Dial 999 is coming! (1 Viewer)

[Neil Brock]

I don't know if anyone else saw this but Network DVD in the UK is releasing this show at the end of April. I used to buy a lot of shows from them but really they stopped putting out older shows a few years ago. This is their first new, old series in quite some time. Hopefully they're gearing up again and will continue.

 

[GMBurns]

I don't know if anyone else saw this but Network DVD in the UK is releasing this show at the end of April. I used to buy a lot of shows from them but really they stopped putting out older shows a few years ago. This is their first new, old series in quite some time. Hopefully they're gearing up again and will continue.

Thanks for the heads up. I will definitely look forward to this set, and will hope along with you, that it means some more classic goodies will be coming from Network.

 

[Flashgear]

Thanks for the heads up...


This was an ITV-ZIV co-production, 39 half hour episodes released in 1958. I've never seen it, but the scenario is a Canadian plainclothes Mountie (Robert Beatty) attached to Scotland Yard, fighting crime in Metropolitan London and area...apparently with lots of on-the-streets location filming...sounds great, and something I would like...

Here's the link to Network and info on Dial 999...

Dial 999: The Complete Series

networkonair.com

In other British sourced vintage TV news...

I received my Renown/Talking Pictures 8 DVD set of Stagecoach West (1960-61, Wayne Rogers, Richard Eyer, Four-Star Productions) on Friday...I've spot checked all 38 one hour episodes, and can report that this is a high quality DVD set...it says 'region 0' on the back of the box, but that's an unfortunate mistake...they are region 2 locked, so you will need to have a region-free player...English subtitles on all episodes, 35 episodes derived from pristine 35mm, with PAL speed-up coming in at 48:12-48:32 each...one episode, Blind Man's Bluff, guest starring James Drury from a quality 35mm source, but without PAL, coming in at 50:20...only two problematic video dupe sources used for episodes 15, The Brass Lilly, and episode 30, The Dead Don't Cry, guest starring MTM, both preceded by a card saying that the master could not be located for these two episodes...so, fully 36 of 38 episodes look great, sourced from excellent 35mm vault elements...

Give me some time and I'll post some screen captures in a few days...I should probably start a new thread dedicated exclusively to Stagecoach West for that purpose...

I paid 35.25 pounds shipped (25 pounds + 10.25 S+H), $62.57 Canadian...about $50 American all in at the time of my purchase on February 27...this new release of Stagecoach West represents a tremendous bargain...let's hope Renown might give us some other highly desired Four-Star Productions...

STAGECOACH WEST 8-DVD Box Set with optional subtitles – Renown Films

 

[Dave Lawrence]

I’ve never seen Dial 999 but it looks like something I would enjoy. Especially after going to that Network link and seeing that the series had scripts by Brian Clemens, I feel even better about this upcoming blind buy.

Thanks for the heads up, Neil.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Dial 999 is Network's first "new" old drama series released in a long time. They also recently put out some variety/light entertainment material as well: The Bruce Forsythe Show (all existing episodes from the entertainer's mid-'60s run); Here's David Nixon (this one is a series of 10-minute shorts from the mid-60s, Network having released David Nixon's Magic Box of '70s shows and specials a few years ago); and the musical variety show, Hullabaloo (this is the little-seen, 13 episode early 60s British version, hosted by Rory McEwan, which pre-dated the mid '60s American one).

Network tested the waters for all of these series in their range of ABC Night In sampler sets (ABC being one of the early networks of regional stations that eventually morphed into a single entity known as ITV). They've released 5 of these "prime time" samplers so far. While these volumes include a few episodes of shows Network had put out a while ago (like The Human Jungle, with Herbert Lom), they mostly consist of new material, including existing episodes of other rare shows like Jezebel, Ex UK, Big Night Out, Counter Attack, From Inner Space, The Dora Bryan Show, Candid Camera Classics, Hour of Mystery, the two existing episodes of the early '60s adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and some previously-unreleased Armchair Theatre teleplays. Here's a link to volume one.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

I received my Renown/Talking Pictures 8 DVD set of Stagecoach West (1960-61, Wayne Rogers, Richard Eyer, Four-Star Productions) on Friday...I've spot checked all 38 one hour episodes, and can report that this is a high quality DVD set...it says 'region 0' on the back of the box, but that's an unfortunate mistake...they are region 2 locked, so you will need to have a region-free player...English subtitles on all episodes, 35 episodes derived from pristine 35mm, with PAL speed-up coming in at 48:12-48:32 each...one episode, Blind Man's Bluff, guest starring James Drury from a quality 35mm source, but without PAL, coming in at 50:20...only two problematic video dupe sources used for episodes 15, The Brass Lilly, and episode 30, The Dead Don't Cry, guest starring MTM, both preceded by a card saying that the master could not be located for these two episodes...so, fully 36 of 38 episodes look great, sourced from excellent 35mm vault elements...

Give me some time and I'll post some screen captures in a few days...I should probably start a new thread dedicated exclusively to Stagecoach West for that purpose...

I paid 35.25 pounds shipped (25 pounds + 10.25 S+H), $62.57 Canadian...about $50 American all in at the time of my purchase on February 27...this new release of Stagecoach West represents a tremendous bargain...let's hope Renown might give us some other highly desired Four-Star Productions...

Thanks for the update on your R2 Stagecoach West set, Randall! Great to see another lesser-known TV western get released. Even if classic TV on DVD has dried up in the U.S., it's nice that at least a few series are trickling out of Europe. Personally,I had no idea that Wayne Rogers had an active career that early in the '60s. Look forward to hearing more from you about this set.

 

[Neil Brock]

Dial 999 is Network's first "new" old drama series released in a long time. They also recently put out some variety/light entertainment material as well: The Bruce Forsythe Show (all existing episodes from the entertainer's mid-'60s run); Here's David Nixon (this one is a series of 10-minute shorts from the mid-60s, Network having released David Nixon's Magic Box of '70s shows and specials a few years ago); and the musical variety show, Hullabaloo (this is the little-seen, 13 episode early 60s British version, hosted by Rory McEwan, which pre-dated the mid '60s American one).

Network tested the waters for all of these series in their range of ABC Night In sampler sets (ABC being one of the early networks of regional stations that eventually morphed into a single entity known as ITV). They've released 5 of these "prime time" samplers so far. While these volumes include a few episodes of shows Network had put out a while ago (like The Human Jungle, with Herbert Lom), they mostly consist of new material, including existing episodes of other rare shows like Jezebel, Ex UK, Big Night Out, Counter Attack, From Inner Space, The Dora Bryan Show, Candid Camera Classics, Hour of Mystery, the two existing episodes of the early '60s adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and some previously-unreleased Armchair Theatre teleplays. Here's a link to volume one.

I'm really only interested in the shows which they did that had syndication in the U.S. Among the series which they still have that they have not done anything with yet are The Gale Storm Show, Cannonball, Seaway, OSS and Halls of Ivy.

 

[LouA]

I'm really only interested in the shows which they did that had syndication in the U.S. Among the series which they still have that they have not done anything with yet are The Gale Storm Show, Cannonball, Seaway, OSS and Halls of Ivy.

Neil I’ve never seen this show - worth checking out?
I’d love for Network to release Oh Susanna, but any of the shows you mention would be nice!

 

[Neil Brock]

In my book, most any black and white show is worth checking out!

 

[LouA]

True!!!!

 

[Lecagr]

In my book, most any black and white show is worth checking out!

I agree with your comment. Black and white shows just have that "classic TV" feel to them. And suspense shows like The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock, being in black and white just adds to the suspense and film noir atmosphere.

 

[Gary16]

My copy arrived today. Will watch this weekend.

 

[The 1960's]

My copy arrived today. Will watch this weekend.

Cannot wait for your review! I wanna order Dial 999 and Stagecoast West together. Thanks!

 

[GMBurns]

Mine arrived this morning. I popped all the discs in just to check them out. The picture quality is fine. The plots look typical, with a bit of a documentary feel, as Inspector Maguire narrates some of the plot movement. But what's not to love about this set? 39 episodes in gorgeous black and white. Can't wait to watch a few episodes this evening.

Thanks Neil Brock for letting us know about this release!

 

[Lecagr]

I'm considering to order the Dial 999 DVD set but the discs are said to be region 2 not region 1 so I'm reluctant to order and thinking that the discs won't be compatible with my DVD player.

For this same reason, I'm reluctant to order the DVD set of From A Bird's Eye View as those discs are also said to be region 2 not region 1.

But here's something strange, I have the DVD's of Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, all four seasons, region 1, and on the season two DVD's I get an error message that says this disc is not formatted to play in your region, but then the menu screen pops up and the discs play fine anyway. I only get this error message with the season two DVD's, not the other seasons. Very strange.

 

[The 1960's]

Mine arrived this morning. I popped all the discs in just to check them out. The picture quality is fine. The plots look typical, with a bit of a documentary feel, as Inspector Maguire narrates some of the plot movement. But what's not to love about this set? 39 episodes in gorgeous black and white. Can't wait to watch a few episodes this evening.

Thanks Neil Brock for letting us know about this release!

Glenn I can't wait to hear what you and Gary think!! My new Panasonic DP-UB820 is biting at the bit to play it's very first 'other region' disc.

 

[The 1960's]

I'm considering to order the Dial 999 DVD set but the discs are said to be region 2 not region 1 so I'm reluctant to order and thinking that the discs won't be compatible with my DVD player.

For this same reason, I'm reluctant to order the DVD set of From A Bird's Eye View as those discs are also said to be region 2 not region 1.

But here's something strange, I have the DVD's of Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, all four seasons, region 1, and on the season two DVD's I get an error message that says this disc is not formatted to play in your region, but then the menu screen pops up and the discs play fine anyway. I only get this error message with the season two DVD's, not the other seasons. Very strange.

Lee I'm fairly sure neither series will play without having a region-free player. All the players auto-detect what region a DVD is. With BluRay you need to punch in 1 through 4 depending on the country of origin.

 

[Lecagr]

Lee I'm fairly sure neither series will play without having a region-free player. All the players auto-detect what region a DVD is. With BluRay you need to punch in 1 through 4 depending on the country of origin.

Thanks Neal, I have two DVD players and as far as I know both are region 1 only.

 

[The 1960's]

Thanks Neal, I have two DVD players and as far as I know both are region 1 only.

Welcome Lee. When I joined HTF 11 days ago I bumped this older thread TV DVDs unavailable in Region 1. If you hadn't seen it you might want to take a look-see. There's quite a few interesting classic tv series that just might encourage you pick up a region-free player. I think the price point starts at only $100 bucks.

 

[GMBurns]

I watched the first two episodes of Dial 999 and definitely like it. Inspector Mike Maguire is a bit of a tough guy, not inclined to take guff from the bad guys, and he adds his narration along the way. It reminds me of another 50's series that Network released, Scotland Yard, in that it is no-nonsense police work set in 1950's London. And in one of the episodes I watched William Hartnell, the first Doctor Who, appears as the ringleader of the baddies. A reasonable price for 39 episodes. So glad to have this series.