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Post by dave1turner on Nov 25, 2010 20:45:25 GMT
....(i hope i spelt it right)....i just about remember this.....does it still exist?
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Post by Gary Critcher on Nov 25, 2010 21:40:21 GMT
No, that would be 'The Lotus Eaters' with Wanda Ventham and Ian Hendry? And I'm sure it's been released on DVD.................
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Post by dave1turner on Nov 25, 2010 22:09:08 GMT
Gary...Thanks for the correction...thats the one....
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2010 10:53:15 GMT
Definitely released on DVD a few years ago now. You can probably still find a copy floating around online somewhere though.
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Post by Alex Trelinski on Nov 26, 2010 15:28:57 GMT
And a good drama it was as well. Make sure that you get both series one and two. The only tiny gripe is that the switch between the location filming in Crete, and the studio interiors at BBC Pebble Mill make it look technically a bit old fashioned. Wanda Ventham said in an interview to coincide with the DVD release that it was a great shame that it was not a complete location shoot, which is the way it would have been done some years down the line. Sadly Michael J Bird's follow-up Crete-based series. 'Who Pays the Ferryman' starring Jack Hedley does not seem to have been released on DVD. I have a 15 year old VHS box set which I bought in Australia and which was produced for that market.
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Post by dave1turner on Nov 27, 2010 20:14:16 GMT
Alex....Many thanks for the reply, i looked at the HMV site and there is 2 DVDS there (series 1/2)....by what you say on the location shoot, is it worth buying?, and what is the quality like?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2010 11:34:09 GMT
It's a good series and I enjoyed watching it when repeated in the '90s. So if - as I do - you like what was the usual format for any series of this type at the time (i.e. studio interiors shot on VT mixed with filmed location footage), then you'll be happy with this.
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Post by Robert Belford on Nov 28, 2010 12:37:44 GMT
I'm with Laurence - I don't mind the mix of film and video at all. It's about suspending your disbelief - as you have to when you go to the theatre.
Anyone who is unable to do that and enjoy the programme must also struggle with an awful lot of old feature films and even old TV series that are entirely on film (eg. Star Trek) because it's obvious that many of the 'outdoor' scenes were actually filmed in a studio.
I think the modern obsession with total 'reality' versus 'theatricality' is quite unhealthy.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2010 13:38:53 GMT
Interesting point, Robert. I do think modern audiences are able to suspend their disbelief much less than previously. The audience contributing something - their imaginations - was a part of the whole deal. TV is impoverished as a result, with everything being presented cinematically and literally, leaving nothing to ponder at all. It makes for less atmospheric viewing.
I remember Trevor Preston remarking that he liked for things not to always be spelt out or explained away. It isn't weak writing to do this and merely leaves something to the imagination.
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Post by Alex Trelinski on Nov 28, 2010 16:17:43 GMT
Alex....Many thanks for the reply, i looked at the HMV site and there is 2 DVDS there (series 1/2)....by what you say on the location shoot, is it worth buying?, and what is the quality like? The technical quality is excellent and I totally agree with the other posters that it is the story and acting that count, which is top notch. It's just interesting to remember how a lot of British TV drama in the past was done with studio interiors and film inserts. |
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Post by Robert Belford on Dec 1, 2010 3:25:42 GMT
You just need to watch the beginning of the first episode of Sapphire and Steel to see how fantastic studio drama could be. I'm hoping to get the Thriller boxed set soon  |
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Post by jameshope on Dec 2, 2010 18:07:05 GMT
Robert do get the Thriller box-set it's superb and it is the best (if not the best) box set i've ever bought
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Post by Robert Belford on Dec 5, 2010 7:51:02 GMT
I can't wait. I have two episodes on VHS. Happy memories of watching it. Plus I'm just in awe of the skill behind studio productions from that era.
I hope this won't be too off-topic, but as we were discussing film in TV shows... Something I have noticed lately is how much picture movement there is at the edit points in the BBC's 1980's Miss Marple. Often the frame after the cut tilts to the left and drops slightly and it takes four frames to settle down. It must have been caused by the cement splice going through the film gate when the print was made? Occasionally there is a slight change in density on the frames on either side too.
This is on VHS recordings made on the first broadcast. I have watched these episodes many times over the years and never noticed this before. I guess we are just all so used to a rock steady image these days?
If the BBC was to remaster this (maybe it has done already?) would it telecine the rolls of cut negative (A & B roll?) and would that fix this problem? Or would it work with a film print which might have the same issue?
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