"Actor: Yasuko Nagazumi"

• Wombling Free - The Movie | DVD | (16/06/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Based on the popular BBC series 'Wombling Free' follows the adventures of the furry loveable litter-pickers from Wimbledon Common - The Wombles. Only seen by those who believe in them their work goes largely unnoticed until a young girl Kim spots them. When she invites them to her birthday party her mother is forced to believe when she comes face to face with Orinoco Tobermory and the rest of the gang. A public meeting is set up to prove once and for all that the Wombles to exist and should be helped with their quest to clean up the common. But on the day in question a bad storm breaks out over the common. Will the inhabitants of Wimbledon actually be able to see their cuddly crusaders?

• The Protectors - Series 1 Vol. 2 - Episodes 9-16 | DVD | (24/06/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Another series from Lew Grade's ITC stable, The Protectors attracted high ratings on both sides of the Atlantic when screened during 1971-3. Combining the high-tech ingenuity of Mission: Impossible with the glamour of The Champions, the basic premise of jet-setting special agents going where governments fear to tread is typical of its era. As Harry Rule, Robert Vaughn develops the thinking man of action persona he perfected in The Man from U.N.C.L.E, complemented by Nyree Dawn Porter's stylish Contessa di Contini. The underrated Tony Anholt makes the most of his Mediterranean good looks as Paul Buchet. Ten episodes are included here, all following a well-honed formula of intrigue and strategy, but with enough variety in scenario and setting--a range of European cities and resorts--to offset routine. Look out for a host of soon-to-be-familiar faces. There's also Tony Christie's full-throated rendition of the "Avenues and Alleyways" theme to round off each episode. On the DVD: The Protectors on disc comes in a full-screen format that reproduces excellently for its age (Lew Grade's productions always seem to last well). Each episode is divided into four chapter headings, with English subtitles available. A detailed biography of Vaughn is included along with a gallery of captioned stills, some of which are curiously reproduced in black-and-white. Taken with a healthy dose of nostalgia, entertainment is assured. --Richard Whitehouse

• The Protectors - Series 1 Vol. 1 - Episodes 1-8 | DVD | (24/06/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Another series from Lew Grade's ITC stable, The Protectors attracted high ratings on both sides of the Atlantic when screened during 1971-3. Combining the high-tech ingenuity of Mission: Impossible with the glamour of The Champions, the basic premise of jet-setting special agents going where governments fear to tread is typical of its era. As Harry Rule, Robert Vaughn develops the thinking man of action persona he perfected in The Man from U.N.C.L.E, complemented by Nyree Dawn Porter's stylish Contessa di Contini. The underrated Tony Anholt makes the most of his Mediterranean good looks as Paul Buchet. Eight episodes are included here, all following a well-honed formula of intrigue and strategy, but with enough variety in scenario and setting--a range of European cities and resorts--to offset routine. Look out for a host of soon-to-be-familiar faces. There's also Tony Christie's full-throated rendition of the "Avenues and Alleyways" theme to round off each episode. On the DVD: The Protectors on disc comes in a full-screen format that reproduces excellently for its age (Lew Grade's productions always seem to last well). Each episode is divided into four chapter headings, with English subtitles available. With an informative run-down of how the series evolved and a gallery of captioned stills--some of which are curiously reproduced in black-and-white--taken with a healthy dose of nostalgia, entertainment is assured. --Richard Whitehouse