"Actor: Peter MacLean"

• Starsky And Hutch - The Complete First Season | DVD | (15/03/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £34.99

  In the rough-and-tumble, wildly entertaining world of Starsky & Hutch, impatient cops--anxious to join a foot race in pursuit of a villain--throw themselves out of moving vehicles and roll to a bruising stop. Undercover detectives Dave Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson (David Soul), hardly imbued with the powers of Spider-Man, routinely scale walls, hop from rooftop to rooftop, and fling themselves down steep hillsides to stop bad guys from doing what bad guys do. Years later Hill Street Blues would redefine the cop genre as a mesh of overlapping storylines and workaday frustrations, but Aaron Spelling's iconic 70s show portrays LA's finest as madly heroic creatures of reckless determination and physicality. This first season is also startlingly brutal for a primetime US show—it was later significantly toned down, much to the regret of fans—while maintaining a delightful, often incongruous, self-deprecating humour. From the series pilot on, partners and best pals Starsky and Hutch work a fine line between predator and prey, relentlessly pursuing suspects while also snared by crime chieftains or short-sighted superiors. In "The Fix", Hutch's secret romance with the former girlfriend of a mafia boss (Robert Loggia) results in the lawman's kidnapping and forced addiction to heroin. Similarly, in "A Coffin for Starsky", a mad chemist injects the wisecracking cop with a slow-acting but lethal poison. "Jo-Jo", written by Michael Mann, finds our guys at loggerheads with federal officers over a dumb deal the G-Men make with a serial rapist. The 23 episodes in this set are all fun, if sometimes shocking, viewing. Expect each character to take as much abuse as he dishes out. Still, the comic sight of Starsky and Hutch (in "Death Notice") trying to conduct business amid busy strippers is well worth the surrounding violence. --Tom Keogh

• Bear In The Big Blue House - Happy And Healthy | DVD | (17/09/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Bear in the Big Blue House, Happy and Healthy is a cheerful and lively 48-minute video packed with songs, stories and information for two to seven year olds. Produced by The Jim Henson Company, this two-episode video features Disney Channel's favourite seven foot Bear and his colourful muppet friends. The first episode "The Big Blue House Call" attempts to tackle children's fear of the doctor. When Doc Hogg pays a visit, Bear explains to his friends the importance of check-ups and with a song he coaxes Ojo the frightened bear cub from under the bedclothes for his vaccination. The second show "Picture of Health" emphasises that rest is as important to good health as a balanced diet and exercise. Bear successfully advises exhausted mouse Tutter that he will feel stronger and refreshed if he takes a short sleep. Youngsters will quickly warm to Bear who is friendly, confident, curious and cuddly. He encourages a participatory mood with his young audience by moving very close to the camera and talking directly to them. He even claims he can smell his healthy young viewers! Songs play an important part in setting the pace. Each episode starts with the cast belting out "Welcome to the Blue House" and finishes with the striking image of Bear on the balcony and the moon character Luna singing a harmonious duet. There are three additional original songs per episode, many with funny and memorable lyrics. Visually stimulating and mentally engaging, youngsters will find this educational video lots of fun.--Tracy Hogan

• Bear In The Big Blue House - Tidy Time With Bear | DVD | (02/09/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Working Like A Bear Whether it's chores or an occupation Bear teaches his friends Tutter Treelo Pip & Pop and Ojo about all the different definitions of work by cleaning the house. Woodland House Wonderland When Bear receives a phone call from the editor of Woodland House Wonderful magazine he realises he must clear up the Big Blue House before her visit. When everything is spick and span the magazine editor arrives to say that she wants to photograph them in their natural environment: messy!

• Bear In The Big Blue House - Potty Time With Bear | DVD | (04/02/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Children can learn all about toilet training and other important issues with Channel 5's favourite seven-foot bear and his colourful muppet friends in Bear in the Big Blue House--Potty Time with Bear. Produced by the Jim Henson Company, this crystal-clear DVD contains three fun-packed 24-minute episodes aimed at two to five year olds. The first episode "When You've Got To Go" was originally broadcast on the Disney Channel in 1999 to rave reviews. It deals sensitively with the subject of toilet training, with Bear gently guiding his friends through all the fears raised by using the potty or toilet. Many topics are covered including good hygiene, respect for privacy, recognising the call of nature, accidents and the importance of seeing toilet use as a natural part of growing up. The growing-up process is reinforced in the second episode with Bear encouraging Ojo the bear cub to practise adult behaviour, and the third episode slows everything down, emphasising the necessity of a good night's sleep. Bear is the perfect host throughout, drawing viewers into his world by sniffing up close to the camera and claiming he can smell his scrumptious young audience. He is kind, patient and gentle to his friends, making him an ideal carer and teacher. Upbeat songs reiterate the main themes. Many are funny and complement the two regular favourites "Welcome to the Blue House" and "The Goodbye Song". Fans and newcomers will be thrilled by this DVD--Bear and his friends make even the difficult parts of growing-up a lot of fun! --Tracey Hogan.

• Breakdance 2 - Electric Boogaloo | DVD | (12/04/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Breakin 2 - Electric Boogaloo': All the gang from 'Breakin' are back and this time they're up against a greedy developer who wants to turn their community centre into a multi-million dollar shopping mall. Ozone(Adolfo Quniones) and Turbo(Michael Chambers) are two master breakdancers who have started the community club to teach other teens how to manage the acrobatics of the dance without literally breaking anything. Now they must all fight for the survival of the community centre and the breaks!

• Bear In The Big Blue House - Sleepytime With Bear | DVD | (06/01/2003) from £19.99   |  Saving you £-7.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  One of the most endearing aspects of Bear in the Big Blue House is everyone's habit of talking directly to the camera. This has been a part of Muppet practice for years, but when Bear is politely explaining the importance of brushing your teeth before bedtime, it makes children pay attention far more readily. Especially when everyone then breaks into song! That of course is the other delight about the show, when little bear Ojo, Tutter mouse, Pip and Pop, Treela the Lemur and Luna the Moon all join in one of the cute and catchy numbers. The songs featured across the three episodes here ("The Big Sleep", "And to All a Good Night" and "Friends for Life", all from the show's first two series) focus on the rituals of bedtime. The idea is that these each make an ideal comforter to send a child to bed happily. If this is your goal, the second episode--about getting to stay up late--may not be the best choice. On the DVD: Bear in the Big Blue House: Sleepytime with Bear gives karaoke treatment to six of the best songs, including the all-time classic "Brush Brush Bree". That's it apart from a few trailers. You do also get a couple of pages for colouring in attached to the booklet insert. The shows are presented in their original stereo sound and TV 4:3 ratio. --Paul Tonks

• Othello | DVD | (08/01/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Othello (William Marshall)

• Bear In The Big Blue House - Heroes Of Woodland Valley | DVD | (03/11/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Travel down the road from the Big Blue House and you'll discover the rest of Woodland Valley! From the Mouse School to the Movie Theatre there's lots to explore and do in this fun and friendly community. When a tree falls on Woodland Valley's library Bear and his friends pull together to help. Other neighbours like Jeremiah Tortoise and Jack the Firedog volunteer along the way and everyone learns how special it is to be part of a community. Features 4 sing-a-longs: Good Morning Woodland Valley Cha Cha No Harm Goodbye Song.

• Bear In The Big Blue House - Everybody's Special | DVD | (27/05/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  If everybody were as special as the gang that dwells beyond the Big Blue buzzer in Bear in the Big Blue House: Everybody's Special, life lessons like acceptance, acknowledging others' needs and making sense of opposites would wiggle their way into our psyches so snugly packed in high spirits they'd be barely detectable. Everybody's Special proves it, with "As Different as Day and Night" demonstrating that brilliance lies at both ends of a spectrum; "Bats Are People Too" clearing the cobwebs off Benny, a bat who's not all bad; and "The Yard Sale" shuffling everybody outdoors, where they work together to tag it and bag it for a worthy cause. As usual, the head-of-household gentle giant comes through with sniff-along invitations and heel-kickin' musical numbers. (Ages 2 to 5.) --Tammy La Gorce, Amazon.com

• Bear In The Big Blue House - Practice Makes Perfect | DVD | (26/04/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  More fun for all the family with Bear. Show Your Stuff: Bear's whittlin' is interrupted when he finds out Tutter's quitting the soccer team because he just can't kick as well as Rita a particulary talented mouse on the squad. Treelo's feeling left out because he doesn't have any talents. Tutter finds however that talents come easy for some require work for others but can be fun nonetheless! The Great Bandini: Mysterious genius the Great Bandini is coming to Woodland Valley for a lecture about music. On the way to the event the gang meets a mysterious stranger named Edwina Badger (voiced by Whoopi Goldberg) who helps the gang to realise how musical they really are... At the Old Bear Game: Pip) and Pop are delighted to find out that Bear personally knows their hero the great baseball player Ferret Jeeter. After a cool afternoon of hanging out with Ferret Pip and Pop soon find their good friend Bear still has a few tricks up his sleeve as well and good old Bear is a hero in his own right. All Weather Bear: A storm has made its way through the valley leaving the otter pond a mess and thwarting swimming swimming plans for a bit. They all pitch in and clean up the pond but to their disappointment the rain returns. However with a little help from Bear they find that no matter what the weather there's always fun to be had at the Big Blue House!

• Bear In The Big Blue House - Tidy Time With Bear | DVD | (02/09/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99