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Dom Robinson reviews
PT Video
- Cert:
- Cat.no: PTDVD 8117
- Running time: 122 minutes
- Year: 1978-1993
- Pressing: 2001
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 9 plus extras
- Sound: Mono
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: None
- Fullscreen: 4:3
- 16:9-Enhanced: No
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 5
- Price: £9.99
- Extras: Game
For the second time PT Video have released aCult Kids Classics DVD whichgathers together six classic TV kids shows from the 70s, 80s and 90s that theyown the rights to.
I prefer the “Complete Series” DVDs, but this provides an excellent selectionof entertainment that will keep many youngsters (and adult who enjoyed themat the time) glued to the screen. I’ve already gone into detail aboutDangermouse (with a brief mention for Count Duckula in the samereview, given that the DVD contained an episode), Chorlton and theWheelies, Sweep Superdog and Jamie and the Magic Torch in their respective reviewswhich can be found at the bottom of this page.
The one that remains to get it’s own disc is, again, my favourite of the pile- Rainbow where“Zippy is Tongue-Tied” according to the title of the show and hecertainly is when trying to remember a poem… badly! Why’s he tongue-tied?It’s not a major secret, but the reason is quickly forgotten when there’s aperformance to be endured… er.., enjoyed from Rod, Jane and Freddy!It was never the same after the cast was sacked and the concept changed to somethingthat was anything *but* Rainbow.
Only the first Dangermouse episode has seen the light of day on DVDbefore and the complete list is as follows: Dangermouse – The Wild,Wild Goose Chase (1983) and 150 Million Years Lost (1983),Jamie and the Magic Torch – A Marrow Escape (1978) and TheGhost of Spiny Mountain (1979), Chorlton and the Wheelies – Chorltonand the Spinning Spell (1979), Count Duckula – Venice a DuckNot a Duck (1993), the aforementioned Rainbow episode from 1985and also a 1985 episode of Superdog from The Sooty Show.
Last time I said that I’d like to see full DVDs of Jamie and the MagicTorch, Rainbow and Button Moon released though. Well, the first one’shere and the others won’t be far behind.
You can rescue Penfold if you have a DVD-ROM drive in your PC.
When it comes to the audio-visual quality, the more recent programmes farebetter than earlier ones, but even those for where the print has many a scratchon it, it’s nothing you don’t expect and certainly doesn’t put you off forthose who were big fans.I was unable to determine the average bitrate.
The only extra is a game which comes in four parts and is actually quitedifficult so isn’t for kids. One sees you as Dangermouse driving fastdown a road and it’s too fast to evade the bombs in your path. Another is ashooting gallery with Count Duckula with rather iffy collision detection.Add to this a jumping peg game from Chorlton and the Wheelies anda Lunar Lander-style game from Jamie and the Magic Torch and if you docomplete each of them you’ll gain the four items needed to silence BaronSilas Greenback.
There are 9 chapters to the disc, with two given to the Rainbow ep andthe second one mysteriously kicking in 30 seconds before its end, no subtitlesand the static menu has sound for each respective show when you highlightthe cursor over it before watching it.
A tenner is a bargain for the content on here, but a lot of the series aregetting their own DVD release to themselves, so take your choice whether toget a collection of various shows or programme-specific discs.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.