Having moved from the UK to Asia approximately 10 years ago, I have found myself collecting quality British TV series on DVD, most of which I had grown up with during my school and college days. These are great to while away an hour or so on a Sunday evening when pangs of homesickness occur. Series like Fawlty Towers, Only Fools and Horses, Men Behaving Badly, Auf Weidersehen Pet and of course ... Lovejoy!
These series bring a smile to the face, a fair number of laughs and that warm fuzzy feeling like putting on a pair of comfortable shoes.
I had almost given up hope that Lovejoy would be released on DVD and while back in the UK on a business trip last week, was overjoyed to find that the first three series were already on the shelves (and had been since Spring 2004). I bought all three!
On first impressions, I wasn't all that enamoured with the image quality, as it comes across as quite grainy. This is a shame and can be a little distracting at times (especially during night scenes). By comparison, I had a totally different experience when I purchased the first series of Cheers on DVD with an amazing remastering job done on the image that just takes your breath away. The sound is also a bit touch-and-go and it can be difficult to hear some of the lines being delivered, particularly if the character is facing away from the camera.
The three-part interview with Ian McShane comes across as a little amateurish, although the effort was appreciated.
The real winner though is the show itself. As the series is set in the English countryside, it is fairly devoid of fashion, technology and modern cars. The result is that there's very little to date it. Only the occasional blast of background music gives the game away. At the end of the first episode, I had a smile on my face and a satisfaction that Lovejoy is back in my life.
