We’ve covered 1976’s Network before, way back in 2015 when the Arrow Academy Blu-ray came out. Well, today we’re talking about it again, as the Criterion Collection have announced two new editions of their very own: a 4K UHD Blu-ray and a regular HD Blu-ray. Both formats come with a whole host of special features which weren’t available on that previous release.
Garnering four Oscars, including for Dunaway, Finch, and Chayefsky, this no-holds-barred New Hollywood classic remains as fearlessly funny as it is unnervingly relevant. pic.twitter.com/Y8FIqEizqw
— Criterion Collection (@Criterion) November 17, 2025
What is the plot of Network?
For those of you who haven’t seen it, we’ll catch you up to speed.
This quintessentially American film is centred around an ageing anchorman, Howard Beale (Peter Finch), who is urged to retire his post so he can be replaced by someone younger. In response, he announces to his viewers that he will do something very drastic during his swansong show (what that thing is, I’ll let you find out for yourself). The network executives then have a sudden change of heart when they notice his show’s ratings start to enjoy an unprecedented spike.
The resulting film is an enigma: political satire, ode to independent journalism, scathing critique of the telecoms oligopoly, dark comedy – you name it.
What makes Network still relevant today?
Back in 1976, telecoms only really consisted of TV, telephone, radio and telegram. With the explosion of the internet in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, however, more formats entered the mix, giving regular people the chance to make names for themselves. Howard Beale would probably have appreciated that.
Since then, however, we seem to have been gradually going back to replicating TV-esque formats all over the digital space. One major innovation in this regard is livestreaming.
Today, you don’t have to do much scrolling to find an online British casino with a heavy smattering of live options such as Mega Fire Blaze Roulette Live and Live From Las Vegas Lobby. These offerings all promise a live host, and the knowledge that you’ll be tuned in alongside many other players simultaneously. It sounds a lot like classic television, and yet the level of interactivity made possible by livestreaming would have been unheard of for the older machines.
Combine this with the fact that where the subscription-based model once dominated, advertisements have made a sizeable comeback. YouTube now frequently makes non-paying users watch two 20-second unskippable ads in a row and have cracked down on people using adblockers.
Clearly, then, the technologies that made Network’s nightmare world possible haven’t lost any of their relevance in the years since.
Credit: Pixabay
Upcoming Network 4K Blu-ray Features
Network has now received a brand new 4K digital restoration, with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Both editions use this restoration, but of course only the 4K UHD disc will be able to truly capture the higher quality.
The 4K edition contains two discs, one for the 4K version of the film, and one in HD Blu-ray definition, which is also where all the special features are located. The standard Blu-ray edition contains just one disc.
Special features include:
- Audio commentary featuring director Sidney Lumet
- Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words (2025), a feature-length documentary by Matthew Miele about Chayefsky, the film’s acclaimed screenwriter
- The Making of “Network” (2006), a documentary in six parts about the film’s unique production
- A new essay by Jamelle Bouie, New York Times columnist
- New cover art by Adam Maida
Because Arrow Academy still hold the UK IP rights to the film, you will have to purchase this film from the USA and play it on a Region A or Region-free Blu-ray player. If you’re an avid Blu-ray collector already, however, you probably already own one.
Network will be available to own on 4K UHD and standard Blu-ray from Feb 24, 2026.