Official Synopsis:
Featuring all 25 episodes of Father Ted and a bucket load of extras. Join Fathers Ted, Dougal and Jack, three Irish priests exiled by the Church to their own private purgatory, a twisted lump of rock called Craggy Island, as penance for indulging in various shady misdemeanors. With the help of the world's most devoted housekeeper, Mrs. Doyle, they tend a demented flock of island dwellers and try to make a heaven out of this windswept hell.

Our Take:

The BBC puts out some of my favorite television these days, so I’m always excited when a new batch of DVD’s comes across my desk from them. This month, we got a truly varied collection of programs, but there are some real standouts here. The real revelation for me was Father Ted. Even as something of an aficionado of British Culture and entertainment, I had never heard of Father Ted. It turns out to be a very typically British comedy about a “wacky” priest and his compatriots, but it’s also extremely friendly. Watch Father Ted accidentally become a racist or try to tend his herd of parishioners on Craggy Island, and the results are almost always funny. Like many non-genre BBC shows, the production values are a bit weak, but when you’re laughing this much, who cares?

This new Father Ted: The Definitive Collection box set includes all 25 episodes of the series, plus some new extra features. They are:

Comedy Connections.
Interviews with Writers and Creators Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews.
Comic Relief with Ted and Dougal.
Tedfest 2007: A Very Ted Weekend.
Tedfest 2007: Two Tribes Go To War.
Commentaries on all 3 Series.

Father Ted: The Definitive Collection is the perfect introduction to a show most people on this side of the pond have never heard of but it well worth checking out.

RECOMMENDED!

Overall Picture:
Show: B+
DVD: A-

Official Synopsis:

Stephen Collins is an ambitious politician. Cal McAffrey is a well-respected investigative journalist and Stephen's ex-campaign manager. En route to work one morning, Stephen's research assistant mysteriously falls to her death on the London Underground. It's not long before revelations of their affair hit the headlines. Meanwhile a suspected teenage drug dealer is found shot dead. These (apparently unconnected) events expose a dangerous habit within modern government of dancing too closely with the corporate devil. Friendships are tested and lives are put on the line as an intricate web of lies unfolds.

Our Take:
Another very enjoyable outing, in a completely different genre, is State of Play, a suspenseful political thriller miniseries starring numerous British acting luminaries. State of Play is especially noteworthy at the moment as there’s an upcoming film version of it due to be released that stars Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck. This 2003 miniseries event starred David Morrissey, James McAvoy, Bill Nighy and Marc Warren, and to say too much about the plot would give away the twists and turns, but suffice it to say that it deals with politics, power, and the press, and it’s utterly captivating.

Extra features on State of Play include only the following:

* Commentary Tracks - On episodes one and six with the writer, director, producer, and editor.

I have no doubt that the upcoming Crowe/Affleck State of Play film will be inferior to the source material, as it’s almost impossible to shrink six terrific hours into two good ones. Still, it will probably do quite well at the box office, so until then, why not see what all the fuss is about and check out this terrific television event.

RECOMMENDED!

Overall Picture:
Movie: A
DVD: C+

Official Synopsis:

Helen Mirren’s Oscar winning performance in The Queen and her Golden Globe winning performance in Elizabeth I are merely the capstones of an illustrious and distinguished 40 year career. Ever since she wowed theater audiences as a 20 year old at England’s National Youth Theater, Mirren has brought a fresh and commanding presence to all her roles. New for the first time, BBC Video presents nine defining television performances from the early career of this truly remarkable actress. In productions dating from 1974-1982 and ranging from Bernard Shaw's The Apple Cart with Nigel Davenport and Pruella Scales to Dennis Potter's acclaimed television play Blue Remembered Hills, this collection showcases a young actress already in firm command and on her way to true stardom. Also included is a newly recorded interview in which Helen Mirren reflects back on these early triumphs. Put together, this collection is a rare treasury of one of the greatest performers of our time.  

Our Take:
Just like the recent Judi Dench at the BBC collection, the new Helen Mirren at the BBC DVD set has culled the BBC archives and found several standout performances from Mirren’s long and successful career, giving us a glimpse into some rarely seen performances from this Oscar-winning actress.

As with Dench’s set, these aren’t the most well-known works in the world, although a few readers will recognize the titles The Changeling and The Apple Cart (the latter from Bernard Shaw). However, the thread that ties them all together is Mirren, who shows that her award-winning  performance in The Queen wasn’t a fluke, but rather the culmination of decades of great acting work.

The DVD set includes a handful of bonus materials, including:

Helen Mirren Remembers – An exclusive, newly recorded interview.

Archival Interview - BBC talk show host Michael Parkinson interviews Mirren in 1975.

That’s not a ton of extra features, but I do like that we get to see a brand-new interview paired with a 30-year-old interview and see how Mirren has changed and yet remained the same. Some of the programs in Helen Mirren at the BBC are a bit dry, and this is really an actor’s showcase, but fans of Mirren’s will not want to miss this one.

Overall Picture:
Movie: B-
DVD: B

Official Synopsis:

Michael Palin's latest voyage of discovery sees him venture into territory once forbidden - the new Europe previously shrouded behind the Iron Curtain. Now that the Iron Curtain has lifted and the Cold War is over, Michael can enjoy a new freedom to roam unhindered across an unexplored swathe of his own continent. From Estonia in the north to Turkey in the south, where Europe reaches out to Asia across the Bosphorus, Michael's journey takes him through twenty countries, some Central European, some Eastern European, some straddling continents, and all utterly compelling. En route he encounters the White Brotherhood in Bulgaria and discovers new career possibilities on the catwalk in Budapest. He meets the Dracula Cult in Transylvania and strips off for blood-sucking leech therapy in Viinistu. In the former East Germany, Michael puts a Red Army tank through its paces and, in Poland, transports passengers on the 8:58 AM steam locomotive from Poznan to Wolsztyn. Packed with wit, incident and insight, the seven episodes of Michael Palin's New Europe reveal a reunited, rich and diverse land as warm and welcoming as it is unknown.

Our Take:
I really love the Michael Palin travel series, which is funny because I never knew about them until they showed up on DVD, and I’m not a particularly big Monty Python fan. No, these shows stand on their own thanks to the talent of Michael Palin; who’d have guessed what a terrific travel guide he is?

In each of the Michael Palin series so far, our intrepid host takes us to faraway lands and explores cultures that seem somewhat alien to us. While Palin provides some expert commentary in the form of the narration, he doesn’t visit these locales as some sort of travel expert, rather just as an average British guy on a tour. What makes the show so much fun is Palin’s keen wit and terrific sense of humor, which manifests itself in both the narration and his interactions with local people and customs. Palin never makes fun of or condescends to the people whose country he’s visiting, but he does manage to put a humorous spin on things. This show isn’t just about being funny, however; it’s also very informative, and you’ll learn a lot while you’re having a good time. How many other shows can say that?

Michael Palin’s New Europe is interesting in that it takes us places rarely seen in travelogues (and seen mostly of late in horror movies). Prague, Croatia, Bosnia, Estonia, Turkey, Budapest, Poland… these are much more interesting places than you’d think. With a mix of some surprisingly picturesque scenery and interesting people, there’s no shortage of material to fill up seven episodes worth of travel. It’s also not all fun and games, too, as Palin talks to some people who are dealing with the fall of the Iron Curtain in poverty and visits solemn memorials such as Auschwitz.

Michael Palin’s New Europe gives you almost seven hours of material, plus bonus features. They are:

* Exclusive Interview with Michael Palin (25 minutes)
* Deleted Scenes (140 minutes) – Basically the equivalent of two extra episodes.

Michael Palin’s New Europe is a fascinating and fun documentary/travel program that should appeal to anyone who enjoys the Discovery Channel or the History Channel, or really, just informative and entertaining programming.

RECOMMENDED!

Overall Picture:
Movie: A
DVD: B

Official Synopsis:

Les Miserables: 10^th Anniversary Concert –

Les Miserables is widely recognized as the world’s most popular musical, touching millions of lives over its history making run. Now at last, the full magnificence of its captivating score is revealed like never before in a stunning concert performance featuring a 150 voice choir, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and many of the most celebrated stars to have appeared in the show worldwide, including the original Jean Valjean, Colm Wilkinson. Performed live at London's Royal Albert Hall in celebration of the show's 10th Anniversary, this is the most remarkable performance of Les Miserables ever. This two disc collector’s edition also includes a special commemorative booklet and features the exclusive documentary, Stage by Stage, the Making of Les Miserables, offering an unprecedented glimpse into the magic that is Les Miserables!

Riverdance: Live From Radio City Music Hall –       

Riverdance exploded onto the American scene back in the 1990s, inspiring a Celtic themed renaissance that is still going strong today! Now you can relive all the glory of this truly inspired music and dance phenomenon with this incredible reissue of the famed troupe's immortal 1995 performance recorded live at Radio City Music Hall. This truly stellar production stars principal dancers Jean Butler, Colin Dunne and Maria Pages, supported by an international cast of over seventy. Riverdance Live From Radio City Music Hall includes all the most memorable performance pieces such as the enthralling American Wake, the rousing Harbor Of The New World, the moving Homecoming and the tantalizing Trading Taps, alongside classic, timeless pieces such as Riverdance, Thunderstorm, and Heartland. An outstanding production, now you can relive the full Riverdance experience all over again, with all new bonus features that will make the experience more intoxicating, more electrifying and more magical than ever before!

Our Take:
I’m not a particularly big fan of Les Miserables or Riverdance, but I don’t particularly dislike either of them, either. Fans of the shows will be very excited about these two new releases, however, as they both offer up new programs (or at least ones never before available on DVD) and exclusive new bonus features.

Les Miserables: 10^th Anniversary Concert is exactly what it sounds like: a concert. Rather than simply putting the show on DVD, this concert event includes the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a 150-member choir (!), and performers from the show’s history. It’s a pretty spectacular affair, and I imagine that fans of the music from the show will absolutely love this event.

Riverdance: Live From Radio City Music Hall is actually a performance from 1995. No, there’s no Michael Flatley, just plenty of Irish themed dancing. I can appreciate Riverdance for what it is, and if you like that sort of performance, this is one of the biggest Riverdance shows around and it’s now on DVD for the first time, so I guess that’s pretty exciting for fans. Personally, I’m not into watching this kind of thing for two hours, but I can see the appeal behind it.

Both DVD’s come as two-disc sets with all-new extra features. Here’s what you get:

Les Miserables –

Stage By Stage– The making of Les Miserables featuring interviews with Cameron Machintosh, Alain Boublil and Claude Michael Schonberg.
On Screen Lyrics Option.
Commemorative Booklet.

Riverdance –

Riverdance: The Documentary - 10 Years.
Riverdance: In China Documentary.
Riverdance On the BBC's Pebble Mill.

Overall Picture:
Movies: C+
DVD’s: B

- Mike Spring
Editor