DVD Roundup – 19/5/07 News Posted by John Hoare on 19th May 2007, 05:05 Well, whilst we’re waiting for Red Dwarf: The Bodysnatcher Collection to show up on the online shops, let’s run through some other DVD news. WELL IT PROBABLY IS DÉJÀ VU: And let’s start off with something weird – erm, Norm’s recording his stand-up show for DVD release. Call me crazy, but that all sounds weirdly familiar. It was his stand-up show that was recorded last time, right, and not his slideshow? Did something go wrong with the previous recording? Hard to believe, as it’s expensive to record, and two recordings were done last time… Anyway, it’s at the Maltings Arts Centre in St. Albans on Thursday 21st June @ 8:00pm – tickets are £12 on the door, £10 in advance, and the booking office is on 01727 844 222. Speaking of Norm, TOS has some absolutely gorgoeus publicity photos of Norm, taken to celebrate… erm, his 2003 tour. Apparently. Get the links right Andrew, there’s a bag of chips in it for ya. STANDARD AUSTRALIAN JOKE BLAH BLAH BLAH: Brittas Series 7 is coming out in Region 4 on the 4th July. The artwork there is for the Region 2 release, and is temp artwork until the R4 is finalised – so I can’t do my usual bitching yet. Erm, cork hats lol. TWO TO POLISH: Remastered, new menus, no extras. And as mentioned in the Series 1 article: “The Polish dub might surprise a few people outside that country. Polish TV typically does not replace character’s voices with new actors, rather there is one single voice providing constant translation over the sound of the original track.” How deliciously bizarre. There’s also some photos of Dwarf display stands in the Czech Republic. Look, if I’d known Dwarf was going to take off over there, I would never have been so offensive back in 2004… HYPERDRIVE IS SHIT, IT’S SO FUCKING SHIT, I HATE IT, IT’S THE WORST SHOW EVER MADE AND IT SHOULD FUCK OFF AND DIE HORRIBLY, WHAT A WASTE OF TIME, IF YOU LIKE IT YOU’RE A TOTAL FUCKING WANKER: We originally reported that the first series was due to be released on the 7th May; this has obviously slipped, and the BBC Shop now lists Series 1 as coming out on the 9th July, and a Series 1 and 2 boxset coming out on the 13th August. Surely they’re going to release Series 2 on its own at some point as well? Despite my “hilarious” headline, I really, really hope that Series 2 of Hyperdrive is great – Kevin Eldon admits there were problems with the first series, so let’s hope they’ve sorted it. Wikipedia says that “Inside sources can now confirm that after some delay a second season of six episodes will be broadcast on BBC Two from Thursday, July 12, 2007 at 9.30pm”. Forgetting about the fact that inside sources have no place on Wikipedia, it’ll probably be removed within a day, and it may well not be true anyway – the second series has been completed, so I’d expect to see it at some point this Summer. Certainly before the DVD release, anyway…
What “problems” does Kevin Eldon mean that would affect the writing, the production and the lack of any science fiction? A hurricane? Tsunami?
Well, he actually said this: “Another series of Hyperdrive. I don’t think the first series was quite right but that’s first series for you. We shall endeavour to make it truly smashing.” Commendably honest, I think, and I like the way he puts the last sentence as well, as he comes across as a lovely bloke. I’m not convinced the second series will be great, but I really, really hope it is.
I still think Hyperdrive has the potential to be as good as, if not better than, Dwarf. Meanwhile, on planet Sanity, it’s unsaveable excrement.
Just remembered that I never did the comparison with the R2 and R4 Brittas Series 7 covers! So, R4 on the left, R2 on the right: Again, I’d go for the R4 cover, I think – if only because it doesn’t have those *terrible* fonts on there, and the placing of the Brittas logo is a lot better. (Unfortunately, it’s also got that hideously ugly classification label, but that’s not the distributor’s fault.) Can’t quite decide which background I prefer – the R2 cover is nicer, but is perhaps also a bit busy for a cover… It’s a bit of an odd picture, really – like some of the other covers, it doesn’t quite look like Gordon Brittas. But they’re a bit stuffed as to the choice of photos they can use on the front covers, I think.
