchmaker” (07:46)

Verdict

A fitting end to a series. Well worth the buy!


Rating; *****!

THE STRANGE CASE OF THE END OF CIVILIZATION AS WE KNOW IT DVD REVIEW

In between Fawlty Towers Series 1 and Series 2, John Cleese made a strange but funny short film entitled “The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It!” Basically the plot is that the grandson of Sherlock Holmes and his trusty companion, Dr Watson with his Bionic Nose, tracks down the only living descendant of Professor Moriarity. This is a low budget spoof on Sherlock Holmes and the mystery genre as well! The film also stars Arthur Lowe as Dr Watson, Connie Booth, Delholm Elliott, Joss Ackland and Nick Tate to name a few.

VIDEO

Lots of scratches and film dirt and it also looks like that it has been taken from a VHS Master because there is dropout during the titles and the first part of the film.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also Mono on this set.

Disc 1- 1. “The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It”-with John Cleese, Arthur Lowe, Connie Booth, Delholm Elliott, Joss Ackland and Nick Tate

Extras

Disc 1: None

Verdict

Very funny in parts but uneven. Get it if you’re a fan of John Cleese.


Rating: ***!

THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF SPIKE MILLIGAN DVD REVIEW

This documentary is a intimate and person portrait of the comic genius of Spike Milligan, done through the eyes of his brother, three daughters and his third wife. Spike trotted the thin line between genius and debilitating depression. The celebrities who discuss his career are Joanna Lumley, Michael Palin amoung others. The documentary is possible through video, audio and photographic archives. This film was a co-production with Film Finance Corporation Australia, RTE-Ireland among others. This disc includes 2 audio commentaries by the director and Spike himself and also with Spike’s three daughters and 6 featurettes about different aspects of Spike’s life and home movies.

VIDEO

The video quality great! The documentary is 134 minutes long.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also Mono on this set.

Disc 1- 1. “The Life & Legacy of Spike Milligan: I told you I was Ill”

Extras

Disc 1: Audio Commentary with the Director and Spike himself!
Audio Commentary by Spike’s Three Daughters
Spike: The Godfather of Alternative Comedy- (04:05)
Spike and Monty Python- (03:47)
Spike The Soldier- (07:15)
Spike The Activist- (04:27)
The Milligans of Sligo- (04:02)
The Daffodil Story- (02:41)
Spikes’ Home Movies- (09:28)


Verdict

A wonderfully well done and sometimes haunting documentary about the life of Spike Milligan. I would highly recommend it!


Rating: ****!

THE SANDBAGGERS SET 1 TV DVD REVIEW

The Sandbaggers series has been best described as the “Best drama show that most people never saw”. The show was a Cold War drama set at the same time that the shows were produced. The show also delved into the lives of British and American Intelligence specialists. This show was wonderfully complex in the storylines and was grim but very realistic in the way the British had to deal with defectors, assassinations and going behind the Iron Curtain. The series stars Roy Marsden as Neil Burnside who is Head of Operations of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Services (SIS) or otherwise known as MI6. The show was a one point vetoed by the sensors to an episode where it dealt with sensitive information that the Second series of episodes were one short. This set comprises of the first 6 episodes with a never before released episode on DVD. The series was shot in the usual fashion prevalent in the 70’s that all outside scenes were shot on usually grainy 16 mm film and all indoor shots were done on videotape.

VIDEO

Videotape portions are just fine. Outdoor scenes were somewhat speckled and dirt on the film portions. No fault of BFS!

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. Audio quality is also in Mono.


Disc 1-
1. “First Principles”-with Olaf Pooley
2. “A Proper Function of Government”-with Stephen Grief

Disc 2-
3. “Is Your Journey Really Necessary?”
4. “The Most Suitable Person”-with Stephen Grief and Christopher Benjamin


Disc 3-
5. “Always Glad To Help”-with Peter Miles
6. “A Feasible Solution”
7. “Special Relationship”-Previously Missing Episode


Extras


Disc 1- None

Disc 2- None

Disc 3-A Guide To Sandbaggers’ Abbreviations- (Text Only)


Verdict

If you love multi-layered complex stories, then this is the show for you! I really enjoyed it!


Rating: *****!