Bowler – The Complete Series (1973/Region Two/2/PAL/Network U.K. DVD Import
Set)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: D
Episodes: C+
PLEASE NOTE: This DVD set can only be operated
on machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Two/2 PAL
format software and can be ordered from our friends at Network U.K. at the
website address provided at the end of the review.
George
Baker is a fine actor whose work ranges from literary and stage classics, to
playing one of the Number Twos in The Prisoner,
to two memorable James Bond film appearances to an amazing array of other
character actor appearances. When I had
the chance to see him hold his own as the lead in a British Sitcom, I had to
check it out. In Bowler, he plays con artist and ex-con Stanley Bowler, a man whose
fine tastes in everything is only matched by his willingness to try out crazy
new schemes.
The show
only lasted a single season, but the 13 half-hour episodes compiled here for The Complete Series are not bad, even
though they can be uneven and some episodes play better than others, Baker
could definitely take the character to the edge of nuttiness and that is why
the show is worth revisiting 37 years after it was first broadcast. It shows us another side of this very talented
man and you get some truly funny lines and laughs in each episode just the
same.
Fred
Beauman, Renny Lister and Gretchen Franklin are among the supporting cast who
bring out more laughs, though all the shows have good casting, which is a plus
and it is an edgier BritCom than many that have made it to the U.S.
market. I noticed they tried a different
credit sequence once, but the majority of the shows show Bowler leaving prison
and being picked up by his chauffer.
Yes, it
is that kind of show.
The 1.33
X 1 image was shot on color analog PAL videotape (with very limited 16mm) and
can be soft and limited in depth. Flaws
include staircasing, aliasing, some video noise, video banding, some tape
scratching, tape damage and even PAL cross color, but the color can be good. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is about a
generation down throughout and can be distorted, but it sounds better than
these look, which is a plus. There are
no extras.
As noted
above, you can order this PAL DVD import set exclusively from Network U.K.
at:
http://www.networkdvd.net/
or
www.networkdvd.co.uk
- Nicholas Sheffo
