Robin Of Sherwood: Set Two (Jason Connery/1983/Network U.K. Region Free
Blu-ray Set)/Tinker, Tailor, Solider Spy
(1979/Acorn Media Blu-ray Set)/Treme:
The Complete Second Season (2011/HBO Blu-ray Set)
Picture:
B/B-/B Sound: C+/C+/B Extras: B/C/B- Episodes: B/B-/B-
PLEASE NOTE: The Robin Of Sherwood Blu-ray edition
version here is only available in the U.K. from our friends at Network U.K. and
can be ordered from them exclusively at the website address links provided below
at the end of the review. This is a Region Free Blu-ray and will play
on all Blu-ray players, but we have included a link to the U.S. Acorn Media
version of the ser in the text, followed by that other link at the end.
Now time
for more TV on Blu-ray, including a U.K.
release of a set that later arrived on U.S. Blu-ray, the debut of a
classic mini-series in the format and the latest season of yet another HBO hit.
The
underrated and well released Robin Of
Sherwood: Set Two had Jason Connery taking over the show’s lead as a second
historically accurate Robin in action in 1983 and Network U.K. was
actually the first to issue it on Blu-ray anywhere in the world. This is a Region Free Blu-ray set, but so is
the U.S.
Blu-ray set we recently reviewed at this site:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/11510/Robin+Of+Sherwood:+Set+2+(1983/
Our Robin
expert also covered the show in his coverage of the Acorn U.S. DVD version
here:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/7128/Robin+Of+Sherwood+-+Set+Two
Extras
and episodes are the same in all cases and the show looks and sounds as good as
it ever is going to, it may not have led to an action acting career for
Connery, but he does give it his best and I even covered it briefly in a Complete Collection DVD set elsewhere
on this site, but I am out of things to say except you should catch it if you
like his adventures, even if it was not going to go any further than the shows
they made.
With the
new critically acclaimed Gary Oldman remake everywhere, Acorn Media has issued
the original 1979 Alec Guinness Tinker,
Tailor, Solider Spy on DVD twice, with my coverage of the show in its
initial set at this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1540/Tinker,+Tailor,+Soldier,+Spy+(British
An extra
was added for the reissue a few months ago, which you can see about at this
link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/11261/Brideshead+Revisited:+30th+Annivers
Though I
think this has its limits as a long series, I enjoyed this show the most on
Blu-ray and it is the way anyone who has never seen it or has not seen it in a
very long time should catch it.
Finally
we have Treme: The Complete Second
Season (2011) which is still a good show, but I was initially even more
enthusiastic about it in its debut season, which you can read more about at
this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10875/The+Equalizer+%E2%80%93+Season
The
problem with this season is that it loses a few actors from the first show,
loses its way on some storylines, loses a little of its energy, becomes more
predictable than I would have liked and despite go intents, has far too many
music moments to the point that it hampers the arc of all the narratives. Still a quality show, it sometimes seems
forced this time around (yes, I get it… New
Orleans has fine, important music) and this even
becomes soap opera overdramatic and melodramatic in a way that starts to negate
the dire situation the manmade floods wrought to begin with. Start with the first set either way if you
intend to watch the series.
Extras
include several episode audio commentary tracks, additional music commentary
tracks (unusual for a non-musical work) and five behind the scenes featurettes
including two Blu-ray exclusives on music (!!!) and three on food, art and
Clarke Peters & The Mardi Gras Indians.
The 1080p
1.33 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer on Robin was shot on 16mm film, but is stylized and looks as good here
as it does on the U.S. Blu-ray set, also meaning it is the best it will likely
ever look on home video and is better than the fine DVD editions recently
issued. The same type of playback on Spy is also better than the DVD
versions we cove red, but not by as much with some color range limited and
maybe a little more redness than it should have. Otherwise, they are both superior to the
previous low-def versions. The 1080p
1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer on Treme is as fine and solid as the previous season Blu-ray, but some
stylizing holds it back a bit and other shots are nice. All three sets have their demo shots too.
The lossy
Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono on Robin and Spy are equal to their previous
editions, though I wish both offered PCM upgrades at least, but they do
not. The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1
lossless mix on Treme has a
consistent soundfield throughout each show, even when they are not playing
music, for which there is more than enough of, including its theme song that is
wearing thin quickly. Otherwise, it is
top rate as is usually the case with new HBO productions.
As noted
above, you can order the Robin Of
Sherwood Blu-ray import set exclusively from Network U.K. at:
http://www.networkdvd.net/
or
www.networkdvd.co.uk
- Nicholas Sheffo
