"Director: Bob Spiers"

• Fawlty Towers: Series 1 and 2 | DVD | (19/11/2001) from £30.47   |  Saving you £-0.48 (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Often hailed as the greatest ever British sitcom, Fawlty Towers is closer to the more elaborate tradition of farce. Comprising two series made in 1975 and 1979, the total of just 12 episodes were painstakingly constructed by writers John Cleese and Connie Booth. Unlike most British farce, however, Fawlty Towers deals with the big themes--death, psychology, xenophobia and even sex-o-phobia (Basil's marriage to Sybil is the most sterile ever depicted in a sitcom). Basil's contempt for his guests is, of course, legendary. It takes little from patrons to unleash his sledgehammer sarcasm: "Rosewood, mahogany, teak? Sorry, I was wondering what you'd like your breakfast tray made out of", he sneers at a guest who dares to request breakfast in bed. Like every Englishman, he wants to be king of his own castle and resents having to take in lodgers to maintain the place, especially the open-necked younger generation, whom he regards as sub-human. Mostly, though, Fawlty Towers is comedy of exasperation--who can forget the "damn good thrashing" Basil gives his clapped-out car, or the nervous breakdowns he almost suffers trying to make himself understood to Manuel? It's also comedy of embarrassment. The very fear of losing his dignity generally leads Basil into the most spectacularly undignified of predicaments. His inevitable misery is our sheer delight. -- David Stubbs On the DVD: each six-episode season is given its own disc with a commentary track from John Howard Davies and Bob Spiers, directors of Season 1 and Season 2 respectively. The third disc has all the additional material, the best of which are new interviews with John Cleese, Andrew Sachs and Prunella Scales. Also included are text biographies of all the leads and the guest stars, a short background featurette on Torquay and the hotel owner who is said to have inspired Basil, a very short blooper reel of outtakes and a brief teaser with Cleese in character entitled "Cheap Tatty Review". Much of this extra material was comfortably fitted onto the individually available Season 1 and 2 discs, so it's a bit of a mystery why a third disc was deemed necessary for the box set. --Mark Walker

• Absolutely Fabulous - The Last Shout | DVD | (27/11/2000) from £5.65   |  Saving you £10.34 (183.01%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Absolutely Fabulous was first broadcast in 1992 and became an instant hit. Originally a sketch on the French and Saunders Show, Jennifer Saunders saw its potential and created one of the most ground-breaking and debauched comedies on British TV. Centred around the hip London fashion scene the series follows Edina (Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley), two women who refuse to grow up and are constantly on a mission to lose weight, gorging themselves with cocaine and/or champagne, endlessly throwing parties (or throwing up at parties), and sporting outrageous outfits which were the height of fashion at the time--honestly sweetie! The superb comic performances offered star status to Julia Sawalha as Edina's straight-laced daughter and Jane Horrocks as the sublimely dippy Bubble, and re-invented the careers of Joanna Lumley and June Whitfield. Saunders meanwhile secured her status as one of the top female comedians Britain has ever produced. Although its consciously chic clothing looks a little dated now, its mad characterisations endure and the jokes remain as hilariously slick and apt as ever. Ab Fab remains a landmark in TV since it was the first time that female comedians and writers had had the freedom and exposure to satirise problems close to their own heart, from their own perspective. With Feminist writers claiming that the ideals of feminism were dead in the 1990s and that female concerns were moving in the wrong direction--towards the "Laddette Culture"--and reports claiming that careers were taking a central role, forcing motherhood onto the back-burner, the series sought to embody and satirise these new supposedly "female" characteristics. As the show continued to grow in popularity both in Britain and the States, plans were made to transfer the formula to America. However, as with many other great British series, the content was considered too risky for American audiences due to the amount of sex and drug references. Thus domestic audiences breathed a sigh of release that their beloved Ab Fab would forever stay British to the core. --Nikki Disney

• The Goodies ... At Last! (Repackaged) | DVD | (08/11/2010) from £13.48   |  Saving you £6.51 (48.29%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The Goodies At Last: Volume 1 (2 Discs)

• Comic Strip - Complete | DVD | (04/07/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £49.99

  Features the complete thirty-nine episodes from the ground-breaking comedy series.

• The Goodies ...At Last - Back For More, Again | DVD | (08/11/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.90

  The Goodies At Last: Back For More Again (Volume 3)

• Absolutely Fabulous - Series 1 - Complete | DVD | (20/11/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Absolutely Fabulous was first broadcast in 1992 and became an instant hit. Originally a sketch on the French and Saunders Show, Jennifer Saunders saw its potential and created one of the most ground-breaking and debauched comedies on British TV. Centred around the hip London fashion scene the series follows Edina (Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley), two women who refuse to grow up and are constantly on a mission to lose weight, gorging themselves with cocaine and/or champagne, endlessly throwing parties (or throwing up at parties), and sporting outrageous outfits which were the height of fashion at the time--honestly sweetie! The superb comic performances offered star status to Julia Sawalha as Edina's straight-laced daughter and Jane Horrocks as the sublimely dippy Bubble, and re-invented the careers of Joanna Lumley and June Whitfield. Saunders meanwhile secured her status as one of the top female comedians Britain has ever produced. Although its consciously chic clothing looks a little dated now, its mad characterisations endure and the jokes remain as hilariously slick and apt as ever. Ab Fab remains a landmark in TV since it was the first time that female comedians and writers had had the freedom and exposure to satirise problems close to their own heart, from their own perspective. With Feminist writers claiming that the ideals of feminism were dead in the 1990s and that female concerns were moving in the wrong direction--towards the "Laddette Culture"--and reports claiming that careers were taking a central role, forcing motherhood onto the back-burner, the series sought to embody and satirise these new supposedly "female" characteristics. As the show continued to grow in popularity both in Britain and the States, plans were made to transfer the formula to America. However, as with many other great British series, the content was considered too risky for American audiences due to the amount of sex and drug references. Thus domestic audiences breathed a sigh of release that their beloved Ab Fab would forever stay British to the core. --Nikki Disney

• Absolutely Fabulous - Series 2 - Complete | DVD | (01/10/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Absolutely Fabulous was first broadcast in 1992 and became an instant hit. Originally a sketch on the French and Saunders Show, Jennifer Saunders saw its potential and created one of the most ground-breaking and debauched comedies on British TV. Centred around the hip London fashion scene the series follows Edina (Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley), two women who refuse to grow up and are constantly on a mission to lose weight, gorging themselves with cocaine and/or champagne, endlessly throwing parties (or throwing up at parties), and sporting outrageous outfits which were the height of fashion at the time--honestly sweetie! The superb comic performances offered star status to Julia Sawalha as Edina's straight-laced daughter and Jane Horrocks as the sublimely dippy Bubble, and re-invented the careers of Joanna Lumley and June Whitfield. Saunders meanwhile secured her status as one of the top female comedians Britain has ever produced. Although its consciously chic clothing looks a little dated now, its mad characterisations endure and the jokes remain as hilariously slick and apt as ever. Ab Fab remains a landmark in TV since it was the first time that female comedians and writers had had the freedom and exposure to satirise problems close to their own heart, from their own perspective. With Feminist writers claiming that the ideals of feminism were dead in the 1990s and that female concerns were moving in the wrong direction--towards the "Laddette Culture"--and reports claiming that careers were taking a central role, forcing motherhood onto the back-burner, the series sought to embody and satirise these new supposedly "female" characteristics. As the show continued to grow in popularity both in Britain and the States, plans were made to transfer the formula to America. However, as with many other great British series, the content was considered too risky for American audiences due to the amount of sex and drug references. Thus domestic audiences breathed a sigh of release that their beloved Ab Fab would forever stay British to the core. --Nikki Disney

• Are You Being Served? - Series 9 | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £7.31   |  Saving you £8.68 (118.74%)   |  RRP £15.99

  An ailing department store where the management are beginning to show signs of wear and tear and the staff are clashing! The ninth series of this classic comedy finds Mr. Humphries Mrs.Slocombe Miss Brahms Captain Peacock Mr Rumbold and Mr Berry up to their necks in shop floor scandal and shenanigans as usual. Mr. Humphries is accused of stealing and his distinguished career could end in disgrace. When found guilty in a shop floor trial he' then dismissed but Mr Harman later finds the missing money at the back of the till! A handsome golf professional comes to the floor for a demonstration and accidentally hits Mrs. Slocombe on the head with a ball. Totally convinced she is a little girl Mrs. Slocombe wrecks havoc on the store as she cavorts around the department. Mrs Slocombe's cat is missing and in comforting her Mr. Humphries finds himself entangled more deeply than he would have liked. When Mrs Slocombe invents an aphrodisiac perfume Mrs. Peacock finds her husband's trousers in the wrong hands and there's a big misunderstanding. Plus all hell breaks loose when the staff's CB radio advert for Grace Brothers attracts a rush of truck drivers to the store. Finally what does the future hold for this shopping institution? It looks like bad news for Grace Brothers when there is interest in buying the store by the Japanese; so the staff take their problems to Number Ten where they contact President Reagan by phone and Mrs. Thatcher gets fashion tips from Mr. Humphries!

• Bottom - The Very Best Of Bottom | DVD | (05/08/2002) from £7.12   |  Saving you £8.87 (124.58%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Richard Richard and Edward Elizabeth Hitler (Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson) present The Very Best of Bottom, a selection of episodes from the flat-share sitcom that plays like an ultra-violent comic-book Withnail and I going ten rounds with Men Behaving Badly. Between 1991-5 Edmondson and Mayall made three series and 18 episodes of the non-adventures of the sex-crazed virgin Richie and the alcoholic Eddie, delivering as many belly laughs as their seminal Young Ones, though shorn of that show's brilliantly inventive surrealism. Outrageous slapstick and spectacularly crude innuendo are to the fore, and there are guest appearances by Young One Christopher Ryan as the literal-minded Dave Hedgehog. Packed with sharp one-liners and imaginative routines, there wasn't a weak episode in the entire run, so selecting five best shows is a matter of personal taste (or lack thereof). "Smells" features pheromone spray, cheese-and-onion condoms and a lesson in how to remove nose hair with pliers. In "Accident", Richie breaks a leg, before almost getting one over with Helen Lederer's uninhibited "Digger". "Holy" is a Christmas special involving an immaculate misconception and five minutes of added footage, while "Hole" finds our heroes trapped on a condemned Ferris wheel. On the DVD: The Very Best of Bottom on disc has a 4:3 picture which is excellent for a shot-on-video sitcom, while the mono sound is clear and perfectly functional. Other than the five minutes of extra material in "Holy", originally cut to keep the show down to half-an-hour rather than for censorship reasons, the only extra is a routine photo gallery. --Gary S Dalkin

• Absolutely Fabulous - Series 3 - Complete | DVD | (12/11/2001) from £6.50   |  Saving you £9.49 (146.00%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Absolutely Fabulous was first broadcast in 1992 and became an instant hit. Originally a sketch on the French and Saunders Show, Jennifer Saunders saw its potential and created one of the most ground-breaking and debauched comedies on British TV. Centred around the hip London fashion scene the series follows Edina (Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley), two women who refuse to grow up and are constantly on a mission to lose weight, gorging themselves with cocaine and/or champagne, endlessly throwing parties (or throwing up at parties), and sporting outrageous outfits which were the height of fashion at the time--honestly, Sweetie. The superb comic performances offered star status to Julia Sawalha as Edina's straight-laced daughter and Jane Horrocks as the sublimely dippy Bubble, and reinvented the careers of Joanna Lumley and June Whitfield. Saunders meanwhile secured her status as one of the top female comedians Britain has ever produced. Although its consciously chic clothing looks a little dated now, its mad characterisations endure and the jokes remain as hilariously slick and apt as ever. Ab Fab remains a landmark in TV since it was the first time that female comedians and writers had had the freedom and exposure to satirise problems close to their own heart, from their own perspective. With Feminist writers claiming that the ideals of feminism were dead in the 1990s and that female concerns were moving in the wrong direction--towards the "Laddette Culture"--and reports claiming that careers were taking a central role, forcing motherhood onto the back-burner, the series sought to embody and satirise these new supposedly "female" characteristics. As the show continued to grow in popularity both in Britain and the States, plans were made to transfer the formula to America. However, as with many other great British series, the content was considered too risqué for American audiences due to the amount of sex and drug references. Thus domestic audiences breathed a sigh of relief that their beloved Ab Fab would stay forever British to the core. --Nikki Disney

• Spiceworld - The Movie | DVD | (19/11/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The girl's first live concert at the Royal Albert Hall is in just five day's time. With trusty bus driver Dennis (Meatloaf) at the wheel they hurtle from guest appearances to parties photoshoots and even dance camp! But when evil tabloid editor Kevin McMaxford steps up his campaign against them their best friend goes into labour and their manager collapses in hysterics the girls must draw on all their Girl Power to make it to the show on time...

• A Bit Of Fry And Laurie - Series 4 | DVD | (30/10/2006) from £12.23   |  Saving you £3.76 (30.74%)   |  RRP £15.99

  After a few appearances on various television shows ex-Cambridge University students Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie finally got the chance to shine in their very own A Bit Of Fry And Laurie. Full of turns of phrase and elaborate wordplay A Bit Of Fry And Laurie was the kind of sophisticated comedy that had been little seen on British TV screens. With an old-fashioned revue-type atmosphere and oddly 'British' sketches the delicate innuendos coupled with Fry's ability to suggest hidden meanings in everyday phrases were a winning formula that allowed the pair to continue their partnership for almost 10 years.

• Absolutely Fabulous - Series 4 - Complete | DVD | (08/04/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Absolutely Fabulous was first broadcast in 1992 and became an instant hit. Originally a sketch on the French and Saunders Show, Jennifer Saunders saw its potential and created one of the most ground-breaking and debauched comedies on British TV. Centred around the hip London fashion scene the series follows Edina (Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley), two women who refuse to grow up and are constantly on a mission to lose weight, gorging themselves with cocaine and/or champagne, endlessly throwing parties (or throwing up at parties) and sporting outrageous outfits which were the height of fashion at the time--honestly sweetie! The superb comic performances offered star status to Julia Sawalha as Edina's straight-laced daughter and Jane Horrocks as the sublimely dippy Bubble, and re-invented the careers of Joanna Lumley and June Whitfield. Saunders meanwhile secured her status as one of the top female comedians Britain has ever produced. Although its consciously chic clothing looks a little dated now, its mad characterisations endure and the jokes remain as hilariously slick and apt as ever. Ab Fab remains a landmark in TV since it was the first time that female comedians and writers had had the freedom and exposure to satirise problems close to their own heart, from their own perspective. With Feminist writers claiming that the ideals of feminism were dead in the 1990s and that female concerns were moving in the wrong direction--towards the "Laddette Culture"--and reports claiming that careers were taking a central role, forcing motherhood onto the back-burner, the series sought to embody and satirise these new supposedly "female" characteristics. As the show continued to grow in opularity both in Britain and the States, plans were made to transfer the formula to America. However, as with many other great British series, the content was considered too risky for American audiences due to the amount of sex and drug references. Thus domestic audiences breathed a sigh of release that their beloved Ab Fab would forever stay British to the core. --N!ikki Disney

• Joking Apart: Complete BBC Series 1 (Exclusive to Amazon.co.uk) | DVD | (29/05/2006) from £59.99   |  Saving you £-46.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  From the multiple BAFTA Award winning writer Steven Moffat (Coupling Press Gang Doctor Who Jekyll Tin Tin) comes the first series of Joking Apart starring Robert Bathurst and Fiona Gillies. First shown in 1993 the series was a huge cult hit and has been eagerly awaited on DVD ever since. Comedy writer Mark Taylor knows he has found the woman of his dreams when he meets Becky and sweeps her off her feet with his non-stop quick-fire one-liners. But five years on Mark doesn't realise that the joke has worn thin and a surprise party for Becky changes his life completely. Told in flashback this award-winning bittersweet comedy has it all; laughter and tears joy and pain.

• Chilly Dogs | DVD | (11/10/2004) from £8.40   |  Saving you £11.59 (58.00%)   |  RRP £19.99

  When slacker Kevin Manley receives a letter from his long lost grandfather telling him that he has inherited land in Alaska it seems to be the answer to his prayers for excitement and adventure. But there's a catch: in order to claim the land Kevin must first compete in the world's toughest dog sled race across the frozen tundra of Alaska. The wild and crazy adventure begins when Clive Thornton (Leslie Neilson) and sexy Bonnie Livengood (Natasha Henstridge) join the canine crew as they set out to win the most hilarious race....

• The Fast Show Live | DVD | (18/11/2002) from £6.23   |  Saving you £9.76 (156.66%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Recorded live at London's Hammersmith Apollo in 1998, The Fast Show Live features all of the original cast of the highly successful sketch series (Caroline Aherne excepted) including Paul Whitehouse, Simon Day, Charlie Higson and Arabella Weir and practically all of their myriad characters and catchphrases. This live show effectively marks a last hurrah for The Fast Show team, with routines like the Coughing Bob Fleming singalong reworked from the series. However, as a feat of inventive stage management and quick costume changing, they do manage to maintain the Fastness of the TV series live. It was the catchphrases which earned the series its immense popularity and they raise large, predictable cheers of recognition when wheeled out at the Apollo, from Unlucky Alf's opening "Oh, bugger!" to the "Suits you, sir!" of the intrusively camp boys in the menswear department. The show's reliance on these might have been annoying if it weren't for the fact that they were built on such esoteric, peripheral and complex sketch and character material. Who but the Fast Show team would have thought of taking the mickey out of bad European TV, even inventing their own mock-Esperanto to do so? Or similarly, lampooned all those old 1930s music hall comedians whose risque jokes are incomprehensible to modern audiences? These, mixed in with modern archetypes like Ron Manager or the endlessly poignant Ted and Ralph made The Fast Show at once comfortingly familiar yet endlessly surprising viewing. They were influential also: Colin Hunt is surely a crude prototype for The Office's David Brent. On the DVD The Fast Show Live has no special features on this edition, disappointingly. --David Stubbs

• Absolutely Fabulous - Series 1 To 4 Box Set | DVD | (25/11/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £54.99

  Absolutely Fabulous was first broadcast in 1992 and became an instant hit. Originally a sketch on the French and Saunders Show, Jennifer Saunders saw its potential and created one of the most ground-breaking and debauched comedies on British TV. Centred around the hip London fashion scene the series follows Edina (Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley), two women who refuse to grow up and are constantly on a mission to lose weight, gorging themselves with cocaine and/or champagne, endlessly throwing parties (or throwing up at parties), and sporting outrageous outfits, which were the height of fashion at the time--honestly sweetie! The superb comic performances reinvented the careers of Joanna Lumley and June Whitfield. Saunders meanwhile secured her status as one of Britain's top female comedians. Although its consciously chic clothing looks a little dated now, its mad characterisations endure and the jokes remain as hilariously slick and apt as ever. On the DVD: Absolutely Fabulous DVD box set comes beautifully packaged in mock velvet, with each series individually packaged inside. The original sketch from the French and Saunders Show and the pilot episode, "Mirrorball", offers all you need to understand the show's origins The commentary with Jennifer Saunders and John Ploughman on Series 4 is refreshing, owning up to the mistakes they made and the jokes that didn't work. The outtakes are funnier than the usual Hollywood blips. The 4:3 transfer is standard for a television comedy. --Nikki Disney

• That Darn Cat | DVD | (12/02/2001) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-4.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A witty remake of Disney's famous film classic That Darn Cat puts a fresh new spin on a timeless tale that families have enjoyed for years. Sixteen-year-old Patti Randall (Christina Ricci) finds life in her sleepy home town dull until her cat DC finds an important clue to a mysterious kidnapping! With the help of a bungling FBI Agent (Doug E. Doug) this teenage sleuth and hers pet detective lead a hilarious investigation filled with zany mishaps and misunderstandings before final

• Spice World - the Movie | DVD | (01/10/1999) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  One of the reasons that the Spice Girls remain so much fun is that in the great British tradition, they don't take themselves too seriously. Like The Beatles before them, the girls are more than happy to take pot-shots at their own manufactured image, something that Spiceworld: The Movie revels in. It doesn't hurt, of course, that plenty of others are along for the ride: Richard E. Grant chews scenery as the road manager; Meat Loaf is the kindly, ever-reliable bus driver; Elvis Costello (!) makes a tongue-in-cheek cameo; and Roger Moore is... well, bizarre. The plot, as such, is merely a convenience, somehow tying together the girls' first-ever live concert, a pregnant friend, a documentary film crew, a non-Spice love story, and something or other about a tabloid photographer. But that's not the point--what matters here is a surprisingly deft touch by director Bob Spiers and a script that refuses to take anything too seriously; the result is a gentle self-parody that knows just how far to take the joke. --Randy Silver

• The Goodies ...At Last the 40th Anniversary! | DVD | (08/11/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £59.99

  The Goodies At Last: The 40th Anniversary (8 Discs)