Grafters – The Complete First and Second Seasons (Koch DVD Sets)

 

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

 

 

Also treated as a TV series, Grafters ran as a sort of two part mini-series 1998 – 1999 and is an early star role for Robson Green, who has gone on to several hit TV shows include Wire In The Blood (reviewed elsewhere on this site) as one of two brothers who want to be successful Master Builders, find a project they hope will get them off of the ground.  Unfortunately, it becomes a money pit that also starts to ruin their lives and those around them.

 

The nine hour-long shows never become soap opera because they never have the time to do so, which really works to it benefit.  The cast of mostly unknowns are impressive and convincing, while it is just nice to see a British mini-series that is not set a century or two ago and works.  It is funny, smart, has real character development and is one of the best such mini-series I have scene on either side of the Atlantic in a while.  Start with the first set and we bet you will not be able to finish it without going out and getting second.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image is soft at times, has some motion blur at others, but the shows look good throughout both sets and play pretty nicely despite minor flaws.  The beginning of each episode has a Dolby Surround logo which urges the viewer they can play the show in original Dolby Pro Logic, but none of them decode that well and shows that both sources are just second generation.  There are no extras.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo