Hancock on DVD 2007-2016

This DVD is a digitally re-mastered release of Hancock’s 1968 TV series for Australian TV.   There are no extras on the DVD but it’s great to see a DVD release of these shows which for so long were only available on a couple of VHS releases.  Release date is believed to be 2007.

Release Date: 2007
Catalog No:   EHE0152

The first DVD release of Orders Are Orders came in 3 different packages. 1) Orders Are Orders on its own. (Number SDMD2065). 2) The Sid James Collection (number SBX2086). This release features three early Sid James’ films: Orders Are Orders, Time Gentlemen Please and John and Julie. 3) The final release is The Long Lost Comedy Classics collection (number SDMD2087). This release features all of the films in the Sid James collection plus Miss Robin Hood, Make Me An Offer and The Love Match. All three releases are illustrated.There are no extras included on these releases and there are one or two blemishes in the film quality in places. Nonetheless, this is an excellent release of a film that was not expected to receive a DVD release.

Release Date:  
Catalog No:    SDMD2065
               SBX2086
               SDMD2087

This promotional release was available in exchange for a voucher from the Daily Mirror at Somerfield Supermarkets. It is part of a collection of 14 discs that were available on consecutive days or by post in exchange for vouchers from the newspaper. If the set was ordered by post, it came in a cardboard box featuring Hancock on the front. The reverse of the sleeve featured an advert for The Very Best of Hancock DVD from which this programme was sourced. This release featured all incidental music uncut.

Release Date:   
Catalog No:    VFA 10281

Well, what a release this was! A limited edition of 250 DVDs given away by the Egg Marketing Board to the first 250 people whose e-Mail address was drawn out of the bag at the end of July 2007. The Egg Marketing Board wanted to reshow these original adverts to celebrate their 50th anniversary but were prevented from doing so on the basis that eggs are not healthy enough! Instead, this DVD was made available and 8 of the commercials were available to view on the Egg Marketing Board website. The DVD itself was an interesting release in that when it is first viewed just 8 of the original 11 commercials can be seen. However, if played a second time immediately, all 11 can be seen.

Release Date:  July 2007
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Described as UK’s answer to Fahrenheit 9/11, this film is a blackly comic look at Britain under ‘New Labour’. The surprising very brief appearance of Hancock saying ‘Does Magna Carta mean nothing to you? Did she die in vain?’ features in a segment looking at recent changes to the law.

Release Date:  2007
Catalog No:    REVD2038

The final release for 2007 was a fantastic gift set of all of the surviving half hours from the BBC archive, together with an audio commentaries on The Blood Donor, There’s an Airfield at the Bottom of my Garden and Twelve Angry Men.  The release also contains the interview with Galton & Simpson (previously released on ‘The Very Best Of Hancock DVD), the Face to Face interview with John Freeman plus scanned copies of the scripts for all of the missing programmes. More importantly, all of the programmes on this release are the original programmes, with the exception of The New Nose, which is the 1986 video release version. This means that this release is not just a straight copy of the individual volumes already available separately as these contain a number of the 1986 versions. Although a little disappointing in that the release does not feature the Budgie Sketch from Christmas Night with The Stars or the Australian trailer for the 6th TV series, this set is a superb tribute to Tony and, hopefully, will have filled many a Christmas stocking in 2007.  This release was the first time that Tony’s very last episode for the BBC: Son and Heir, had been made commercially available.

Release Date:  2007
Catalog No:    BBCDVD2168

Issued as a box set under the number PTDVD021, these releases are also available separately as PTVDVD018 (Sid James) and PTV017DVD (Kenneth Williams). The box set also includes a disc featuring Ronnie Barker and a fourth disc featuring Leonard Rossiter. The Sid James disc features extracts from the radio episode The New Car, starting from when Hancock arrives at Sid’s Garage. Also included are extracts from Sid In Love (part of the sequence on the bus) and Twelve Angry Men (when Sid encourages Tony to tell the Judge he shouldn’t make him look a Charlie!). The release also features extracts from the opening sequence of the first episodes of Citizen James, George & The Dragon and, of course, the Carry On films. The Kenneth Williams disc features an extract from The Alpine Holiday, starting from the moment Kenneth first enters the hotel room and says ‘Good evening!

Release Date:  July 2007
Catalog No:    PTDVD021

A surprising release from September 2009 was this box set of all 34 Face to Face interviews on 6 discs together with a very detailed 47 page booklet. The landmark series was originally broadcast from 1959 – 1962 and featured interviews with such notable figures as Evelyn Waugh, Stirling Moss, Gilbert Harding, King Hussein of Jordan and Bertrand Russell. The interview with Tony Hancock is, of course, included here as the 12th interview which concludes disc 2.

Release Date: September 2009
Catalog No:   DVD2908

This new release features the first full UK release of The Wrong Box staring John Mills, Ralph Richardson, Michael Caine, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Nanette Newman, Peter Sellers and Tony Hancock. There are no extras with the film other than the original trailer but it’s great to have an official UK release of this film from 1966.

Release Date: 17th May 2010
Catalog No: CDR10661

(DVD) AV9880 6/2/12

This first DVD release of Citizen James from Acorn Media features all known surviving episodes of this series. This is all of Series 1 (6 episodes), written by Galton & Simpson and broadcast in 1960 after Sid James finished in Hancock’s Half Hour and 2 episodes from Series 2 and Series 3(1961 and 1962) and written by Sid Green and Dick Hills (writers of Morecambe & Wise). The set includes an interview with Liz Fraser and also ‘Galton & Simpson on Citizen James. A fantastic release and hopefully the start of many releases from the historic BBC archive.

Release Date:  6th February 2012
Catalog No:    AV9880

The film Orders are Orders has been released on DVD on the Bounty Entertainment label in Australia.  As with the UK release, there are no extras on this release. Release date and catalogue are currently unknown.

Release Date:   
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Released on the Studio Canal label, this release of The Rebel is the first release of this film in its own right on DVD (previous releases have all been packaged with The Punch and Judy Man).

Release Date: 28th January 2013 
Catalog No:   B00ADSR96W

Released on the Studio Canal label, this release of The Punch and Judy Man is the first release of this film in its own right on DVD (previous releases have all been packaged with The Rebel).

Release Date: 28th January 2013 
Catalog No:  B00ADS9F8

During September 2016, the 60th anniversary of Hancock’s Half Hour, the BBC ran a Sitcom Season featuring new scripts for comedy classics such as Are You Being Served, Porridge, Goodnight Sweetheart and Keeping Up Appearances (called Young Hyacinth). In addition to 5 new sitcom pilots and a number of documentaries and quizzes, the BBC also re-created 3 lost episodes from Till Death Us Do Part, Hancock’s Half Hour and Steptoe & Son with minimalist sets and, of course, new casts.

The episodes included are:

• Till Death Us Do Part: A Woman’s Place is in the Home
• Hancock’s Half Hour: The New Neighbour
• Steptoe & Son: A Winter’s Tale.

There are bonus items including outakes, behind the Scenes and Building the Set.

Release Date: 3rd October 2016
Catalog No:   B01L1WQNEM