DVD Review: The Goodies - The Complete LWT Series (Network - Region 2)

“C’mon everybody, it’s gibbon time!”
Despite the BBC’s reluctance to repeat any episodes of The Goodies (bar the miraculous showing of the “Winter Olympics” episode last year – the first repeat for 20 years!), Network’s “Best Of” DVD compilations has proved to be best-sellers. And now, Network is releasing the entire last series featuring the antics of the inventive-yet-idiotic do-gooders who will do “anything, anytime”, with Tim Brooke-Taylor as the patriotic coward, Bill Oddie as the scruffy rebel, and Graeme Garden as the corduroy-wearing scientist. The main difference, other than this is not a compilation, is that this set comprises their entire output for ITV!
Frustrated with waiting for the BBC to give them the go-ahead for another series, and due to the need of money by Graeme and Bill, the trio decided to accept an offer from LWT. After the 1981 Christmas special, the ITV series started on January 1982. Despite a poorly-suited 6:30pm showing on Saturdays (the BBC broadcasted their shows after the 9pm watershed), it did receive a respectable amount of viewers, but according to LWT (who just had a change of management), not enough to justify the high cost of making the series. Locked in a three-year contact but not required to make any new shows, the trio had no choice but to pursue separate projects (however, they were allowed to reunite to provide voices for the BBC cartoon Bananaman). Even though they never officially split up, it was the end of the madcap trio.
However, we are treated to some great episodes, including their enrolment as oversized dwarves, battling the spread of football hooliganism into ballet, their search of the missing Arthur C. Clarke (and having an encounter with Bigfoot at the same time), Bill disguising as a Swedish au-pair to look after (and get rid of) his replacement – a baby robot, and Graeme selling a new line in pets – people dressed as dogs!
As many fans also know, the series was very heavily influenced by the American theatrical cartoons, mainly Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry. This series contains such references as the Roadrunner and Disney’s Snow White. Also, there are animation references in the use of props, such as the one featured below (no prizes for guessing who the character is).

Although the series can not match up with the earlier BBC shows, there are still uproaringly funny after 25 years. Funny moments include the return of Kitten Kong, Bill on a destructive rampage on his birthday, and a punk rendition of “I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside” (containing possibly the only bleeped-out swearword in the entire series). I don’t mind admitting that I had the fit of the giggles during the beginning of Bigfoot, where “Arthur C. Clarke” (who is really Graeme in disguise) tries to prove his crackpot theory that the Loch Ness monster…
…is in fact “a common garden rhinoceros, floating upside-down underwater, holding a French loaf in his mouth, balancing a tortoise” (it sounds more plausible).
Sadly, despite initial news that the seven episodes will be digitally-restored, the episodes are in fact straight-transfers from the archive tapes (perhaps they blew the budget on the bountiful extras). For 1980’s videotape, the picture and sound quality is very acceptable with little damage. As we come to expect from Network, all episodes retain the opening LWT logo, adcaps, and endcaps.
Unlike the previous sets, all the episodes are on disc 1, which includes commentaries by Tim, Graeme & Bill on two episodes. Like the previous sets, Bill leads the way with Graeme being the most-quiet participant.
However, disc 2 contains a mouth-watering selection of extras, even more than their previous sets. The set includes two loosely-related sitcoms: Doctor in the House and From the Top.

Doctor in the House, loosely based on the Richard Gordon books, centres around the antics of the good-natured medical student Michael Upton and his laddish mates. Most of the first, and the entire second series were written by Graeme and Bill, just before The Goodies first started. The episode featured on this set, Doctor in the Box, is about the goings-on during a filming of their medical college, with Graeme making a cameo appearance as a TV chairman. The first two series are already available from Network (DD Home Entertainment has also released the first series as a mail-order release).
From the Top is a children’s sitcom starring Bill (who co-wrote the series with his wife, Laura Beaumont), and is about a forty-something bank manager who quits his job and enrols on an acting school with a bunch of teenagers. Made soon after the unofficial break-up of the Goodies, it further showcases Bill’s song-writing talents. In this episode, Growing Up…& Out (the opening episode of the second series), Bill discovers that this fellow students were growing out of their uniforms, and appeals to the headmistress that they should be allowed to wear what they choose. Unfortunately, he didn’t account for their extreme tastes (one girl turns up in a squeaky rubber dress). It is interesting to note that Bill co-wrote the theme tune with ex-Monkee Michael Dolenz, who was also the director-producer of the first series.
Also featured are five songs performed by the Goodies on two 1970’s ITV music shows: Shang-A-Lang and Look Alive. The selection features most of their chart hits, including Black Pudding Bertha and the infamous Funky Gibbon (sadly, Graeme’s microphone didn’t work properly during the performance).
Also included are individual and group interviews taken from the ITV archive. Sadly, Network was supplied with “cropped-widescreen” versions of a couple of This Morning interviews (which were broadcast in the early 90’s, before the days of widescreen broadcasts). The interview footage was edited to remove any clips of other TV shows, but as this would be a clearance nightmare, it is perfectly understandable.

The remaining extras include a stills gallery and a couple of news footage, including Tim being a judge in a 1981 turkey competition.
To round off the package, a very-informative booklet is provided, giving extensive details of all the programmes and the extras.
Despite the lack of restoration, this is still a hilarious and essential DVD set. The humour has not aged at all, and the extras are plentiful and pleasing. If Paramount Comedy saw fit in repeating the ITV episodes, we can hope that they (or any other satellite/cable station, but preferably the BBC themselves) will broadcast the long-neglected BBC shows. Highly recommended.
DD Home Entertainment currently has no plans to release their own (mail-order) DVD set.

Images (C) ITV Productions & Network
Text (C) Lee Glover. Not to be copied without permission.

DVD Review: The Caesars (Network - UK Region 2)

An everyday story of sex, madness, and regicide.

Augustus Caesar, Emperor of the Roman Empire, has ruled for over 40 years, bringing peace after years of civil war, but the price the empire paid for this was the absolute rule of one man – a dictator. Although brutal, he was nevertheless a popular leader. And now he is dying, and he has to nominate a replacement. He decides that Tiberius should replace him, with the loyal-but-foolish Germanicus the next in line.

Tiberius initially rejects the offer, as he feels he is nowhere near as brutal as Augustus and doesn’t wish to become an absolute ruler. Eventually, he reluctantly agrees, and takes command with the aid of the scheming Sejanus. But throughout his reign, he faces the turmoil that affected his family, including murder, in which many people label him as a tyrant. He does on occasion have to be ruthless, but the end result would normally follow a sense of guilt.

His great-nephew, Caligula, succeeds Tiberius, but early on he does show signs of his unpleasant side. Then a serious illness drives him further into insanity. Believing that he is a God and an immortal, he becomes an irrational murderer and rapist. As he becomes more and more deranged, no-one it seems can appease him in any way without fear of being executed.

Surviving throughout all this turmoil is Claudius, who was born with a stutter and club foot. Because of his disability, many dismiss him as a fool, but he uses this to his advantage. He is ignored by Tiberius and humiliated by Caligula, but it is Claudius himself who would get the last laugh.


This series was produced by Granada Television, and was broadcast on ITV in 1968 to critical acclaim. It has been compared in recent times to I Claudius and even the BBC/HBO’s Rome, but this is still an immensely enjoyable drama in its own right. The sets, although studio bound, are very impressive. A fine repertoire of actors grace the small screen, but there are three actors who really stands out: Andre Morrell (Quatermass & The Pit) gives a dependable performance as the weary Tiberius, Ralph Bates (Dear John) is frightfully chilling as the cold-blooded Caligula, and Freddie Jones (The Ghosts of Motley Hall) fully merited his Golden Nymph award (Monte Carlo Television Festival, 1969) as the rather-intelligent Claudius.

The series was shot originally on video, but it now exists as 16mm telerecordings made for the international market (the original Granada front and endcaps have been replaced by a Granada International equivalent), and Network has been supplied with a mix of old and recent transfers. The quality of the material does show that making telerecordings was not one of Granada’s main strengths. Generally, they zoomed in too close to the video monitor, which results in a cropped picture and a grainy look. There is also burnt-in video damage evident on the recordings. The first episode is the worst affected, as shown on the screenshot below. Because of the over-zooming, you can only just make out the title (Augustus).

It would have been nice to see the series get some digital clean-up, but this would be expensive and would make the DVD release commercially unviable. Of course, Network is renowned for releasing long-forgotten TV shows that most other DVD companies wouldn’t even touch with a barge pole, so we really must commend Network for having the guts to release this.

There is one extra that Network has somehow forgot to mention on its cover – a five-minute photo gallery, showing some behind-the-scenes images and those taken on the set. I was really amazed to see what the sets actually looked like in colour, it is just a shame that they never filmed it this way. If only they waited one more year until ITV colour transmissions became a reality. Because of the rarity of this series, it is unrealistic to expect commentaries or interviews, so the photo gallery is an unexpected bonus. Pity about the lack of subtitles, though.

Despite the quality of the film material, this is an excellent watch, and huge thanks to Network for allowing this series to get a deserved DVD release. However, the RRP of £19:99 is maybe on a high side for people who aren’t too familiar with this series and/or are rather unsure of 1960’s drama, so my advice is to wait until the sales. But whenever you buy this now or later, is it well worth what you paid for it. Recommended.

NOTE: DD Home Entertainment has released their own version of The Caesars (only available through their mail-order service, while Network's version is a general release) with the same RRP. However, given DDHE's track record, it is likely that these episodes will have their adcaps removed (Network has left these alone), and there is no mention of any subtitles or other extras on their catalogue and website.

Images (C) Granada

Text (C) Lee Glover. Not to be copied without permission.