Now then, I mentioned that this is a true Ultimate Edition release with substantial extras carried over from both the Network UK BD sets and also the more recent Shout! Factory BD set. So let’s break down the contents of Imprint’s new box set disc by disc (note that some of the special features listed in HD have been upsampled from SD)… Notable guest stars over the series’ run included Christopher Lee, Joan Collins, Peter Cushing, Ian McShane ( Deadwood, American Gods), Sarah Douglas ( Superman II), David Prowse ( Star Wars), Brian Blessed ( Flash Gordon), Angus MacInnes ( Star Wars, Rogue One), and many others.

The Social Network was shot digitally on Red One MX cameras, with a resolution of 4.5K, and finished as a 2K DI from which it appears this UHD is sourced. Feature Commentary by Director Sidney Lumet is perhaps a bit too quiet and sporadic for some, but it's thoughtful and provocative, just like the director. Space: 1999 was originally released on DVD in 2001 by Carlton Media in the UK and A&E in the US. In 2004, Carlton was absorbed in a corporate takeover that resulted in the creation of a new company, ITV Network, who then reissued Season One on DVD in the UK in 2005. The company eventually restored and remastered the series with new HD scans of the original camera negatives and extensive digital clean-up. Network released Season One on Blu-ray in the UK in 2010 and licensed the US rights to A&E/New Video, who released Season One on BD here in the States that same year ( see our review of that set here on The Bits). Unfortunately, it look longer for Network to restore Season Two, a process that began in 2007. It was also more costly because the audio for Season Two needed additional remastering (this work had already been done for Season One). Network wanted to share those costs with New Video, but the US distributor balked. So Network released Season Two on Blu-ray in the UK in 2015 ( see our review here), but no US release was forthcoming until Shout! Factory finally licensed the US rights in 2019, at which point they released Space: 1999 – The Complete Series as a Blu-ray box set ( you can read our review of that set here as well). Few films resonate with audiences for several generations after their release quite like Sidney Lumet's 'Network.' The film perfectly captures a human attribute born out of modernity which seems universally relevant no matter the age of moviegoers. And today, possibly more than ever, Paddy Chayefsky's eloquent, sharply-written and provocative script still speaks to us with such eye-opening accuracy and insight. 'Network' displays an alien reality with ferocity and urgency, imitating the speed at which the world of TV production moves. People speak at full tilt in a foreign language while major decisions are made within moments, and money is always at the heart of every matter. The only difference between a board meeting and a terrorist organization talking distribution rights is the scenery. Network' comes to Blu-ray with a terrific 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode (1.85:1) that retains Owen Roizman's intentional look and feel. The photography commences rough and bleak, but as the story progresses, it seems to mature and appear more elegant. The high-def transfer displays this subtle development beautifully. The film opens with an average picture that would be acceptable for its age and period. Slowly, the fine details of hairs, clothes, and the random items which clutter network offices are sharply defined and distinct. Facial complexions are naturally textured and reveal every wrinkle in the actors' faces. A thin veil of grain washes over the image for an appreciable cinematic quality, and dimensionality improves along with the story.Interview (SD, 14 min) — This vintage segment from the TV show 'Dinah!' shows an interview with Paddy Chayefsky by Dinah Shore. It's an interesting discussion about writing the script, his inspirations and intentions. To speak Chayefsky's Oscar-winning dialogue, Lumet enlisted a powerhouse cast list, including Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch (as 'the mad prophet of the airwaves' Howard Beale), Robert Duvall, Ned Beatty and Beatrice Straight. Five of them would be nominated for Academy Awards, three would win. For more about Network and the Network Blu-ray release, see Network Blu-ray Review published by Jeffrey Kauffman on February 15, 2011 where this Blu-ray release scored 4.0 out of 5. The extras also include a photo gallery of the show’s production and commentaries on some of the episodes by writer and broadcaster Tim Worthington. Though not connected with the show (and by his own admission, not born at the time of its release), Worthington’s enthusiasm and knowledge of the show is palpable and infectious. He discusses such aspects as the design of the title sequence; the ‘care and attention’ paid to the visual composition; why the show is ‘important’; and compares his commentary to others and his wish to be different and informative. For the most part, he succeeds, much as The Owl Service itself mostly succeeds as an evocative, atmospheric and intriguing drama, one that offers plenty to enjoy for modern audiences just as it did for those over fifty years ago. Indeed I bought the DVD of Fireball and never got to the end of it and it's a lot better than Supercar. I have a couple of episodes of Supercar on a compilation disc so I have seen it recently. Those few episodes will do me. On a similar note I think the Roberta Leigh series Space Patrol was better than Fireball and I didn't get to the end of my Blu Ray of that either. Though I got a lot through more of them than I did with Fireball.

The disc presents an up-scaled 3840 x 2160p resolution image with widescreen 2.39:1 aspect ratio, and uses 10-bit video depth, High Dynamic Range, a Wide Colour Gamut (WCG) and is encoded using the HEVC (H.265) codec for Dolby Vision and HRD10. Wow I admire your enthusiasm but not your common sense. I'd half consider buying at a reasonable price. It's got that Des O'Connor sketch on it. That alone is worth a quid or two but there's no way I'd pay that much for it. I watched it when it came out (the box set) and enjoyed it fairly good story's to say was for kids. Comprises of 20 short/animated films from the Columbia Pictures library, presented in high definition:The Owl Service maintains a sense of tragic inevitability and largely maintained ambiguity throughout its eight episodes. It somewhat botches these aspects with an abrupt and overly convenient finale, but there is enough unsettling atmosphere, interpersonal and social tensions and echoes of folklore to let this time capsule resonate for a time in the memory. Behind the Story (SD, 85 min) — This six-part anniversary retrospect is easily the centerpiece of the entire collection, covering all the major aspects of the film. The documentary commences with interviews of producer Howard Gottfried and director Sidney Lumet about Paddy Chayefsky's script, influences and origins, and how Lumet became involved ("The World and Words of Paddy Chayefsky"). This is followed by a look at casting and the characters, where Faye Dunaway, Ned Beatty, Kathy Cronkite and Lance Henriksen do most of the talking ("The Cast, The Characters"). Tune In Next Tuesday - presented here is a visual essay by Dave Itzkoff, author of Mad as Hell: The Making of Network and the Fateful Vision of the Angriest Man in Movies. In English, not subtitled. (48 min). Ruby Quartz Shades. Well, what would you prefer! Yellow spandex? Oh and Logan Stay Away From My Girl.

As with all biopic films, The Social Network must be taken with a pinch of salt. It is based on the book, The Accidental Billionaires, by Ben Mezrich, which itself can be taken with the same. And with director David Fincher giving his own interpretation of the screenplay such as the emphasis on the situations that take place, the major events that affected the outcome, or indeed bypassing whole occurrences in favour of drama, the result is a story that, whilst having a basis in fact, has more in tune with fantasy than truth. There are a few sequences where the political statements feel a bit dated now, but the dialog is sharp and very witty. The technical jargon also does not alienate, it gives one a real sense of the language and rhythm of work TV professionals are used to.In any case, despite the fact that there are still a few special features missing, it should be clear now that Via Vision Entertainment/Imprint Television’s new Space: 1999 – The Complete Series Ultimate Edition box set truly is the most comprehensive Blu-ray release of this series to date. Yes, it’s more expensive than the previous Blu-ray editions. But if you’re looking for a single REGION FREE Blu-ray set that contains the largest number (and overwhelming majority) of special features, along with beautifully-remastered HD video, and the correct 5.1 and mono audio mixes too, this is box set is absolutely unmatched. Isn’t that Networks MO? put out those older fondly remembered titles where the target audience is smaller but willing to pay that big extra for something that has received some TLC. Horace Quilby treads a perpetual odyssey through the London streets on behalf of Finklebaum and O'Casey – dealers in 'misfit clothing'. Resplendent in top hat, tails and sandwich board his is a unique angle from which to observe life. Today, however, he is preoccupied – Esmerelda, his racing pigeon, is taking part in the race of her life! As well as its four Oscars, Network was also garlanded with a quartet of Golden Globes, a BAFTA and numerous other awards. In the years since its release, its reputation has only grown: the Library of Congress granted it a place on their prestigious National Film Registry; the American Film Institute named it as one of the greatest American films of all time; and the Writers Guild of America declared its screenplay one of the ten best of all time. It remains a true classic. There are many big-time actors in the film, but it never looks or feels like they are competing with each other. Their characters become real people with unique identities and legit dilemmas. Obviously, the script from Paddy Chayefsky is outstanding, but the terrific chemistry between the actors is crucial for the film's brilliance.

Audio: Denon X8500HA, B&W 703 S2s & HTM 71 S2 centre, MA Silver 200s, Silver FX, MA C265 IDC, B&W DB4S & DB3D. Booklet featuring an article by Barry Forshaw and a short story by Trevor Preston which tells how Frank Ross was arrested eight years prior to the series. Keep meaning to get hold of Space Patrol, I got though Fireball by going to bed extra early and getting an episode done a night on a 19 inch portable just the right way to watch them. Bernard Hedges manages to convince the other staff at Fenn Street Secondary Modern that it's a good idea to take rowdy class 5C on a two-night stay at a country summer camp. It doesn't take long, however, before 5C start wreaking havoc – with both the camp and the snobbish pupils of an upper-class boys' school who are also staying there! As a piece, The Owl Service maintains a sense of tragic inevitability and largely maintained ambiguity throughout its eight episodes. It somewhat botches these aspects with an abrupt and overly convenient finale, but there is enough unsettling atmosphere, interpersonal and social tensions and echoes of folklore to let this time capsule resonate for a time in the memory.

Ah yes I think I remember you posting on that and possibly a Japanese release. I had a Britbox trial but wasn't impressed. The picture quality wasn't great and not the best choice of programming. The opening shot of the Fireball launch works brilliantly well on a large screen even from DVD. The close up of the nosecone is superb. That scene alone is worth a blu release. Stingray was probably the better show for me with Captain Scarlet being better again. I didn't buy the Captain Scarlet blu or any version of Thunderbirds. Was there ever an affordable Thunderbirds blu in the correct 4/3?