AUGUST 30 SHERLOCK

A contemporary take on the classic Arthur Conan Doyle stories, Sherlock is a thrilling, funny, fast-paced adventure series set in present-day London. Co-created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the new Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as his loyal friend, Doctor John Watson. Rupert Graves plays Inspector Lestrade. John Watson: doctor, soldier, war hero, lost soul. Fresh from fighting the war in Afghanistan, a chance encounter brings him into the world of Sherlock Holmes: loner, detective, genius. A woman in pink lies murdered in an abandoned house. The fifth victim of a seemingly motiveless killer. Inspector Lestrade is the best Scotland Yard has got. But he knows he’s nothing compared to a young man called Sherlock. Sherlock can tell a software designer by his tie, an airline pilot by his thumb. He has a unique analytical brain unlike anyone else in the world, who earns his living and staves off boredom by solving crimes. The weirder and more baffling the better… The two men couldn’t be more different, but Sherlock’s inspired leaps of intellect coupled with John’s pragmatism soon forge an unbreakable alliance. Across three, 90 minute, thrilling, scary, action-packed and highly entertaining television movies, Sherlock and John navigate a maze of cryptic clues and lethal killers to get at the truth. The world’s favourite detective has come out of the fog. With sparkling scripts and unforgettable performances from the two leads, this is Sherlock for a new generation.

AUGUST 30 BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Everyone’s favourite Essex girls return with this DVD release of the very first series of Birds of a Feather - one of the 1990s’ most successful, long-running and memorable sitcoms. This release includes – for the first time – the 1989 Christmas Special! Created by legendary screenwriters Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran (The New Statesman, Shine on Harvey Moon), the series chronicles the misadventures of Sharon and Tracy (Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson) – North London-born sisters left to fend for themselves, both financially and emotionally, when their husbands are jailed for armed robbery. The girls have lived very different lives, Tracey enjoying the neo-Georgian splendour of ‘Dalentrace’ – the luxury home paid for by husband Darryl’s criminal activities – while her sister remained in an Edmonton tower block. Now, Sharon has moved in with Tracey to enjoy a few home comforts and offer moral support - even if some of her habits prove a tad annoying. And if life in Chigwell sometimes seems a little dull, there are always the extra-marital antics of their man-eating Jewish neighbour, Dorien (Lesley Joseph), to keep them entertained...

AUGUST 30 YOU'RE ONLY YOUNG TWICE

This highly popular Yorkshire Television sitcom stars much-loved TV battleaxe Peggy Mount on robust form as Flora Petty, the scourge of Paradise Lodge – a superior residence for retired gentlefolk. Pat Coombs co-stars as Flora’s dim-witted sidekick, Cissie, while veteran stage actress Lally Bowers (A Fine Romance) and sitcom regular Diana King are fellow residents Dolly and Mildred, always ready to lend their weight to Flora’s campaign of insubordination against proprietress Miss Milton and her staff. Woe betide anyone who tries to take on the fearless Flora: she’s old enough to know better, but wise enough not to care! While Waiting for God would revisit the richly comic setting of the retirement home a decade later You’re Only Young Twice ran for four series between 1977 and 1981; this release contains the complete first series.

AUGUST 23 THE PROTECTORS

Each of the world’s major cities has its best detective agency, and each of these has its best agents; super-agents like The Protectors.The most sensitive, baffling, dangerous assignments are handled by this trio of adventurers with no equal among private eyes. In their nerve-tingling assignments, they function as a highly trained team, but they know that the next mission might mean death – and they live as if each moment were their last. Robert Vaughn stars as Harry Rule, the suave American who leads their operations and works from a London office; Nyree Dawn Porter is the elegant, Rome-based Contessa di Contini, and Tony Anholt is Paul Buchet, a French agent operating out of a Paris apartment. Produced by Gerry Anderson and Reg Hill (Thunderbirds), this glossy, stylish series was one of ITC’s most lavish and ambitious projects, boasting intriguing, action-packed storylines and location filming in some of Europe’s most glamorous cities. John Thaw, Diana Quick, Stephanie Beacham, Peter Bowles, Patrick Troughton and George Baker are among the many stars making guest appearances, while Tony Christie sings the show’s theme tune, Avenues and Alleyways – a UK Top 40 hit on its re-release in 2005. This 7-disc set comprises all 52 half-hour episodes, originally aired between 1972 and 1974. SPECIAL FEATURES: Over 1500 stills (disc 7) including PR and behind-the-scenes shots: PDF promotional material including original brochure and press information

OUT NOW GAZETTE

Gerald Harper (Adam Adamant Lives!) stars as James Hadleigh, proprietor of the Westdale Gazette, a Yorkshire newspaper owned by his father. Created by Robert Barr and originally screened in 1968, Gazette introduced the charming, privileged but conscientious protagonist whose continuing mixed fortunes would be chronicled in Hadleigh, Yorkshire Television’s immensely popular and long-running series aired between 1969 and 1976 – also available on DVD from Network. Returning to his beloved native Yorkshire to take up the proprietorship of the Westdale Gazette, James Hadleigh quickly fi nds that the day-to-day running of the newspaper throws up the thorny issues of public allegiances, the right to privacy, and potentially libellous reporting. From the controversy surrounding hunting to police cover-ups, local economics to corruption in high places, there is no shortage of newsworthy stories or delicate dilemmas for Hadleigh and his team.

16 AUGUST MR PALFREY OF WESTMINSTER

Mr Palfrey is a mild, unassuming middle-aged man – the quintessential middle-rank British civil servant, who enjoys a spot of fishing in his spare time. Mr Palfrey is also a spook... As a senior investigator for the Special Intelligence Service, Palfrey’s office is based close to the Houses of Parliament. His work is assigned by his female boss, known only as ‘the Co-ordinator’, and assisting him is Blair, a younger man adept at dealing with the nastier aspects of counter-intelligence. Beginning life as a pilot in Thames’ Storyboard anthology and notable for its intelligent, highly credible depiction of Cold War-era counter-espionage, Mr Palfrey of Westminster stars Alec McCowen (Travels with My Aunt) as the meticulous master spycatcher; John Shrapnel, Leslie Phillips, Ronald Hines and Martin Jarvis are among several high-profi le actors making guest appearances, and writers include George Markstein (The Prisoner) and Philip Broadley (Public Eye, Department S). This first-time release on DVD comprises both series, originally screened in 1984 and 1985, the Storyboard pilot of 1983, and the ‘postscript’ play transmitted in 1989 and featuring Clive Wood as Blair.

23 AUGUST
‘Biography®: Stevie Wonder’ ‘Biography: Cat Stevens’ ‘Biography: The Kinks’

BIO™ is proud to present ‘Biography®: Stevie Wonder’, ‘Biography: Cat Stevens’ and ‘Biography: The Kinks’, a trio of fascinating DVDs charting the lives of three extraordinary musical talents. Featuring early footage, performance clips and interviews with the people who know them best, the programmes explore how the lives of each superstar has shaped their music, provide an insight into their creative processes and uncover the human drama behind the hits.
· A folk rock legend with a string of hits such as ‘Wild World’, ‘Peace Train’ and ‘Morning Has Broken’, Cat Stevens shocked fans when he abandoned the music scene in 1977 following his conversion to Islam. Over the last decade, Yusuf Islam – as he is now known – has gradually resumed his musical career, with 2006 seeing the recording of his first all-new pop album since the ‘70s. BIO’s new DVD provides a rounded portrait of this brilliant, controversial and often misunderstood artist.
· Blind since birth and growing up in an abusive home, the young Stevie Wonder had one thing going for him – he was a musical prodigy. Signing with Motown at the tender age of 11, Wonder went on to record more than 30 U.S. top ten hits, winning 22 Grammys and enjoying album sales of over 100 million units. From his political activism to his near-fatal car crash to his appearance at President Barack Obama’s Inauguration Day concert, this Biography explores the life and music of a truly remarkable man.
· Over the years, they have battled through family drama, the harsh realities of fame and the coming and going of band mates to remain one of the most highly regarded and influential rock bands of all time – this is the story of The Kinks. Formed around brothers Ray and Dave Davies, The Kinks epitomize for many the London of the Swinging Sixties through enduring hits such as ‘You Really Got Me’, ‘Waterloo Sunset’ and ‘Lola’. This Biography explores the triumphs and tensions of this classic British band.

OUT NOW NEVER MIND THE QUALITY - FEEL THE WIDTH

Manny Cohen and Patrick Kelly are unlikely partners in a back-street tailoring business in Whitechapel, in London’s East End. Coat-maker Manny is Jewish, while Patrick – who takes care of the trousers – is an Irish Catholic still yearning for his homeland. The two try hard to put their religious and cultural differences aside in the interests of making a living, but mutual misunderstanding all too easily gets the better of them. That’s why Father Ryan and Rabbi Levy are usually around to intervene and offer spiritual guidance...Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width grew out of a single production for ITV’s long-running Armchair Theatre anthology series. Written by the celebrated team of Vince Powell and Harry Driver (Bless This House, Nearest and Dearest) and drawing heavily upon the writers’ own backgrounds and experiences, this hugely popular series stars John Bluthal and Joe Lynch as the ever-warring Cohen and Kelly, with Cyril Shaps as Rabbi Levy and Eamon Kelly as Father Ryan; Roy Marsden, David Kossoff, Roy Barraclough and the legendary George Best are among the special guests. Although the series no longer exists in its entirety, this set contains every remaining episode of Series Three to Six, originally screened between 1969 and 1971, and the 1968 Christmas Special.

OUT NOW BACKS TO THE LAND

This popular Anglia sitcom focuses on the experiences of three Women’s Land Army volunteers with very different backgrounds. Dizzy debutante Daphne Finch-Beauchamp, cheerful Cockney Jenny Dabb and sensible Jewish girl Shirley Bloom find themselves in the Norfolk village of Clayfield, sharing a hasty education in agricultural matters, more than a few mishaps, and a little romance along the way. Originally screened in 1977, Backs to the Land features a memorable theme song, sung by Anne Shelton, one of Britain’s most popular and inspiring wartime entertainers and beloved by Allied forces around the world. May 1940: Land Army girls Daphne, Jenny and Shirley arrive to assist the cantankerous Tom Whitlow in the day-to-day running of Crabtree Farm while his male farmworkers and two sons, Eric and Roy, are fighting in Europe. Farmer Whitlow is determined to send the girls packing as soon as possible – but they are equally determined to stay!

OUT NOW THE PLANE MAKERS

The prequel to ATV’s famous boardroom drama The Power Game, The Plane Makers follows the fortunes of the Scott Furlong airplane development company and its managing director, the ruthless John Wilder (Patrick Wymark). Never previously available in any format, this release contains the first 13 episodes of series two - only one episode still exists from series one and that is included on disc one as a special feature. After months of work, a new passenger airliner, The Sovereign, is almost ready for its first flight. When John Wilder discovers that the Sovereign’s French competitor is due for its maiden flight he gives orders to get the plane off the ground in two days, a decision he may come to regret...

OUT NOW DEAR MOTHER...LOVE ALBERT

In between major successes in the Likely Lads series, Rodney Bewes also became the star of this ratings-winning sitcom chronicling the misfortunes of a naïve young man from the north of England who moves to London in search of fame and fortune. Dear Mother… Love Albert was co-written and produced by Bewes, and based on the actor’s own letters home, in which less-than-impressive details were omitted and triumphs wildly exaggerated; Bewes also sung the show’s theme song, which he co-wrote with songwriter and musician Mike Hugg. Dear Mother… Love Albert also features Garfield Morgan as Albert’s boss, Mr Strain, and Geraldine Newman as his landlady. This set contains all the episodes still in the archive and consists of series two and three of Dear Mother...Love Albert and its retitled fourth series Albert. Twenty-four-year-old northerner Albert Courtnay has upped sticks and moved down to London where he hopes to carve out a brilliant career. Instead, he finds himself working at a confectionary factory, Tomlinson Toffee, where he falls for the charms of PR girl Antonia. Albert’s new life in the big city may not be quite as exciting as he had hoped, but it’s certainly complicated – not that he’ll be telling his mother.

OUT NOW THE PAUL TEMPLE COLLECTION

Stylish, cool, incisive - protective of his loving wife "Steve" - Paul Temple was an exemplary crime writer turned crime solver as played by Francis Matthews in the acclaimed and much loved TV series. Often filmed at glamorous locations throughout Europe, Temple operated like a cross-between Miss Marple and Poirot with the slick cutting-edge style of The Saint. The Paul Temple Collection represents the surviving colour episodes of this rich series, a time capsule of 1970s fashion in clothes, cars, décor - and crime. The idle rich in Malta, who play a dangerous game with Steve as the bait. A gang lord in Arles using a local bullring to set up a murder. A German businessman who finds himself caught up in a deadly carnival of politics and radical rebellion. A murder mystery resolved live on TV; a chance meeting in a Motel where death and deception have checked in; a murdered maiden in a crypt that uncovers local witchery. These - and more - are the tales that make up an unmissable collection of mysteries that must be solved; and there's only one crime writer who can do it.

NOVEMBER 2010 - PRE ORDER NOW THE PACIFIC

From the producers of Band of Brothers, The Pacific tracks the real-life journeys of three U.S. Marines Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), Eugene Sledge (Joe Mazzello) and John Basilone (Jon Seda) across the vast canvas of the Pacific Theatre during World War II. The extraordinary experiences of these men and their fellow Marines take them from the first clash with the Japanese in the haunted jungles of Guadalcanal, through the impenetrable rain forests of Cape Gloucester, across the blasted coral strongholds of Peleliu, up the black sand terraces of Iwo Jima, through the killing fields of Okinawa, to the triumphant, yet uneasy, return home after V-J Day. This Amazon.co.uk exclusive edition includes: Inside the Battle: Peleliu, an exclusive historical look into the battle of Peleliu. This featurette features historian and veteran interviews to illustrate the massive undertaking of the battle for Peleliu. Pre-order Price Guarantee: order now and if the Amazon.co.uk price decreases between the time you place your order and the release date, you'll be charged the lowest price.

OUT NOW ASHES TO ASHES BOX SET

Ashes To Ashes follows on from the hugely successful BBC series Life On Mars, and sees the return of the self styled 'Sheriff of Manchester' DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister). Whereas Life On Mars was a throwback to the crime-fighting style of the 1970's, Ashes To Ashes takes you back to 'the decade that taste forgot', the 1980's. In the first series DCI Hunt has left relative the comfort of the Greater Manchester Police to take on the 'southern nancys' of London, where he once again acquires a time-travelling sidekick, this time in the sexy and smart DI Alex Drake. Her psychology background and in depth knowledge of the Sam Tyler case lead her to dismiss her predicament as a vivid hallucination. Nevertheless, with crime rife on the streets of 1980's London, and a police team not very receptive to modern career women, Alex has a lot to prove before she can figure out how to get home. The second series of the time-bending Ashes To Ashes continues where the first series left off. With the mystery surrounding the death of her parents now solved, Alex desperately seeks to find out how she has become trapped in the past, but must first unravel a conspiracy within her department that involves police corruption, a wealthy entrepreneur and a shadowy Superintendent involved with the Free Masons. The story continues, only this time around its 1983. DI Alex Drake is ultimately determined to find out the truth about Gene Hunt and the hidden secrets of the world she inhabits. The third and final series also marks the arrival of Scotland Yard’s DCI Jim Keats. Sent to watchfully observe the team’s performance, his presence leads to some unexpected revelations on past happenings. Prepare to be captivated by easily, the darkest of all three series.

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