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Category:    Home > Reviews > Comedy > Skit > Sketch > Children > British > TV > At Last The 1948 Show/Do Not Adjust Your Set (1967/Tango DVD)

At Last The 1948 Show/Do Not Adjust Your Set (1967/Tango DVD)

 

Picture: C-     Sound: C+     Extras: C     Episodes: B-

 

 

A precursor to Monty Python with many of its cast members and both produced in 1967, At Last The 1948 Show and Do Not Adjust Your Set were skits shows made for British TV and are more entertaining than expected, even if they are not exactly Python or Benny Hill humor.  Eric Idle is the link between the two, guesting in 1948, than starring in Adjust.  The former was meant for adults, but oddly, the latter was originally intended as children’s television.

 

Running 13 half-hours, five of six discovered shows are here from The 1948 Show which also featured Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Marty Feldman a few years before his work with Mel Brooks and the sexy-funny Aimi Macdonald, playing the self-centered host.   She went on to more than a few memorable cameos in other film and TV projects of note.

 

Do Not Adjust Your Set ran 29 shows, including 28 half-hours, none of which are collected here.  Terry Gilliam did some of his impressive early animated work and Idle was joined by Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Denise Coffee, Aimi Macdonald, Neil Innes and David Jason, now playing detectives.  Before Sesame Street or The Electric Company, the smart, satirical aspects were so good, adult audiences not already being forced to watch with their children were tuning in.

 

In both cases, you will be very entertained and will find seeking out both discs worth your time if this is your kind of humor.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image is soft from older analog PAL tapes with detail issues, motion blur and other flaws that are sadly typical of such tapings at the time, which seem to be from 16mm prints in these cases.  We have seen monochrome live Avengers episodes from 1963 look better, so we know this has to be second-generation material, but it is nice to see it.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is passable, more like a TV recording of the time.  Extras include the same trailers and two interviews (with Terry Jones and Tim Brooke-Taylor) on both DVD sets.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


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