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  Directed by
  Starring
  Specs
  • Widescreen 1.78:1
  • 16:9 Enhanced
  • Dual Layer ( )
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital Stereo
  Subtitles
  • None
  Extras
  • Deleted scenes
  • Audio commentary
  • Animated menus
  • Behind the scenes footage
  • Interviews
  • Documentaries
  • 4 Short film
  • User-activated branching

Little Britain - The Complete First Series

ABC/Roadshow Entertainment . R4 . COLOR . 448 mins . M15+ . PAL

  Feature
Contract

This two-disc package presents all eight episodes from the first series of the British comedy series Little Britain, plus the original pilot episode.

It's bad-taste grottiness gone totally berserk, rather in the mode of League of Gentlemen but more episodic and fast-fire sketch-based. It shares League's morbid humour -- it's not quite so Gothic, but is definitely just as on the edge -- more Gorgonzola than Stilton, a smelly bit of blue-vein indeed.

The two writer/stars, Matt Lucas and David Walliams, present a gallery of grotesque characters, including a juvenile delinquent called Vicky Pollard, who is a fat version of our own dearly beloved Kylie Mole, except Vicky has more attitude and talks so fast as to be, fortunately, almost totally incomprehensible.

Then there's the inspired creation of Daffyd Thomas, who believes he's the only gay in his little Welsh village. Not just believes, but insists on that, all evidence to the contrary. Which is why he's not yet managed to have sex with anybody at all.

And here's little (absolutely minute) Dennis Waterman, post-Minder, who can't get any new acting gigs because he insists on writing and singing the theme music as well for any program he might appear in.

Other characters include Ministerial Aide, Sebastian Love, who is just crazy about his Prime Minister, who is played by a former librarian, Anthony Head. Anthony Head is one of the few notable characters who lends Matt Lucas and David Walliams a hand; another is Molly Sugden, the famous pussy-fancier from Are You Being Served. And listen to the credits voice-overs ... is there a Doctor Who in the room?

There's a rubbish transvestite who keeps insisting, all evidence to the contrary, that he's "a real lady" and there's a wheelchair-bound 'victim' who is cruelly exploiting his helper -- these are some of the characters you'll be appalled by in each and every episode.

This is a first-class two-hander. It might not be quite up to the standard set by other great double-acts such as the Stella Street gang, or Morecombe and Wise or by my favourite duo, French and Saunders, but it's ripe British comedy at very near its best.

  Video
Contract

This is an anamorphic widescreen production which is a considerable improvement over regular broadcast quality.

Colours and tonal contrasts are excellent for both interior and location exterior shots, and there seems to be no evident artefacts to disturb the image. For television, this is a quality production.

  Audio
Contract

The stereo is clear and well-focused. Like most of these shows there is little need for anything except absolute clarity in dialogue, and both dialogue and the grand theme music are treated admirably.

  Extras
Contract

The package is packed, though quality of the extra features is somewhat uneven.

There are audio commentaries on all episodes from Walliams and Lucas. They are joined for the first four episodes by producer Myfanwy Moore and by director Steve Bendelack on Episodes Five to Eight. Walliams and Lucas also provide commentary for the pilot episode.

There is a very clever feature on both discs -- a branching scheme called 'Character Playlist', which lets you choose a favourite character, and then view all the sketches that character appears in.

There are 24 Deleted Scenes running for 45 minutes, with commentary. That's virtually two additional episodes.

Also on Disc One is a 12-minute interview with British TV chat host Jonathon Ross -- there's lots of language-bleeping, and it seems very routine promotional stuff. And Disc One is rounded out by a very short (less than two minutes) Claymation item which seems very meaningless indeed.

On Disc Two, we find a short feature 'What Britain Means to You', with quotes from various of Little Britain's characters. There are four sketches presented at a Teenage Cancer Trust fundraiser.

But the main extra features on Disc Two are a 28-minute special, 'Best of Rock Profile', which collects together best bits from a series our lads did before Little Britain, in which they take-off Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Elton John, Abba and other dubious musical luminaries. Warning -- these take-offs do not necessarily bear any relationship to the real people.

Next up is a 36-minute Behind the Scenes doco, 'How To Make a Little Britain', with lots of location footage and interviews. This is quite an informative show, and entertaining to boot - far better than most of the turgid garbage which make up most 'Making Of' programs.

There's finally a very long (32 minutes) Radio Five audio interview, accompanied by still photographs. By this time we've seen and heard enough. I found this incredibly tedious.

The menus are animated quite brilliantly. They're virtually a show in themselves. There's been a lot of work put into this overall presentation.

  Overall  
Contract

This is a great presentation.

The wealth of extras has been lovingly hand-crafted for your lasting delectation, and the worthwhile extra features far outweigh the duds. If you enjoy this style of humour, you'll want to buy, not rent, this one.


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      And I quote...
    "Take a tour around Little Britain. Meet some of the people who inhabit what we used to call The Old Country -- and be glad you're here."
    - Anthony Clarke
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Pioneer DVD 655A
    • TV:
          Loewe Profil Plus 3272 68cm
    • Receiver:
          Denon AVR-3801
    • Speakers:
          Neat Acoustics PETITE
    • Centre Speaker:
          Neat Acoustics PETITE
    • Surrounds:
          Celestian (50W)
    • Subwoofer:
          B&W ASW-500
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