Network Goes into Liquidation (1 Viewer)

[Desslar]

Network released the first season of the show on Blu-Ray back in 2012 (it's been out of print for a looong time now, but can be had for a mere 499 pounds on Amazon UK), but stopped after that, reportedly due to disappointing sales figures. Recent rumors abound that they were preparing to release the remaining three seasons, perhaps as a llimited edition complete series BD boxset.

Yeah, I checked prices on the first season, and that killed my interest for the moment. But I would jump on a complete series set. I wish someone would do Minder as well (wasn't this a huge show in the UK?), and even Dempsey and Makepeace.

Getting back to The Sweeney, I've been thinking to pick it up on DVD. I read that the complete box set has worse picture quality than the single season releases. Anyone know if that's true? I think the box set lacks the commentaries on the single season sets.

 

[Carl David]

Yeah, I checked prices on the first season, and that killed my interest for the moment. But I would jump on a complete series set. I wish someone would do Minder as well (wasn't this a huge show in the UK?), and even Dempsey and Makepeace.

Getting back to The Sweeney, I've been thinking to pick it up on DVD. I read that the complete box set has worse picture quality than the single season releases. Anyone know if that's true? I think the box set lacks the commentaries on the single season sets.

Minder was quite big when it aired originally on TV, yes.

Remember watching it as a child growing up and have fond memories of it.

Think it's well forgotten now and don't think it would sell well if it got released.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

According to reports being published around the net currently, Network was nearly 6 million pounds in debt, with the largest creditor being HMRC (in other words, back taxes owed to the British government). The company seems to have been in a tenuous position long before Tim Beddows' death, and likely only went in a deeper hole after he passed away. It's all a sad state of affairs, really, especially for the company's loyal staff, who were likely the last to know just how bad things were, and are probably still owed back pay.

It also should be pointed out that a good portion of Network's 6 million pounds' debt is likely attributable to license fees and restoration expenses, some of which they surely would have recouped. I'm guessing the death knell for them was the 669,000 pound tax bill.

All signs point to the remaining Network stock being sold off somewhere to try and recoup some of the loss write-offs. That may take a while to sort out, however. Quite a bummer for fans of physical media. Network used to have a business model that worked for them, but it seems that as time went on, and the physical media market dwindled, things got increasingly shaky. At least, that's how it appears on the surface. Again, who knows exactly what went down behind the scenes with the various board members of the company. We'll likely never know.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Network used to have a business model that worked for them, but it seems that as time went on, and the physical media market dwindled, things got increasingly shaky. At least, that's how it appears on the surface.

Sadly, that’s pretty much the case for all physical media publishers in all industries, whether that’s movies on disc, books and newspapers in print, music on CD, etc. As fans of physical media we all want our favorite labels and formats to be immune from the laws of gravity but more often than not there just comes a point where the operation is no longer sustainable. At the very least, the people who worked at the company should hold their heads high and be proud of the decades’ worth of top notch work they did. I always found them to be a class act.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Well said, Josh! And we fans should focus not on the way Network ended, but instead on the amazing fact that they managed to release over 3,000 titles in their 25 year history, many of them exceedingly rare items that most other companies would never have touched. British film and especially TV fans the world over owe them a lot of gratitude for all the countless hours of viewing pleasure their efforts have brought us.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Pretty sure the only title I have from Network is their The Thief of Bagdad (1940) BD. I don't import from the UK enough to have gone for other titles from them. IF Criterion had released that beloved film on BD, not just DVD, pretty sure I would've gone w/ that and not Network's release instead.

Certainly unfortunate nonetheless even though I hadn't been in the market for most any of their releases over the years...

_Man_

 

[ScottRE]

Well said, Josh! And we fans should focus not on the way Network ended, but instead on the amazing fact that they managed to release over 3,000 titles in their 25 year history, many of them exceedingly rare items that most other companies would never have touched. British film and especially TV fans the world over owe them a lot of gratitude for all the countless hours of viewing pleasure their efforts have brought us.

I agree and in that spirit, I was thinking about what first turned my attention to the company. I'm pretty sure it was the release of the complete first year Space:1999 DVD in 2005. I had a region free player even then and even though the PAL speedup was annoying, the imagine quality compared to the US A&E sets were astounding. They didn't do the second year until the blu ray release but their work on both seasons and the Super Space Theater movies was insanely good. The SST release, the last new release I had gotten from them, had alternate version with edits, credits and upgraded special effects. No indie label would put so much effort into a product.

Here are a couple of shots of one of the movies. The work they put into these is impressive and a labor of love.

I normally don't like "enhanced" versions of shows and movies, but when tastefully done and given as an alternate rather than as a replacement, they can be great. Space: 1999 works pretty well in widescreen since the series was very cinematic at times.



They had a real affection for this series, one which I obviously share.

The movie versions of the series hold a special place in my heart, as they were a fixture of my childhood and the only way I could watch the show in the early 80s. Network made it possible for me to have definitive versions of the series.

I have more about the other shows I discovered through them, which I'll post as we go along. I invite you all to share your experiences, memories and appreciation for Network's releases.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

No news update to share, unfortunately, but wanted to chime in to belatedly comment on Scott's terrific post...though I'm afraid I have no idea what my first Network acquisition was. It was a company that sort of gradually snuck up on me, as at first, I was simply buying titles I was interested in. But eventually, they established a strong identity in my mind as the go-to label for both ITC shows as well as more esoteric titles. It was around five years or so ago when I started buying directly from their website. Going to miss not only their wonderful product, but all those great sales!

Here are a few photos of (a portion of) my Network collection of UK telly:

ITC items not pictured: A&E sets of the color episodes of The Saint, Space: 1999, a couple "Best of" Thunderbirds and the complete Danger Man, and VEI's set of The Protectors.

 

[Desslar]

I was starting to pick up some Network titles I need, but then I checked out the British TV forum on that Roobarb website Jeff mentioned, and it's giving me a headache.

They had a lot of unkind things to say about Network's releases of the following:

Dempsey and Makepeace - apparently there's a Portuguese release with fewer edits and slightly better image quality

Minder - Apparently there's an Australian release with extras the Network release doesn't have

DVD - British film and TV

Discussion of DVDs of British film and television productions from any region.

www.zetaminor.com

Hmm...

 

[Jeff Flugel]

I warned you about the Dempsey and Makepeace situation a year or so ago, Stephen, if you recall. That one wasn't entirely Network's fault, but it's certainly one of the company's rare dud releases due to the mandated UK cuts (for violence). The Belgian releases would definitely be the ones to go with there...if you can find them.

As for Minder...well, I guess it depends on the extras and how often you're going to watch them. Network's Minder sets are great, and I'm sure the Aussie sets are good value, too. I'd say, go with whichever one is cheaper.

 

[Tom St Jones]

Somewhat off-topic: Whatever happened with Acorn Media? (I know the company is still around as I still find newer issues of their monthly catalog in the magazine bin at my local dump & ofcourse there's their popular streamng service AcornTV). They turned out some fairly decent Blu-ray series releases for a while (some of which rivaled Network's), but seem to have all-but stopped about half a decade or so ago..

 

[ScottRE]

No news update to share, unfortunately, but wanted to chime in to belatedly comment on Scott's terrific post...though I'm afraid I have no idea what my first Network acquisition was. It was a company that sort of gradually snuck up on me, as at first, I was simply buying titles I was interested in. But eventually, they established a strong identity in my mind as the go to label for both ITC shows as well as more esoteric titles. It was around five years or so ago when I started buying directly from their website. Going to miss not only their wonderful product, but all those great sales!

Here are a few photos of (a portion of) my Network collection of UK telly:

View attachment 190186

ITC items not pictured: A&E sets of the color episodes of The Saint, Space: 1999, a couple "Best of" Thunderbirds and the complete Danger Man, and VEI's set of The Protectors.

Jeff that's a great post and thanks for showcasing your Network/ITC library! Question, since you have the individual release with bonus reward sleeves for some of their blu rays: Do your sets of Randall & Hopkirk and Department S have bonus features? I was disappointed that my all-in-one Blu Ray sets are strictly the episodes, not a bonus feature to be found. And I loved Networks bonuses on the DVD sets. I was hoping they would be ported over. Are the releases I have simply streamline budget versions?

This is where I stand on the ITC series at this point

 

[JohnHopper]

The movie versions of the series hold a special place in my heart, as they were a fixture of my childhood and the only way I could watch the show in the early 80s. Network made it possible for me to have definitive versions of the series.

I have more about the other shows I discovered through them, which I'll post as we go along. I invite you all to share your experiences, memories and appreciation for Network's releases.

Can you tell us about the print of Spazio: 1999? I only own the CD soundtrack.
Is it restored?

 

[ScottRE]

Can you tell us about the print of Spazio: 1999? I only own the CD soundtrack.
Is it restored?

It is restored. They used the soundtrack from an Italian video release and assembled the footage from the remastered episodes. The picture was blown up to 16:9 theatrical aspect ratio. It looks great, but there's only an Italian soundtrack. Subtitles are optional.

 

[JohnHopper]

It is restored. They used the soundtrack from an Italian video release and assembled the footage from the remastered episodes. The picture was blown up to 16:9 theatrical aspect ratio. It looks great, but there's only an Italian soundtrack. Subtitles are optional.

I am only interested in Spazio: 1999 but not by the set. I want to watch how the music score work.
Do you know if it was released in Italy?

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Question, since you have the individual release with bonus reward sleeves for some of their blu rays: Do your sets of Randall & Hopkirk and Department S have bonus features? I was disappointed that my all-in-one Blu Ray sets are strictly the episodes, not a bonus feature to be found. And I loved Networks bonuses on the DVD sets. I was hoping they would be ported over. Are the releases I have simply streamline budget versions?

Thanks, Scott! I picked up those Department S and Randall and Hopkirk Blu-Rays volume by volume. They are bare-bones, with none of the extras that Network included in their respective DVD sets (though I believe you may be able to find some of the Network-specific docus on YouTube). At that early stage, Network included the cardboard slipcase for all 6 volumes with my order of the final, 6th volume of both series. By the time Network released Man in a Suitcase, though, the slipcase was only offered if you plumped for the deluxe package, which included an Andrew Pixley booklet, a specially-produced original comic book and some other items. I would've liked the Pixley notes, but wasn't really fussed about the rest, especially at around 3 times the regular price. I chose the cheaper, usual Volume 6 option instead, and so didn't receive a cardboard slip for MIAS. (I also didn't get the special 1:66:1 "movie release" of the two-part "To Chase a Million" that they put out. A similar pattern transpired for both Captain Scarlet and Joe 90, though I believe the deluxe 4th disc option for both of those Supermarionation shows included freshly-produced special features as well as some other ephemera. That's why you don't see any carboard slipcase for either MIAS or Captain Scarlet in my collection photo above.

Even though these weren't really my cup of tea, the above images show how special Network was, and the sort of trouble to which they'd go to make the uber-fans of these shows happy.

That's a long and overly detailed way to answer your question, but the upshot is: no, generally speaking, nearly every one of Network's HD upgrades of their ITC shows were generally bare-bones, with the notable exceptions of The Prisoner and The Persuaders, which ported everything over and then some. The Zoo Gang did come with a very brief extra detailing some of the restoration difficulties, but that was it. So basically, hold onto your original Network DVD versions if you have them to keep the special features.

This is where I stand on the ITC series at this point

View attachment 190222 View attachment 190223

That's a mighty fine ITC collection you have there yourself, Scott! Thanks for posting the pics.

 

[Desslar]

I warned you about the Dempsey and Makepeace situation a year or so ago, Stephen, if you recall. That one wasn't entirely Network's fault, but it's certainly one of the company's rare dud releases due to the mandated UK cuts (for violence). The Belgian releases would definitely be the ones to go with there...if you can find them.

As for Minder...well, I guess it depends on the extras and how often you're going to watch them. Network's Minder sets are great, and I'm sure the Aussie sets are good value, too. I'd say, go with whichever one is cheaper.

Sorry, that D&M warning must have slipped my mind, Jeff. Belgian releases, you say? Hmm.. wonder if they're worth the hunt.

The Minder Australian release from Madman (?) seems readily available, but close to double the cost of Network's release. The 12 episode commentaries are tempting though.

I'll probably end up going with the cheaper options from Network, but I wish they had put out definitive releases for these series like they did for The Professionals.

 

[Desslar]

Speaking of completing UK series collections, does anyone know where to find the first 6 series of The Ruth Rendell Mysteries on disc? The Wiki page claims they've never been released on DVD, but maybe in somewhere in Europe?

I enjoy the early series with George Baker in the lead. Not interested in the later series.

 

[GlennC]

Jeff that's a great post and thanks for showcasing your Network/ITC library! Question, since you have the individual release with bonus reward sleeves for some of their blu rays: Do your sets of Randall & Hopkirk and Department S have bonus features? I was disappointed that my all-in-one Blu Ray sets are strictly the episodes, not a bonus feature to be found. And I loved Networks bonuses on the DVD sets. I was hoping they would be ported over. Are the releases I have simply streamline budget versions?

This is where I stand on the ITC series at this point

View attachment 190222 View attachment 190223

You really should get the Gideon’s Way BluRay if you can because the quality is superb.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Sorry, I misspoke. The Dempsey and Makepeace unedited sets are Polish, not Belgian (there's also a Dutch set,t hough not sure if it's unedited). Here's a link to an uncut Polish Season 1 set.

Speaking of completing UK series collections, does anyone know where to find the first 6 series of The Ruth Rendell Mysteries on disc? The Wiki page claims they've never been released on DVD, but maybe in somewhere in Europe?

I enjoy the early series with George Baker in the lead. Not interested in the later series.

Network released the following some years back. Contains the following stories, which seem to be from series 7 on (no earlier ones, unfortunately):

Disc 1: Master of the Moor; You Can't Be Too Careful
Disc 2: Vanity Dies Hard; The Orchard Walls
Disc 3: Simisola; The Fallen Curtain
Disc 4: The Secret House of Death; A Case of Coincidence
Disc 5: The Double; A Dark Blue Perfume; Bribery and Corruption
Disc 6: May and June; Front Seat
Disc 7: Going Wrong
Disc 8: Road Rage
Disc 9: Lake of Darkness; Harm Done

Available on Amazon UK for around 25 pounds.