Punt & Dennis - Surely not?!?!

[BizMark]

I was looking around the Comedy DVD section of HMV this afternoon and I saw a DVD of Punt & Dennis's "Imaginatively Entitled Video" - the best of Series 1 of their own series, called, not surprisingly, "The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show".

And on the back of the sleeve read: "Due to the archive nature of this programme, viewers will notice variations in sound and picture quality".



This left me rather gobsmacked. The show was made in 1994, that's all of eleven, yes, ELEVEN years ago. Presumably recorded on D2 videotape.

So what is this 'archive nature' to which is alluded on the sleeve? Did something nasty befall these tapes? Did they succombe to the nasty Dutch Elm Control Track Disease, did somebody wipe them or what?

I'm used to seeing this phrase for releases from the 60s, 70s and, at a push, early 80s. But Punt & Dennis... come on.

While we're on the subject, are there any other 'recent'ish shows (i.e. 1990s) that are known to have partly become wiped or too damaged to replay?

Sorry to go on so, but for a 1994 show, and given that I was only the other day watching my Mary Whitehouse Experience/Punt & Dennis (Series 2) VHSs back, I do wonder in which cases the retail releases (where there are /if there were to be any) won't be better quality than my own recordings?!?!??

[Mark Brown]

the DVD looks perfectly fine, i think they are just covering themselves.

[markboulton]

Aah, that's a relief. Strange thing to do, though. Is early 90s video quality really so poor compared to today's that they feel a disclaimer is necessary?

[williamM]

I thought so at the time, it was rather fuzzy, see the episodes of "Shadow of the noose" for instance

[Jonathan Tennet]

A lot of the recent TV releases from various companies have this "archive nature" disclaimer (ie Between The Lines, Tiswas, etc). I think it is just a way of covering themselves - and probably in collusion with some of the retailers so Joe Soap doesn't take it back complaining! Yes, I am a natural cynic ;D

[andrew martin]

The series was made on D3 not D2, but there have been some problems with some makes of D3. Nothihng that a bit of restoration couldn't sort out probably - at some point in the future D3s will be salvaged onto another format...