Series DVDs you had to import from another country (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Flugel]

I echo your feelings on the ITC shows, Bob. And thanks for the info as well, Graham. FYI, the JASON KING set is up for pre-order at Deep Discount DVD for $39, $20 off the retail price. Too man shows, to little time...

 

[Will_C]

Just started watching my set of Mile High S1. Bastards MARed it! It's P&S, there's so much missing from the sides and the picture resolution is crapped. I think I am going to start importing the sets of Mile High, Hex and No Angels from Amazon.co.uk so I can see them like they were meant to be seen. I suppose it's my fault for not checking the specs, but honestly with so much in the WS AR now, I didn't even consider someone would do this anymore. Bloody Hell!

 

[AndyMcKinney]

Well, I don't know what music is on the R1, but it appears there is plenty of music substitution on the R2. From amazon.co.uk:

There are two disappointments though:
1. There are absolutely no extras. If the DVD hadn't been on special offer here at Amazon, I'd have felt pretty let down.
2. As another reviewer has mentioned, they have abandoned the soundtrack that originally aired with the programme. The thing is that, not only is the DVD soundrack really insipid, but the orignal series had an excellent soundtrack in my opinion. The original songs chosen were not only good songs in themselves, but also really made some of the scenes come alive. This is most apparent in one of the last episodes on the DVD where they do manage to throw in a Dido track. That's when it really hits home how big a difference it makes.

And another reviewer:
The ONLY critisism I can find is with the backing Music. If you have Sky Digital you'll recognise it as the TV Guide backing Music. When the show was aired on Sky One, I'm CERTAIN it had decent background music, as an Avid Coldplay fan I know they were featured as Background Music. I assume they had to change it for legal reasons.

 

[Mark Lx]

I've got the R1 complete On The Buses and I haven't noticed any quality problems with it. It's looks as good as any other show I've seen from the early 70s. The original B&W series looks at bit rough, but I doubt that's a tranfer issue.

From England, I ordered the 3 On The Buses films, Day Of The Triffids (the good one, the BBC series), Moonbase 3, Survivors Series 1 and 2, Complete Rising Damp (before it started coming out in R1), Solo, Man About the House Series 1 and 2, Derek and Clive Get the Horn, Brideshead Revisited (4 disk edition before released in R1), Doctor Who "Invasion" (when first released) and Doctor Who "Inferno" (the rest of my DW are R1).

I'd like to get Blake's 7 (never really watched it before), Quatermass (original TV stuff) set, and Norman Conquests. They are now releasing The "Two Ronnies" and "Dave Allen at Large" by series in R2. I hope at least the former is eventually released in R1 or I will get these. I also hope they finish "One Foot in the Grave" and "Butterflies" in R1.

 

[progrocktv]

I checked the bitrate and such and it was dropping LOTS of fields, especially during quick movement which gives the video the "film look" effect wiich is commonly introduced in the PAL to NTSC process. But mainly it was the last episode on disc 7, there was LOTS of stuttering and the bitrate was WAY down.

 

[Mark Lx]

You're probably right then. I haven't watched disk 7 yet (other than to check they all work). That's too bad.

 

[progrocktv]

It's certainly watchable and for the price it's not bad, but since I do video encoding for a living I gotta nitpick

 

[Joe Isham]

UK:
Blake's 7 1-4
Day of the Triffids
Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
Have I Got News for You
Robin of Sherwood (now available in R1)
Star Cops
Survivors 1-3
The Thin Blue Line (now available in R1)

Canada:
Canada: A People's History
Corner Gas 1-3
For Better or For Worse
Getting Along Famously
Made in Canada 1
The Newsroom (now available in US)
Royal Canadian Air Farce 1-6
Twitch City (now available in US)
Un gars, une fille 1

 

[Will Krupp]

I got all the episodes of the Kathy Burke series GIMME GIMME GIMME at a great price from Amazon UK and the French and Saunders series LET THEM EAT CAKE from Australia.

Both look great and they were CHEAP. I'm amzaed at how fast stuff arrives from the UK.

 

[Tony J Case]

If you like Star Wars (kind of) with a Doctor Who sensability (kind of), you'll like B7. I want the show, but I'm waiting for a price drop on sets 3 and 4 before I make the buy.

Oooh, Dave Allen at Large? I loved that show when I was a kid. (My local station that ran Dr Who back in the 80's was a godsend for all kinds of britcoms. Beyond the Monty Pythons and Benny Hills that filled the airwaves, I got exposed to all kinds of keen B-list stuff like Dave Allen, Two Ronnies, Doctor in the House and so on.)

 

[Mark Lx]

Yes it was same cable channel that showed late night Doctor Who in the Pacific Northwest that showed a lot of Britcoms (and skit shows). I think a lot of Dave Allen was on just before and during the Benny Hill craze.

As for Blake's 7, I know I've saw bits of it in the early 80s, but never a whole episode. I know I'll like it as I like 70s DW, Moonbase 3 and even the Tomorrow People which is kind of bordering on childish. I like Star Wars for it's campyness but am in no way impressed by visual effects. I prefer sci-fi or adventure that's totally driven by story and acting.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

That's a good thing, because the effects in BLAKE'S 7 are, even by 70s Brit TV standards, very poor. However, the acting, scripts and gritty, tense feel of the show make it very memorable, IMO. Judging from what you said above, I think you'd like the series quite a bit. The first season (or series) is probably the best, but 2-4 are also quite good, and the series' finale has to be seen to be believed - just incredible.

 

[Tony J Case]

Much like Who, it's very much a show where the script better carry the day because the low rent effects sure as heck don't. Season 4 was a little out there (save for the ending), but Seasons 1 and 2 were very strong indeed.

 

[Paul Miller]

From Canada...

Bob & Margaret Season 2
For Better or Worse Complete Series

 

[Will_C]

Looks like Stingray may be coming in December from VEI in Canada. I'll be getting that through Amazon.ca.

 

[todd s]

I am in the US. Only have imported dvd's from Canada.

-Cobra
-Are you Afraid of the Dark
-Sinbad

 

[Lyle_JP]

Buffy, Seasons 5, 6 and 7 from the UK. (Sorry Joss, these just look better).

 

[August Ragone]

I live in the US and purchase many DVDs of Japanese television series that will mostly likely never find their way to being licensed for release in North America. I have not only found the standard of picture and sound to be top-notch, but also the pressing, packaging and presentation to be exemplary.

Mostly, I collect live action superhero and animated series from the 1960s and 1970s, such as BRAVE RAIDEEN (which aired with subtitles on Japanese-language stations in the US in the mid-70s) and LION MARU. I have never purchased a set that contained a defective disc or a transfer that was not excellent.

 

[Richard_Gregory]

Evidently, you haven't seen a lot of British 1970's TV SF effects then

Believe me, the effects in B7 are certainly no worse, and in some cases rather better, than average.

Still think the Liberator is one of the most beautiful ships in TV SF...

Though apparently they blew most of the budget on the flight deck set!

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that, Richard...I have seen a LOT of Brit sci-fi from that era and, as much as I love the series, BLAKE'S 7's effects were routinely terrible, IMO. Even DOCTOR WHO, never a paragon of big budget effects work, generally boasted far better results. The scripts and acting on both shows were mostly top-notch, though - which is why people are still watching them to this day.

Even if I grant your assertion that B7's f/x were average by British TV standards of the day, I think even you must admit that that was not a very high standard in the first place.

But, really, the sub-par effects don't bother me...BLAKE'S 7 still haunts my memory as a very effective, downbeat space opera, with compelling characters and stories. That's what really counts, isn't it?

I have a feeling that I've offended your nationalistic sensibilities here...if so, I apologize. I bow to no man in my admiration for British sf TV, often far brainier (with the exception of SPACE: 1999), intense and better scripted than what passed for the genre in the U.S.

I do agree with you on the design of the Liberator, if not in it's execution. Great spaceship design, and a cool concept. Also liked the Scorpio.