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Category:    Home > Reviews > Drama > Comedy > Children > British TV > Just William – Volume One (1977 – 1978/Network U.K./Region Two/2/PAL DVDs)

Just William – Volume One (1977 – 1978/Network U.K./Region Two/2/PAL DVDs)

 

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

 

 

PLEASE NOTE: This DVD can only be operated on machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Two/2/PAL format software and can be ordered from our friends at Network U.K. at the website address provided at the end of the review.

 

 

Running only two seasons over two years, the children’s drama/comedy Just Williams from 1977 to 1978 is here in a new Network DVD set that mixes episodes out of broadcast order.  Purists will not be happy, but the show was revived later and many have not seen the older version.  Combining The Little Rascals/Our Gang and Dennis The Menace, the series is set in the period of the 1920s to the 1930s and in an interesting move, has no laugh track.  It is a child-friendly show and holds up very well.

 

This set offers 13 entertaining half-hours with Adrian Dannatt in the title role, Diana Fairfax as his mother, Simon Chandler as his brother Robert and a cast of usually recurring characters.  Guest stars on this set of shows include Diana Dors & John Stratton in semi-recurring roles, Freddie Jones, Ronald Lacey, Simon MacCorkindale, Paul Hardwick, Julian Fellowes, Richard Pearson, David Langton, Richard Pearson and John Rhys-Davies.  A smart show that does not talk down to its audience, it is not the most complex show, but it is still quality TV that is entertaining and deserves to be rediscovered.

 

The 1.33 X 1 color PAL image is a bit on the soft side throughout, though this looks like a little better for its age and is a good transfer of what is early color PAL material.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is better, though has the usual harmonic distortion and sonic limits TV audio at the time (especially for videotaped shows) that TV on both sides of the Atlantic suffered.  The only extra is a silent series of stills.

 

 

As noted above, you can order this PAL DVD import exclusively from Network U.K. at:

 

www.networkdvd.co.uk

 

or

 

http://www.networkdvd.net/

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


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