Posted in archive television, classic cinema, television

My Network DVD collection

   Published Date: February 15, 2015

TV Comedy

  • The Complete Adrian Mole.  Capsule review: An excellent comedy-drama adaptation of Sue Townsend’s first two books about Adrian Mole. 
  • Agony: The Complete Series.  Capsule review: Maureen Lipman is a scatty agony aunt with romantic problems.  Tries too hard to cover ‘issues’. 
  • All Star Comedy Carnival.  Capsule review: a waltz down memory lane, with lots of laughs. 
  • The Arthur Haynes Show. Capsule review: The television output of a forgotten funnyman, dated but dotted with laughs.
  • An Audience with Jasper Carrott.  Capsule review: Carrott’s breakthrough series before an audience; still very funny. 
  • Beadle’s About series 1.  Capsule review: Very much of its time, this raises the occasional smile but hasn’t worn well. 
  • Catweazle: Series 1 and Series 2.  Capsule review: A classic children’s series with a strong central performance and clever storylines.  
  • Cilla’s Comedy Six: The Complete Series.  Capsule review: Hit and miss sketches which prove Cilla Black was not a strong comedienne.  
  • Classic ITV Christmas Comedy.  Capsule review: A good sampler of half-forgotten comedy programme festive specials, many from the 1980s.
  • Dawson’s Weekly.  Capsule review: Les Dawson in a set of comedy characterisations which are very entertaining.
  • Doctor on the Box.  Capsule review: every Doctor series which ran on the BBC, good for dipping in and out, but the earlier series are the sharpest.
  • End of Part One: The Complete Series.  Capsule review: a quirky and obscure delight in Pythonesque mode.
  • Frost on Sunday.  Capsule review: Frost goes variety in his lightest of the three weekend 60s series.
  • The Galton and Simpson Playhouse.  Capsule review: a set of amusing comedy plays.
  • The Goodies … At Last, A Second Helping.  Capsule review: time hasn’t been kind to this silly sketch series.
  • If There Weren’t Any Blacks You’d Have To Invent Them.  Capsule review: two versions of the same black comedy play, both very effective.
  • Law and Disorder: Complete.  Capsule review: gentle comedy with Margo in a wig.
  • The Morecambe and Wise Show: The Thames Years.  Capsule review: not as good as their BBC series, but this duo were always good fun.
  • Mrs Merton and Malcolm.  Capsule review: not entirely successful, but now and again this is as much comedy gold as the Royle Family.
  • The New Incomplete Complete and Utter History of Britain.  Capsule review: a lovingly compiled package of a variable comedy series.
  • Outside Edge: The Complete Series.  Capsule review: the pilot play and the whole series, a joy from start to finish.
  • Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson’s … series 1.  Capsule review: disappointing, especially the Hancock reboots.
  • Pipkins: Volumes 1-4.  Capsule review: legendary children’s series, with subversive puppets.
  • The Rag Trade: The Complete First LWT Series.  Capsule review: laugh out loud on occasion, but the original BBC series is stronger.
  • Rik Mayall Presents.  Capsule review: a series of comedy plays, cleverly written.
  • Ripping Yarns: The Complete Series.  Capsule review: superior comedy plays in the old yarn style and with a Python twist, with the Secrets play as a dark and funny extra.
  • Romany Jones: Complete Series 1 and 2.  Capsule review: James Beck’s only starring role following his success in Dad’s Army – but it is creaky fare!
  • Sadie, It’s Cold Outside: The Complete Series.  Capsule review: worthwhile character led comedy.
  • Shillingbury Tales: The Complete Series.  Capsule review: excellent writing, good performances.
  • Six Dates With Barker.  Capsule review: a set of comedy plays with Ronnie Barker in the lead, very nicely done.
  • Spitting Image: The Complete Series 1-7, Series 8.  Capsule review: of its time, and very dated, but now and again very sharp indeed.
  • The Strange World of Gurney Slade: The Complete Series.  Capsule review: a hidden gem with strange and surreal twists and turns.
  • Sunday Night at the London Palladium: Volumes 1 and 2.  Capsule review: variety and music show from the 50s and 60s.
  • Tingha and Tucker.  Capsule review: odd jumble of remaining items from a forgotten children’s series.
  • Two’s Company: Complete Series.  Capsule review: a well-remembered two header with flair and fun.
  • Two of a Kind. Capsule review: early sketches from Morecambe and Wise, with a raw variety feel and some excellent extra features.
  • Victoria Wood: Screenplays.  Capsule review: early series of comedy plays which stand on their believable characters and situations.

TV Drama

  • The Adventures of Black Beauty: Best of.  Capsule review: children’s drama inspired by Anna Sewell’s novel, great theme tune and good production values.
  • Adventures of Robin Hood: Complete.  Capsule review: high adventure and many early appearances from familiar faces make this series a winner.
  • Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel: Complete.  Capsule review: affectionate piece of whimsy with a great central performance and enjoyable storylines.
  • Alan Plater at ITV.  Capsule review: a good overview of one of television’s best playwrights.  Includes some taster episodes of series like Flambards.
  • Anglo Saxon Attitudes: Complete
  • The Arcata Promise
  • Armchair Cinema: The Collection.  Capsule review: a solid set of standalone dramas from Euston Films with strong characterisations.  Some films miss the mark but all are worth watching.
  • Armchair Theatre: Volumes 1-4.  Capsule review: a range of episodes from the long-running series of standalone plays.  The older titles are more innovative but as a whole they are interesting to compare with the BBC’s ‘Play for Today’.
  • Armchair Theatre Archive: Volumes 1-4.
  • Armchair Thriller: Complete.  Capsule review: lengthy tales of chills and terror, hit and miss as a series.
  • Band of Gold/Gold: Complete.  Capsule review: hard-hitting series about a group of prostitutes in Bradford; the follow-up series isn’t a patch on the original.
  • The Bass Player and the Blonde
  • Beasts: The Complete Series.  Capsule review: a range of horror tales which linger in the memory; two outstanding and the rest very good indeed.
  • The Beiderbecke Trilogy/Get Lost: Complete
  • Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire
  • The Blackheath Poisonings: Complete
  • Bloody Kids
  • Brass
  • The Brontes of Haworth: Complete
  • The Buccaneers: The Complete Series
  • The Caesars: Complete
  • Casting the Runes
  • Cause Celebre
  • Children’s Ward: Complete Series 1 and 2
  • Chiller: Complete Series.  Capsule review: surprisingly good series of spine-tinglers with a great opening sequence.
  • A Choice of Coward: Complete
  • Clayhanger: Complete
  • Codename Kyril
  • Crown Court: Volumes 1-8
  • The Crunch … and other stories
  • Danger UXB: Complete Series Special Edition
  • The Dark Angel: Complete
  • Dennis Potter at LWT: Volumes 1 and 2
  • Dick Turpin: Series 1
  • Disraeli: Complete
  • Dramarama: Spooky
  • Dramarama: Volume 1
  • Edward and Mrs Simpson: Complete
  • Enemy at the Door: Complete
  • Espionage: Michael Powell
  • Fireball XL5: Complete
  • Flickers: The Complete Series
  • Floodtide: The Complete Series
  • The Four Just Men: The Complete Series
  • Framed
  • Fraud Squad series 1
  • The Frighteners
  • Gideon’s Way: Complete
  • The Gold Robbers: Complete
  • The Good Companions: Complete
  • The Hanged Man: Complete
  • Interpol Calling: Complete
  • The Invisible Man: Complete
  • ITC 50
  • It’s Dark Outside: the Complete Series
  • Jack Rosenthal at ITV
  • Jamaica Inn: Complete
  • Jemima Shore Investigates: Complete
  • Jennie, Lady Randolph Churchill: Complete
  • Justice: Complete Series 1-3
  • Killers
  • A Kind of Loving: Complete
  • The Knock: Complete Series 1
  • Ladies in Charge: Complete
  • Lady Killers: Complete Series 1-2
  • The Last Place on Earth: Complete
  • Laurence Olivier Presents
  • The Life and Times of David Lloyd George
  • Lillie: The Complete Series
  • Look-Back on 70s Telly: Issues 1-4
  • The Main Chance: Complete Series 1-4
  • The Male of the Species: Three Plays by Alun Owen
  • Manhunt: Complete Series
  • Mr Axelford’s Angel
  • Mr Palfrey of Westminster: Complete
  • Mr Rose: Complete Series 1-3
  • Mystery and Imagination
  • Napoleon and Love: Complete
  • The Nation’s Health
  • The Nearly Man
  • Nightingale’s Boys: Complete
  • New Scotland Yard: series 1
  • The Organisation
  • Philby, Burgess and Maclean
  • Piece of Cake: Complete
  • The Plane Makers: Volumes 1-3
  • Plays for Britain: Complete
  • The Power Game: The Complete Series
  • The Protectors: Complete Series
  • Red Letter Day: The Complete Series
  • Redcap: Series 1
  • The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes: Complete Series 1-2
  • Robin of Sherwood: Complete
  • The Sandbaggers: Complete
  • Scoop
  • Scorpion Tales: Complete
  • Sergeant Cork: Complete Series 1-6
  • Serjeant Musgrave’s Dance
  • Shadows of Fear: Complete
  • Six Days of Justice: Complete Series 1-2
  • Smuggler: The Complete Series
  • Soap Box: Volume 1
  • South Riding: The Complete Series
  • Storyboard: The Complete Series
  • Strangers: The Complete Series
  • Tales of the Unexpected: Complete
  • Tales Out of School: Four Films by David Leland
  • Thomas and Sarah: Complete
  • Thriller: The Complete Series
  • Travelling Man: Complete
  • Twelfth Night
  • The Tyrant King: Complete
  • Upstairs Downstairs: Complete
  • Van Der Valk: Complete
  • A Very Peculiar Practice: Complete
  • Village Hall: Complete Series 1 and 2
  • Warrior Queen: Complete
  • The Widowmaker
  • Will Shakespeare: Complete
  • William Tell: Complete
  • Wish Me Luck: Complete
  • The XYY Man: Complete
  • Yesterday’s Dreams: Complete
  • The Zoo Gang: Complete

TV Other

  • 56 Up
  • Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow
  • Charley Says: Limited Edition
  • Coronation Street: 1972
  • Emmerdale Farm: Volume One and Two
  • Frost on Coward
  • Frost on Friday
  • Frost on Saturday
  • ITV 60
  • Six Centuries of Verse: Complete
  • The Story of Film: An Odyssey
  • Tempo: Volume 1
  • Unknown Chaplin
  • World in Action: Volumes 1-4

Films:

  • British Comedies of the 1930s Volumes 1-2
  • British Musicals of the 1930s Volumes 1-6
  • The Ealing Rarities Volumes 1-14
  • The Jessie Matthews Revue Volumes 1-6