Midsomer Murders – The Early Cases + Set Ten
(Acorn Media DVD)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C/C- Telefilms: B- Cases Bonus Disc: C+
As Midsomer Murders continues its winning
ways as an enduring hit series, Acorn Media is reissuing the telefilms in their
proper order in a big DVD box set that combines the fifth, first, second and
third sets for collector’s continuity.
It also takes up less space than the original releases and even has a
behind-the-scenes bonus disc of a program really intended to promote the
success of the series itself. We
reviewed the previous boxes included in the nice, book-like Digi-Pak case as
follows:
Set Five
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1879/Midsomer+Murders+-+Set+Five
Sets One – Four
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1926/Midsomer+Murders+-+Sets+1+-+4
They have
also issued Set Ten, including the
following telefilm mysteries:
Second Sight
Hidden Depths
Sauce For The Goose
Midsomer Rhapsody
I felt
the series was getting tired, but I have to admit a bit of bounce back on these
shows. Who knows where the new energy
came from, but maybe the makers decided they needed to do something more darkly
humorous or throw in the towel. It
should make fans especially happy.
In Early Cases, we get the older 1.66
aspect ratio before HD widescreen 1.78 X 1 was settled on as seen on Set Ten, not looking much better (even
anamorphically enhanced) and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with no real
surrounds. The same text cast
filmographies and Caroline Graham biography are here again with no new extras
otherwise.
If you’ve
never seen the show, start with Early
Cases or Set Five.
- Nicholas Sheffo