"Director: David Blair"

• Takin' Over The Asylum | DVD | (09/06/2008) from £7.59   |  Saving you £12.40 (163.37%)   |  RRP £19.99

  First screened in 1994 this engrossing six part drama took on the issues surrounding mental health with sensitivity and black humour. The series helped launch the careers of Ken Stott (Messiah and Rebus) and David Tennant (Doctor Who) and went on to win a BAFTA for Best Serial and an RTS Award for Best Writer. Eddie McKenna is a double-glazing salesman who moonlights as a DJ for hospital radio in a Scottish mental asylum - St Judes. He nurtures close friendships with the patients there including Francine a self-harmer schizophrenic Fergus OCD sufferer Rosaline and Campbell a manic depressive with whom he shares a dream to make it onto the commercial radio scene. As Campbell's inspired antics seem to bring the pair closer to their goal the pressures of work relationships and family begin to get to Eddie. With his life threatening to spin out of control it is Eddie's turn to look for help...

• Tess of the D'urbervilles | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £6.12   |  Saving you £18.87 (308.33%)   |  RRP £24.99

  A passionate sensual and very modern version of Thomas Hardy's infamous novel combining young upcoming acting talent with recognisable and much-loved faces. When the beautiful and innocent Tess Durbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles and seek a portion of their family fortune meeting the manipulative Alec proves to be her downfall. A very different man Angel Clare seems to offer her love and salvation but Tess must choose whether to reveal her past or remain silent... Whilst unstintingly gorgeous and romantic this new adaptation is an intense moving and provocative depiction of the tragically beautiful story.

• Hurricane | Blu Ray | (22/10/2018) from £4.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  HURRICANE tells the story of the Polish fliers who found themselves fighting for the freedom of their own country in foreign skies. Seen through the eyes of Jan Zumbach (Rheon), fighter ace and adventurer, it tells how the Poles, driven across Europe by the German war machine, finally made their last stand. Flying Hurricanes for the RAF over Britain, they became a key component in the legend of The Few . Up against the might of the Luftwaffe they hoped that, by saving Great Britain from Nazi invasion, they were keeping the dream of a free Poland alive. In the lethal melee above England in that summer of 1940, they fought with a tenacity and skill that earned them the admiration of the whole British nation. The dogfights against superior planes cost some of the men their lives. The constant strain of gladiatorial combat took away the sanity of others. But, as Zumbach discovers as the war stutters to a close, becoming the best in the RAF is a hollow victory for the Poles. This powerful and gripping WWII RAF story is directed by David Blair (The Messenger, Away, Accused) and includes an impressive ensemble cast including Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones, Marvel s Inhumans), Milo Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge), Stefanie Martini (Crooked House, Prime Suspect 1973), Krystof Hadek (Under the Skin, Dark Blue World) and Marcin Dorocinski (Pitbull Anthropoid).

• The Fattest Man In Britain | DVD | (28/12/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Fattest Man In Britain

• The Lakes - The Complete First And Second Series | DVD | (06/10/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  The Lakes brought writer Jimmy McGovern and actor John Simm a great deal of critical praise in 1997. Following a particularly dry period for British TV drama, the show's realistic characterisations and their painfully honest decisions hit audiences hard. Simm is a twentysomething trapped in a life of compulsive gambling, theft and being on the dole in Liverpool. On a whim he heads north to the Lake District. He expects to find the countryside quietude where his hidden poetical leanings might find a home, but instead gets caught up in a community like any other. Lies, temptation and tragedy beset every household just as much as the big city. The focus of Series 1 is Danny's relationship with Emma (Emma Cunniffe) and the consequences of having a child. As time races by, his link to the Lakes becomes an exercise in torment when the eyes of blame fall easily upon him after the accidental deaths of four schoolgirls. Stoking the flames of a series of secondary explosions in waiting are a pair of affairs, one adulterous, the other complicated by religion. In the far longer sequel series that came two years later, these back-stories would come to the fore. Although exploring Danny's tortured soul might have been the obvious continuation, instead an almost Hitchcockian murder scenario occupies far more screen time. But by stretching things out, this second series does not have the same self-contained impact of the original. Additional writers only served to drag out Danny's boy-to-man journey. Ultimately, lessons are learned, including the realistic conclusion that life is without a poetical status quo. Despite the tail-off in overall quality, you'd be hard pressed to identify a better British drama in the years since. On the DVD: The Lakes complete series 1 and 2 box set comes with two separate commentary tracks for the very first episode. In interviews, John Simm fondly recalls how cold the lake water was and director David Blair recalls putting him in it. It's a shame the two weren't recorded together. It's also a shame that's all there is in this package. Even a few cast biographies would have been welcome. Picture is 4:3 and stereo sound is as you'd expect from 1990s UK TV. --Paul Tonks

• The Suspicions of Mr Whicher - The Complete Collection | DVD | (22/09/2014) from £11.99   |  Saving you £20.00 (200.20%)   |  RRP £29.99

  In the early days of criminal investigation, before guilt and innocence were determined by forensic science, there was a detective, "a man of mystery", with an uncanny ability to read the human character and an unswerving instinct for the truth. In Victorian England, justice depended on The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. The Murder at Road Hill House Daybreak, 1860. In an elegant country house, the Kent family wakes to a shocking discovery: overnight an unimaginably horrible murder has taken place in their home. As local police struggle to solve the crime, the case becomes a national scandal. Inspector Jack Whicher, "the Prince of Sleuths", is despatched to restore justice, but at what cost? Adapted from the best-selling book, this is a gripping true story of murder, psychological suspense and courtroom drama. The Murder in Angel Lane Disgraced Scotland Yard detective, Jack Whicher saves a respectable country lady from a violent robbery. When he offers to help find her young niece, he is drawn into a disturbing case of murder which brings him up against wealthy and powerful figures and throws him into conflict with his former police colleagues. The investigation leads to a private lunatic asylum where Whicher must confront the darkness of his own demons. Beyond the Pale Whicher is hired by a powerful political grandee, Sir Edward Shore, to investigate violent threats made against his son, who has recently returned from India with his young family. Whicher's quest for justice, leads him into the most dangerous corners of London's docklands and to the exposure of a terrible crime. The Ties That Bind An apparently simple divorce case involving a wealthy landowner and his unhappy young wife spirals into something darker, drawing Whicher into the heart of the English countryside where he uncovers the most disturbing and destructive of secrets.

• The Street - Series 1-3 - Complete | DVD | (02/11/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  All 3 critically acclaimed series from BAFTA award winning writer Jimmy McGovern (Cracker Hillsborough) looking at the trials and tribulations of the residents of a Manchester street. A star studded cast bring to life a series of compelling interconnected stories

• The Street - Series 3 - Complete | DVD | (24/08/2009) from £11.27   |  Saving you £4.72 (29.50%)   |  RRP £15.99

  From acclaimed writer Jimmy McGovern (Cracker Hillsborough Priest) The Street follows the lives and passions of neighbours in a North of England street.

• Care - Critically acclaimed BBC drama starring Sheridan Smith and Alison Steadman.) | DVD | (01/04/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  From Emmy winner and multi BAFTA award-winning writer Jimmy McGovern (The Street, Broken) comes Care, starring International Emmy Award nominee Sheridan Smith (Cilla) as a single mother struggling to raise her two children in the aftermath of a family tragedy. After her husband's departure, Jenny (Smith) is fully reliant on the childcare her mother Mary (Alison Steadman - Hold the Sunset, Gavin & Stacey) provides. But when Mary suffers a devastating stroke and develops dementia, Jenny's world comes crashing down, as everything changes for her and her sister Claire (Sinead Keenan - Little Boy Blue, Being Human). Finding herself torn between her own life and the wellbeing of her mother, Jenny soon discovers that another way could be possible - but she'll have to fight for it.'Sheridan Smith has a rare gift' - The Independent; 'Stunningly heart breaking' - The Express; 'This film has BAFTA written all over it' - Metro.

• Best Laid Plans | DVD | (20/02/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  In this unforgivingly hard-hitting thriller, Danny (Stephen Graham) and his friend Joseph (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), are faced with a terrible ultimatum. To pay off Danny’s mounting debts to crime boss Curtis (David O’Hara), Joseph must battle his way through a number of unliscensed cage fights. As the fights get tougher so their friendship will be tested to the very limit…

• The Key | DVD | (21/09/2015) from £5.07   |  Saving you £14.92 (294.28%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A major BBC drama about the life of Mary Corrigan, from her days as a rebellious mill worker in 1915 and her doomed love for a man who must fight for his country, to her final days in the run up to the British General Election of 1997. The Key follows Mary through a lifetime of personal and political struggle, raising first her own daughter and then her grandchildren. Throughout her turbulent life though, one thing remains constant: the mystery of the key that she wears around her neck. What secret will it unlock? In contrast, Mary’s granddaughter Jessie is a timid teenager, living in the shadow of Maggie, her clever and beautiful older sister. Will she fulfil her heart’s desires? In 1997, in the run up to the British General Election, a stroke-ravaged Mary becomes aware that a battle concerning her welfare is about to explode. It’s a battle that will test the loyalties of everyone in her family, from Helen, her campaigning daughter, to Maggie, the New Labour parliamentary candidate. And it will force Jessie to take the most courageous decision of her life, and finally discover the meaning of her grandmother’s key. Starring Dawn Steele (Monarch of the Glen); Frances Grey (Messiah); Ronni Ancona (Alistair McGowan), Ken Stott (Messiah); John Sessions (Made in Dagenham) and Kevin McKidd (Train spotting)

• The Messenger | DVD | (02/11/2015) from £2.85   |  Saving you £12.14 (425.96%)   |  RRP £14.99

• The Lakes | DVD | (06/10/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The Lakes brought writer Jimmy McGovern and actor John Simm a great deal of critical praise in 1997. Following a particularly dry period for British TV drama, the show's realistic characterisations and their painfully honest decisions hit audiences hard. Simm is a twentysomething trapped in a life of compulsive gambling, theft and being on the dole in Liverpool. On a whim he heads north to the Lake District. He expects to find the countryside quietude where his hidden poetical leanings might find a home, but instead gets caught up in a community like any other. Lies, temptation and tragedy beset every household just as much as the big city. The focus of Series 1 is Danny's relationship with Emma (Emma Cunniffe) and the consequences of having a child. As time races by, his link to the Lakes becomes an exercise in torment when the eyes of blame fall easily upon him after the accidental deaths of four schoolgirls. Stoking the flames of a series of secondary explosions in waiting are a pair of affairs, one adulterous, the other complicated by religion. On the DVD: The Lakes Series 1 comes with two separate commentary tracks for the very first episode. In interviews, John Simm fondly recalls how cold the lake water was and director David Blair recalls putting him in it. It's a shame the two weren't recorded together. It's also a shame that's all there is in this package. Even a few cast biographies would have been welcome. Picture is 4:3 and stereo sound is as you'd expect from 1990s UK TV. --Paul Tonks

• The Lakes : Complete Series 1 & 2 | DVD | (16/04/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  John Simm gives an electrifying lead performance in one of the most controversial and gripping BBC series of the 90's. Leaving the dole queues of Liverpool behind him, Danny Kavanagh heads off to make a fresh start in The Lake District. Finding work in a Hotel he soon settles into the off-duty booze and sex culture. His new life is soon rocked however when a series of shocking events shatter the local community and he finds himself embrolied in the emotional turmoil that follows. Bonus features: 1st Episode Commentary by John Simm 1st Episode Commentary by Director David Blair

• Mystics | DVD | (27/09/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Dave (Kelly) and Locky (O'Shea) are a couple of old-timers who have found the perfect scam offering solace and peace to the bereaved and an injection of cash to their pockets. Posing as a medium in touch with the other side Dave acts as the front man whilst his partner relays messages from 'beyond the grave'. All is going swimmingly until Larry the kingpin from the local mob gets killed and his wife wants to know where he's hidden his last haul. Unable to refuse a request from

• Best Laid Plans | DVD | (10/12/2013) from £2.89   |  Saving you £7.10 (245.68%)   |  RRP £9.99

  In this unforgivingly hard-hitting thriller, Danny (Stephen Graham) and his friend Joseph (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), are faced with a terrible ultimatum. To pay off Danny’s mounting debts to crime boss Curtis (David O’Hara), Joseph must battle his way through a number of unliscensed cage fights. As the fights get tougher so their friendship will be tested to the very limit…

• The Triangle | DVD | (03/07/2017) from £8.34   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Four filmmakers take their cameras into the Montana wilderness to document the mysterious inner workings of a young community with a giant secret.

• Anna Karenina | DVD | (12/05/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Cutting straight to the heart of Tolstoy's classic novel this innovative Channel 4 adaptation draws on the realism and raw emotion that defines this unique masterpiece. Set in 19th century Russia from the decadent social surroundings of the St Petersburg palaces to the simplest of rural life Anna Karenina is the story of three contrasting couples whose dilemmas strike a contemporary chord in another century.

• Away | DVD | (15/05/2017) from £6.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Joseph and Ria are kindred spirits, both looking for a way out. Ria wants out of this town and is trying to scrape enough money together to get her and her friend, Kaz, away to the coast. Joseph struggles to come to terms with the death of his wife. With no parents in the picture, Ria has become a surrogate mother to Kaz. She shoulders the responsibility willingly but, being young herself, she has moments when she longs for an escape from the daily grind. Joseph has no such responsibilities and heads to Blackpool planning to take his own life - Blackpool is where he and his wife spent the best times together competing in dancing competitions in the tower ballroom. Fate, however, brings these two souls together.

• Black Forest | DVD | (21/08/2017) from £5.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  One year after seven local students are inexplicably murdered at a lake house party near the Canadian border, recent high school grads Travis and his buddy Nate plan a celebratory road trip to Canada. While cutting through the woods at night, the two friends are savagely attacked by mysterious creatures and Nate is dragged off leaving Travis- to run for help. After Travis's efforts to save Nate end up in the death of Nate's brother, Chris, the police begin to investigate the events surrounding the deaths. Did things go as Travis claims they did, or are his claims of Sasquatch-like creatures signs of deeper troubles in his world?