No, Honestly – The Complete Series (1974/Network U.K./Region 2/PAL DVD Set)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: D Episodes: C
PLEASE
NOTE: This
DVD set 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 or at
finer retailers.
In the
early 1960s, both Pauline Collins and John Alderton became acting stars and
Collins particularly established her comic talents when not playing female
leads or guest spots. By 1969, they got
married and are still together over 40 years later. To see their chemistry early on, you can see
them in their mixed comic skit series No,
Honestly, which ran a mere 13 half-hours before cancellation back in 1974,
released on DVD from Network.
Backed by
married writers Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham (who had worked on the
successful Upstairs, Downstairs), the
couple revisits early moments in their (then-new) marriage and the results are
uneven and sometimes very odd. I never
bought it all and though they have chemistry, there is something missing here
that explains why the show did not catch on.
Are they saying things only they understand or recreating moments that
are not translating well enough? They do
it in a serio-comic way and it just does not always mesh. Still, it is interesting at times and we have
seen worse, but it spawned a sequel series with a little more success (I do not
remember seeing) and is a mixed success at best.
The 1.33
X 1 image was shot on color PAL videotape and though the color is not bad,
detail is an issue and we also get color bleeding. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono also shows its age
and the hit theme song by Lynsey De Paul (a 1950s style Rock/Pop song) is not
included in a clean, clear stereo version.
There are no extras, but at least that would have been nice.
As noted
above, you can order this PAL DVD import exclusively from Network U.K.
at:
http://www.networkdvd.net/
or
www.networkdvd.co.uk
-
Nicholas Sheffo
