Jokers Wild – The Complete First Series
(1969/Game Show/U.K.
Version/British TV/PAL/Region 2/Two/Network U.K./DVD Set)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: D Episodes: B-
PLEASE NOTE: This DVD
is only available in the U.K.
from our friends at Network U.K.
and can be ordered from them at the website address links provided below at the
end of the review or
at finer retailers. This is in the
Region Two/2/PAL format and can only be operated on machines capable of playing
back Region 2/PAL discs.
In the United States, The Joker’s Wild is a game show by Jack Barry & Dan Enright set
up like a Las Vegas slot machine where two contestants each pull a leaver and
money comes up with subjects and Joker cards until tone answers enough
questions to win a round to move on to a bonus game. In the U.K., Jokers Wild is a totally different game, with two teams of three
comedians taking on each other for points.
A subject comes up and one person on one team has to come up with a joke
to go with it. The other team can finish
and this is how they build points. So
how does this work?
Very
well. I was surprised that this was so
different a game, but also very pleasantly surprised that this was so funny and
witty throughout. The show began its
First Season in black & white and turned to color in the middle of
production. Either way, it is a great
show, is also very smart and has a great atmosphere and energy you would get
from the likes of Match Game (also
known in some places as Blankety Blanks),
Liar’s Club and Password. Hosted very well
and effectively by Barry Cryer, the show featured some of the best comics of
the time, including the highly successful Les Dawson, whose work we have
reviewed from Network U.K.
before on DVD.
Other
funnymen include Lennie Bennett, Jimmy Edwards, Alfred Marks, Norman Collier
and Roy Hudd, all of whom a new generation who loves comedy should get
reacquainted with, especially those who might be amused by a little political
incorrectness ala Benny Hill and you don’t have to only get British humor to
enjoy the show. I even like the theme
song, set and amusing credits.
The 1.33
X 1 image in both black & white and color look fairly good for their age,
but could use a little work, as the copies here display flaws like staircasing,
aliasing, some video noise, video banding, some tape scratching, tape damage
and PAL cross color, even in the black and white shows. The color shows look a little better and the Dolby
Digital 2.0 Mono can also show its age, but sounds better more often than you might
think. There are no extras.
As noted
above, you can order this DVD import set exclusively from Network U.K. at:
http://www.networkdvd.net/
or
www.networkdvd.co.uk
- Nicholas Sheffo
