Posts Tagged ‘BBC’
His Dark Materials: The Complete Season Three Blu-ray Review: A Fitting Finale for this Series
The series comes to an epic conclusion.
Read MoreMaigret (1960): Season 2 Blu-ray Review: This Series Keeps Getting Better
The series seems more comfortable in allowing the comedy to shine this season.
Read MoreMaigret (1960): Season 1 Blu-ray Review: Scores Big for Solid Entertainment Value
Rupert Davies plays Maigret like a copper who has seen it all, who is road weary but wizened by it.
Read MoreGood Omens Blu-ray Review: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Armageddon
An enjoyable fantasy that brings to mind Douglas Adams’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Sun Makers DVD Review: Death and Taxes
The Doctor, Leela, and K-9 lead the people against their oppressors, a frequent Who story trope.
Read MoreDoctor Who: Planet of the Spiders DVD Review: Jon Pertwee Exits the Series
Although the end of Jon Pertwee’s run, this serial is a good introduction to the character, the mythology, and the actor in the role.
Read MoreAnd Then There Were None (2015) Blu-ray Review: And Then There Was Yet Another
There can be only one. But is this much-anticipated (and greatly needed) BBC miniseries event truly ‘it’?
Read MoreJonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell Blu-ray Review: A Magical Series About Real Magic in England
A faithful adaptation of the modern classic novel, a complicated and convoluted fantasy story about rival wizards in 19th-century England.
Read MorePlanet Ant DVD Review: Tiny Social Wonders
They’re not so different from us.
Read MoreNazi Hunters: The Heroes Who Defeated Hitler DVD Review: The Story of the Filthy Fifth
An in-depth look at the British Fifth Royal Tank Regiment and the tanks they used to overpower the Germans during World War II.
Read MoreGhost Story: Turn of the Screw DVD Review: Should Have Turned It Off
A completely forgettable adaptation of a novel I’ll never read.
Read MoreDoctor Who: Last Christmas Blu-ray Review: When the Doctor Met Santa Claus
“Happy Easter.” – The Doctor
Read MoreMiss Marple: Volume 1 DVD Review: Old Dames Rule
Agatha Christie’s approved actress expertly brings her literary heroine to life in the investigation of deaths.
Read MoreSilent Witness: The Complete Season One and Seventeen DVDs Review: Ch-ch-ch-changes
BBC Video releases the earliest and latest seasons of the long-running crime drama series.
Read MoreThe Honorable Woman DVD Review: A Slow, Dense and Immensely Entertaining Thriller
A densely plotted drama that loses none of its depth while remaining thrilling to watch.
Read MoreFather Brown: Season One DVD Review: Uninspired Priest Detective Series
Catholic priest detective isn’t particularly Catholic, nor much of a detective, in this BBC series.
Read MoreIn the Flesh: The Complete Season Two DVD Review: The Undead Return. Again.
Because who doesn’t long for a BBC drama that includes gay zombie love?
Read MoreThe Musketeers (2014) Blu-ray Review: Finally, A Reimagining Worth Viewing
Sporting great battles, amazing costumes, and a fresh take, this incarnation of the Alexandre Dumas tale has a lot of potential.
Read MoreDeath in Paradise: Season Two DVD Review: Conventional Murder Mysteries, Unconventional Setting
Second season of this tropical murder series flirts with interdepartmental romance but otherwise maintains staid formula.
Read MoreDoctor Who: Deep Breath DVD Review: You Don’t Need to Hold Your Breath to Bring the 12th Doctor Home
Peter Capaldi’s first outing as the Doctor time-travels onto DVD/Blu-ray.
Read MoreA Young Doctor’s Notebook DVD Review: And You Thought Don Draper Was a Dark Character
Dead babies, botched amputations, and lots of laughs.
Read MoreDeath in Paradise: Season 1 DVD Review: British Mysteries with a Tropical Twist
Traditional British sleuthing set in the easy-going Caribbean.
Read MoreAn Adventure in Space and Time Blu-ray Review: A Must-have for any Whovian
A loving remembrance of how Doctor Who got its start.
Read MoreRipper Street: Season Two Blu-ray Review: Hey, Things Are Improving!
It’s not quite dead. It’s getting better.
Read MoreAtlantis: Season One (2013) Blu-ray Review: Let’s Get Mythical
Sometimes, placing all your eggs in one basket pays off.
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Enemy of the World DVD Review: A True Gem Dug Up in Africa
We’re really quite lucky to have it, and ultimately, it is quite enjoyable.
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Web of Fear DVD Review: A Cause for Celebration
Available for the first time since being broadcast 46 years ago, The Second Doctor and UNIT are ready for the Yeti.
Read MoreSherlock: Season Three (2014) Blu-ray Review: Back from the Dead?
The wait is over. But was it worth it?
Read MoreBurton and Taylor DVD Review: Glitz and Camp the BBC Way
An intriguing look at a little known time in their lives.
Read MoreThe Lady Vanishes (2013) DVD Review: A Moody and Sensual Take on White’s Novel
The 90-minute movie passes quickly because the director is fully in charge of the elements and confidently knows the story inside and out.
Read MoreThe Paradise: Series One DVD Review: Love, Silk, and the Big Sell
A good-looking and sharp television series that features plenty of entanglements and goings-on.
Read MoreThe Snow Queen (2005) DVD Review: Make Believe Gets an Enchanting Makeover
This condensed cinematic version of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale illustrates how the warmth of love can overcome the icy oppressiveness of poverty and anger.
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Tenth Planet DVD Review: It’s Far from Being Over
The first transformation of the Doctor and first appearance of the Cybermen make this a very significant serial.
Read MoreSilk: Series One DVD Review: A Capable British Courtroom Drama
A compact procedural that draws on the sorts of moral quandaries barristers find themselves in as part of the job.
Read MoreWaking the Dead: Season Eight DVD Review: Forensic Cop Show, Overwrought and Desperate
In its eighth season, Waking the Dead is a perfect example of a show that has outworn its welcome.
Read MoreLuther: Series 3 DVD Review: Panic on the Streets of London
Idris Elba continues to put in strong work as DCI John Luther, too bad the season is only four episodes long.
Read MoreSinbad: The Complete First Season DVD Review: A Unique Version with a BBC Twist
There are a lot of good things working for the show.
Read MoreIn the Flesh: Series One DVD Review: Leave It to the Brits to Make Zombies Human Again
“If you wanna find out what’s behind these cold eyes, you’ll just have to claw your way through this disguise.” – “In the Flesh?” – Pink Floyd
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Complete Seventh Series DVD Review: Lots of Changes Make for a Less Than Steller Doctor
I liked the first half of Series 7 much more than the latter half.
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Ice Warriors DVD Review: A Classic
Frightening, hissing Martians break out of the ice.
Read MoreDoctor Who: Spearhead From Space Blu-ray Review: New Doctor, New Everything Really
A great introduction to Pertwee’s Doctor.
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Doctors Revisited: First to Fourth DVD Review: The Fantastic Four
Fabulous introduction to the first four Doctors.
Read MoreOrphan Black: Season 1 DVD Review: Send in the Clones
I cannot recommend Orphan Black highly enough.
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Mind of Evil DVD Review: A Curiosity Piece
The Doctor and Jo battle the Master in a story that tells us more about the latter than the former.
Read MoreDoctor Who: Inferno: Special Edition DVD Review: Murdering Radioactive Mutants Unite!
Inferno is definitely one of the better ones, and with all of the extras, this package is a sweet one.
Read MoreDoctor Who: Series Seven, Part Two Blu-ray Review: The Doctor Returns with a New Companion and a New Attitude
This half of the seventh series is well done and the interaction between the two main characters adds a breath of fresh air to the franchise.
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Snowmen Blu-ray Review: This Year The Doctor’s Christmas Gift Is a New Companion
It’s entertaining, but difficult to understand why it needed to be released separately from Series Seven, Part Two.
Read MoreGeorge Gently: Series 5 DVD Review: The Most Intriguing and Intense So Far
An excellent mystery/police drama, all set to the fascinating backdrop of England in 1968.
Read MoreBook Review: Doctor Who: Harvest of Time by Alastair Reynolds
The Doctor and the Master find themselves at the cold end of time.
Read MoreGeorge Gently Collection: Series 1-4 DVD Review: A Hidden Treasure
The first four series of this British gem are now available in a box set.
Read MoreShakespeare: The King’s Man DVD Review: The Political Education of Willy Shakes
A fantastic resource as well as an enjoyable examination of the inimitable Bard of Avon.
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Visitation Special Edition Review: Rubber Reptiles and Disco Androids Bring the Plague
A visit to London with the Fifth Doctor and his companions.
Read MoreParade’s End (1964) DVD Review: A Very Impressive Period Drama
This miniseries remains as impressive a production as ever.
Read MoreOne Life Blu-ray Review: Nobody Does It Better
The BBC covers familiar ground, but the results still dazzle.
Read MoreSpies of Warsaw DVD Review: A Rare Misstep for the BBC
A distinctly average tale of espionage.
Read MoreThe Blue Planet: Seas of Life Blu-ray Review: A Spectacular View of Life at Sea
The BBC takes viewers on an incredible journey to the farthest reaches of the Earth’s oceans.
Read MoreRipper Street: Series One Blu-ray Review: As My Teachers Always Said: Needs Improvement
It’s no Sherlock, but it certainly could be worse.
Read MoreBook Review: Doctor Who FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About the Most Famous Time Lord in the Universe by Dave Thompson
A roadmap to the Doctor “Whoniverse.”
Read MoreRipper Street: Series 1 DVD Review: A Solid Mystery Show but Far Too Overdone
If you liked the other BBC dramas out there, then you’ll like this.
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Ark in Space (Special Edition) DVD Review: Wheel in the Sky Keeps on Turnin’
Hard to believe this is only Baker’s second time as the Doctor, as he already has the character completely down.
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Aztecs (Special Edition) DVD Review: The First Doctor Can’t Change History
A very entertaining series of episodes.
Read MoreAfrica (2012) Blu-ray Review: Remarkable, Vast, Deadly Wilderness, Now in High Definition
One of the most untamed parts of the world, revealed in all its fury and tenderness.
Read MoreAfrica (2012) DVD Review: Insert Preferred Toto Reference Here
You’ll bless the rains (and the deserts, and the oceans, and the jungles) down in Africa while watching this gorgeous nature documentary.
Read MoreShe-Wolves: England’s Early Queens DVD Review: Goddesses and Monsters
An interesting reexamination of the earliest English queens and their vilified roles as the “she-wolves” of history.
Read MoreMaigret (1992) Complete Collection DVD Review: Does What You Expect and with Great Satisfaction
The French detective is played by an Englishman and filmed in Budapest.
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Reign of Terror DVD Review: Re-Animating the Doctor
The First Doctor lands the TARDIS in the middle of the French Revolution.
Read MoreHouse of Cards (UK) Trilogy Blu-ray Review: Long Live the King
Masterful political drama anchored by a mesmerizing lead performance by Ian Richardson.
Read MoreMisfits: Season Two DVD Review: Last of the Greats
Second season features the last appearances of the full original cast.
Read MoreTwenty Twelve: The Complete Series DVD Review: Past Its Sell-By Date
Marginally funny mockumentary series about the planning committee for the London Olympics loses something in translation.
Read MoreRed Dwarf X DVD Review: Who Would Have Thought Being The Last Human in Existence Could Be This Fun?
One of the best comedies to come from the BBC.
Read MoreRed Dwarf X Blu-ray Review: Series IX? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Series IX!
The Boys from the Dwarf make their long-awaited return with a full six-episode series in glorious High-Definition.
Read MoreDoctor Who: Shada DVD Review: The Doctor Goes to Cambridge to Save the Universe
The fabled, never-aired 1980 serial has one of the strangest histories in the franchise.
Read MoreThe Hour 2 Blu-ray Review: Six Gripping Hours of Corruption, Blackmail, and Love Triangles
In 1957, The Hour’s heavy hitters continue to expose corruption as they secretly battle personal demons and daily dramas.
Read MoreThe Hour 2 DVD Review: Some of the Best Drama from Either Side of the Pond
This Cold War drama keeps getting better and better.
Read MoreTV Review: Doctor Who: The Snowmen
This year’s Christmas episode has a disappointingly lame villain but an extremely effective setup for the Doctor’s newest companion.
Read MoreThe Hour Series 1 Blu-ray Review: Would Have Been Better at That Length
First series stretches a glacially-paced tale over six hours.
Read MoreCall the Midwife: Season One Blu-ray Review: Call a Doctor, My Retinas Are Burned
Lushly produced UK period drama takes a nauseating look at a profession I’d prefer to ignore.
Read MoreDoctor Who Series Seven, Part One Blu-ray Review: A Confusing Mess
It would probably be more advantageous to wait until the full season is released.
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Claws of Axos Special Edition DVD Review: Earthbound Doctor Saves the Day Again
The monstrous Axos comes to Earth. Good thing the Doctor is here as well.
Read MoreI, Claudius: 35th Anniversary DVD Review: An Outstanding Television Series
The drama, and a few characters, are captivatingly executed.
Read MoreCopper: Season One Blu-ray Review: Dodge This Bullet
BBC America’s first original scripted series misses the mark in spite of the stellar track record of its creative execs.
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Ambassadors of Death DVD Review: A Hugely Convoluted Story
The Third Doctor encounters aliens from Mars who may not have come in peace.
Read MoreThe Ice House (1997) DVD Review: A Twisty Mystery Sporting a Young James Bond
What’s that, guv’nah? A good British mystery movie? I say!
Read MoreBrave New World with Stephen Hawking DVD Review: The Hunt for Humanity’s Next Great Leap Forward
An examination of the modern technological breakthroughs that promise a “brave new world” for humankind.
Read MoreWaterloo Road: Series 1 DVD Review: The Headmaster Ritual
The marketing blurb’s most popular drama series; seems a bit farfetched based on this uninspired material.
Read MoreDoctor Who: Planet of Giants DVD Review: Reconstructing the Doctor
Another brilliant entry in the ongoing mission to release the early episodes.
Read MoreAbsolutely Fabulous 20th Anniversary Specials: Still Not Acting Their Age, Thankfully
Edina, Patsy, and the gang return for three specials.
Read MoreHoly Flying Circus DVD Review: A Pythonesque Look at the Controversy Surrounding Life of Brian
For Monty Python fans, it is a must.
Read MoreWallander Series 3 DVD Review: No Loki, Still Heavenly
Kenneth Branagh returns for his third tour of duty as Sweden’s most famous inspector.
Read MoreVexed: Series 1 DVD Review: A Brief Burst of Genre-Bending Hilarity
Buddy cop show seeks laughs instead of clues.
Read MorePlanet Dinosaur DVD Review: Some of the Best CGI Dinosaurs Ever
This is highly recommended.
Read MoreMisfits: Season One DVD Review: Anti-Superheroes Who Would Make Superman Weep
After weathering a fierce storm, five outcast teenagers serving community service discover they have the gift, and curse, of superpowers.
Read MoreMisfits: Season One DVD Review: They’re No Heroes
Super-powered teens fully earn misfits label in this raunchy, occasionally hilarious series.
Read MoreMichael Wood’s Story of England DVD Review: 2,000 Years of Tales from Kibworth
Michael Wood and the residents of Kibworth investigate the village’s rich history from the ground up.
Read MoreMadame Bovary (2000) DVD Review: An Erotic Take on an Erotic Classic
BBC’s second take on Gustave Flaubert’s classic is a sexy stunner.
Read MoreThe Sinking of the Laconia DVD Review: A Top-Notch BBC Program
A fascinating dramatization of a lesser-known, yet incredible incident during World War II.
Read MoreIn Their Own Words DVD Review: A Great Treat for History Buffs
The best and brightest minds of the 20th Century from the BBC Archives.
Read MoreTop Gear: The Complete Season 18 DVD Review: The Best Car Show in the World
The gang go to India, Italy, and the U.S.
Read MoreCivilization: The West and the Rest DVD Review: Niall Ferguson’s Cultural Arrogance Clouds This Series
This BBC series is plagued and ultimately sunk by its biases.
Read MoreSherlock: Season Two Blu-ray Review: Contemporary Genius
Robert Downey, Jr. and Guy Ritchie should take notes.
Read MoreSherlock: Season Two Blu-ray Review: It’s Elementary That You Must Watch This
Benedict Cumberbatch is completely effective in the lead role of this modern take on the classic sleuth.
Read MoreTinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) Blu-ray Review: The Spy Who Went Out in the Cold
Alec Guinness fully inhabits the famed role of retired spy George Smiley in this 1979 BBC miniseries.
Read MoreFrozen Planet Blu-ray Review: BBC Hits the Poles
The singular focus on polar nature wears thin, but the HD photography is spellbinding.
Read MoreTorchwood: Miracle Day Blu-ray Review: A Welcome Return with an Unsatisfying Ending
Familiar faces caught up in a messy storyline.
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Daemons DVD Review: Something’s Going Down in Devil’s End
Could it be…SATAN?!?!
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Three Doctors Special Edition DVD Review: Are Three Doctors Better Than One?
The first three Doctors come together for the show’s 10th Anniversary.
Read MoreDoctor Who: The Tomb of the Cybermen Special Edition DVD Review: A Great Time Piece with a Fun Story
The Cybermen arise from the dead – just another fun trip with the Second Doctor.
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