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