TV on DVD Buzz

I recommend you check out the British titles on sale right now at Amazon.com. If you haven’t seen some of these shows, you are really missing out. Some of my favorite shows come from across the pond! I told you last week how I love The Vicar of Dibley. Also on my list of favorites:

Sci-fi meets Sitcom in Red Dwarf, the story of the last human being alive and his not-quite human friends who are stranded on a mining ship millions of light years away.

The brilliant John Cleese in the equally brilliant Fawlty Towers is another don’t miss. Fawlty Towers is the story of Basil Fawlty and his wife Sybil and their hotel filled with unbelievably quirky characters. This show is double you over funny!

Coupling (which stars Jack Davenport from Pirates of the Caribbean), a four season show which is the ultimate in naughty hilarity. It is billed as a show about “nothing but sex” and that description fits it to a T.

Chef! starring Lenny Henry is another brilliant show. Lenny stars as Gareth Blackstock, the brilliant yet ill-tempered chef at Le Chateau Anglais. Though it may not sound like much, this show is outstanding and amazingly funny. Lenny Henry is unmatched (except maybe by his real-life wife, Dawn French)!

These are just a few of my favorites. Others you might enjoy are The Office (on which the American show is based), The Black Adder, the long-running Are You Being Served and As Time Goes By - just to name a few. Go ahead! Don’t be scared to try something new!

Finally! The complete collection of The Vicar of Dibley is available in one place. Released this week, The Vicar of Dibley, the Immaculate Collection has it all! Previously, you had to buy the specials and the finale episodes seperately from the regular series DVDs. This is one of my favorite British comedies and I never fail to laugh out loud, no matter how many times I have seen the episodes. I’ll defintely be adding this one to my collection.

Dawn French is hilarious as Geraldine Granger, the woman vicar who surprises the small village of Dibley. The quirky townspeople - Jim, Owen, Frank and Hugo - are unbelievably funny and a great contrast to the straight-laced David Horton, with whom they sit on the parish council. Also hilarious is the unbelievably disty parish verger, Alice Tinker.  The series began in 1994 and wrapped up in 2000. They also filmed several specials including the 2 part finale, “A Holy Wholly Happy Ending,” which aired on Christmas Day 2006 and New Years Day 2007 and wrapped up the series.

The Vicar of Dibley: Immaculate Collection DVD includes all 18 episodes, the three 10th anniversary specials and the 2 part series finale special. Special features include:

• Comic Relief Sketches from 1997, 1999, 2005 and 2007

• Documentary: The Real Vicars of Dibley

• Dibley Defrocked - Behind the scenes at the 10th Anniversary Specials

• The Vicar of Dibley Story - Cast and crew look back on 12 years of Dibley

Enjoy this clip of “It Shoulda Been Me” from the finale!

TV on DVD, Vicar of Dibley, Immaculate Collection, DVD, Dawn French

Thunderbirds was a British mid-1960s television show which featured a form of puppetry called “Supermarionation.” It was the work of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and followed the adventures of International Rescue. Jeff Tracy, and his five sons who piloted the “Thunderbird” machines were the main focus of the show. It has become a cult classic.

The 40th Anniversary Megaset of Thunderbirds was released this week and includes all 32 episodes on 12 DVDs. It also includes a special new bonus disc containing two rare pop-up episodes, an exciting quiz, and a never-before-seen interview with the series creator Anderson.

Here’s a video featuring all 32 teasers:

If you’re like me, you hadn’t even heard of many of the miniseries’ or TV movies that were nominated for Emmy’s this year. I did some checking and found that many of them are available on DVD.

Broken Trail stars Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church as cowboys who agree to deliver a herd of 500 horses from Oregon to Wyoming. Along the way, they rescue 5 abused Chinese women–most of them still just girls–who’re being transported to a brothel to have their virginity auctioned off. It won 4 Emmys including Best Actor (Robert Duvall), Best Supporting Actor (Thomas Haden Church) and Outstanding Miniseries.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee was nominated for 17 Emmys and took home 6, including Outstanding Made-for-TV Movie.  It stars Aidan Quinn, Adam Beach, August Schellenberg and Gordon Tootoosis in a story about the impact that the United States’ westward expansion had on American Indian culture, and the economic, political and social pressures that motivated it.

Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act stars Oscar winner Helen Mirren in her final appearance as Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison.  As Tennison’s retirement approaches, she works on a case involving the murder of a young girl. She is facing personal challenges as well, and it is all taking an emotional toll on the detective. Mirren won an Emmy for her role and the miniseries took home a total of 3 awards.

The Starter Wife was one of the more talked-about miniseries. It starred Debra Messing as the wife of a Hollywood big-wig who suddenly finds herself going through a divorce and being snubbed by the Hollywood community. The show received 10 nominations and Judy Davis picked up the Emmy for Supporting Actress. 

Above, Robert Duvall accepts an Emmy for Broken Trail at the Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 16.

TV on DVD, Miniseries, TV Movies, Broken Trail, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act, The Starter Wife, Robert Duvall, Thomas Haden Church, Aidan Quinn, Adam Beach, August Schellenberg and Gordon Tootoosis, Helen Mirren, Debra Messing, Judy Davis, Emmy Awards