"Actor: Derek"

• Gathering Storm | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £7.19   |  Saving you £6.80 (94.58%)   |  RRP £13.99

  The Gathering Storm is a fictionalised portrayal of Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine during their wilderness years of the 1930s. It deservedly won numerous awards, including an Emmy, BAFTA and Golden Globe in recognition of Albert Finney's wonderful central performance. Equally deserving were those for all aspects of the production design: period wardrobe, set dressing and use of location are equally impressive, apparently ensuring that this production has everything going for it in its depiction of pre-War Britain. The snag is that its restriction to TV movie format, a mere 90 minutes, excludes a lot of historical context that ought not to have been left out. Seeing Churchill's adoration of his wife (Vanessa Redgrave) or the family woes troubling Ralph Wigram (Linus Roache) is all very emotionally dramatic, but it uses precious screen time that might have been better devoted to highlighting the political situation abroad, or indeed the monarchy's situation at home. The enterprise smacks a little too much of sentimental contrivance, lionising Churchill in rose-tinted retrospect. True, some attempt is made to acknowledge the personality traits that excluded him both from office and popularity prior to Germany's re-building, but like so much else pertinent to the machinations of anticipating the war, these are glossed over for familial feel-goodery and button-pushing poignancy. This is a film that's easy to admire, but ought not to be mistaken for well-rounded history. On the DVD: The Gathering Storm doesn't look or sound quite as crisp and clear as you'd hope for a recent TV-movie transfer. That's down to some obvious grain in the picture, and the 2.0 surround audio that tends to lose quieter dialogue moments. There are extensive cast and crew biographies that will no doubt help international viewers place the naggingly familiar British faces. There's also the accumulatively enthusiastic commentary from director Richard Loncraine and producer Frank Doelger, which happily points many of them out. --Paul Tonks

• Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans | DVD | (25/11/2019) from £3.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Atti is a Roman teenager with brains but very little brawn. When one of his schemes falls foul of Emperor Nero, Atti is forced to join the army and is sent to miserable, cold, wet Britannia where the natives are revolting - quite literally. Things go from bad to worse when Atti is captured by Orla, a feisty teenage Celt and he uses his Roman smarts to help save her grandmother. Meanwhile a furious Nero has ordered more troops to crush the rebellion, led by Boudicca, warrior Queen of the Iceni tribe. Atti rejoins his fellow Romans and as the armies prepare for an historic showdown at the Battle of Watling Street, the two new friends find themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield.

• Gladiator (2000) - Two Disc Set | DVD | (20/11/2000) from £5.44   |  Saving you £19.55 (359.38%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Upon the sudden death of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, his trusted and successful general Narcissus Meridas is unlawfully imprisoned and condemned to the gladiator games by Marcus's twisted son Commodus.

• The Sound Of Music | DVD | (28/11/2005) from £4.99   |  Saving you £10.00 (200.40%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Share the magical heartwarming true-life story that has become the most popular family film of all time - Rodgers and Hammersteins The Sound Of Music. Julie Andrews lights up the screen as Maria the spirited young woman who leaves the convent to become governess to the seven children of Captain von Trapp an autocratic widower whose strict household rules leave no room for music or merriment. Winner of five Academy Awards including Best Picture this timeless cla

• Heartbeat - The Complete Eighth Series | DVD | (24/10/2011) from £33.24   |  Saving you £16.75 (50.39%)   |  RRP £49.99

  Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield, this phenomenally popular series stars Jason Durr as PC Mike Bradley, the former Metropolitan Police officer whose work now takes him into the heart of rural community life.Staple Sunday-night viewing for two decades, with colourful regular characters that viewers took to their heart, illustrious guest stars and a wonderfully nostalgic soundtrack, Heartbeat scooped many prestigious awards - including Best Performing Peak-Time Drama in 1999 (beating Coronation Street), and several ITV Programme of the Year awards. Attracting a peak audience of 14 million and spawning a highly successful spin-off, The Royal, the series has garnered a devoted following and remains prime-time viewing world-wide.Mike Bradley is still feeling his way with his new posting to Aidensfield - having to contend with stolen radioactive isotopes, witchcraft, babysnatching, murderous intent, UFOs and the continual bad behaviour of one Claude Jeremiah Greengrass!

• Last Tango In Halifax Christmas Special 2016 | DVD | (23/01/2017) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Two years have passed since series three. Caroline is about to embark on a new headship at a challenging state school which means moving her family out of the beautiful home in Harrogate to a farm house with potential. Having agreed to host Christmas Day, Caroline is overwhelmed by so much change. But a chance encounter with a new acquaintance gives her a different perspective. Gillian is racked with guilt over Eddie's death and is convinced he's haunting her and Robbie. A séance at Caroline's new, supposedly haunted, house is enough to tip Gillian over the edge as she makes a life-changing decision. Meanwhile, in a bid to keep her brain active, Celia joins the local amateur dramatics club, encouraging Alan to do the same. But Alan is forced to admit that his memory isn't what it used to be, leaving the part wide open for Harry, much to Celia's disdain.

• Never the Twain: The Complete Series | DVD | (21/10/2019) from £41.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Starring Donald Sinden and Windsor Davies as two curmudgeonly antique dealers, Never the Twain rapidly became one of Thames Television's most popular comedies. Created by sitcom legend Johnnie Mortimer who, with Brian Cooke, created Father Dear Father, Man About the House and George and Mildred this classic comedy was a constant favourite with the viewers throughout its whopping ten year run. Showcasing guest appearances by Honor Blackman, Gabrielle Drake, Barbara Murray, Prunella Scales and Christopher Ellison, this set contains all eleven series and the 1989 Christmas special. Simon Peel and Oliver Smallbridge are not the easiest of neighbours. Simon is a blue blooded Oxbridge snob while Oliver is a former barrowboy with a chip on his shoulder the only thing they have in common is a willingness to stoop to endless lengths to do the other down. But when Simon's son and Oliver's daughter begin to show more than a passing interest in each other, what was a mutual cold war rapidly turns into something decidedly hotter!

• Heartbeat - The Complete Series 9 | DVD | (06/02/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £49.99

  Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield, this phenomenally popular series interweaves crime and medical storylines, with colourful regular characters that viewers took to their heart, illustrious guests and a wonderfully nostalgic soundtrack. Staple Sunday-night viewing for two decades, Heartbeat scooped many prestigious awards including Best Performing Peak-Time Drama in 1999 (beating Coronation Street), and several ITV Programme of the Year awards. Attracting a peak audience of 14 million and spawning a highly successful spin-off, The Royal, the series has garnered a devoted following and remains prime-time viewing world-wide.This ninth series finds PC Mike Bradley and feisty solicitor Jackie planning a quiet wedding, while district nurse Maggie comes to terms with life as a single mum, and barmaid Gina continues to be unlucky in love. Charlotte Church, Judy Cornwell, Phyllis Logan and George Sewell guest-star, with Take That's Gary Barlow appearing in the series' 150th edition.

• The Beatles : Anthology | DVD | (31/03/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £45.99

  The Beatles Anthology was initially broadcast as a TV miniseries to run alongside the series of three Anthology double-CD albums. This set of eight documentaries has the heft and scope of one of Ken Burns' expansive projects. Still, you may find yourself with more material--particularly about the Beatles' early lives as lads in Liverpool--than you'll want to watch. The documentary material is copious, including early performance films and tapes, at the point before they found their true voices. The actual Beatlemania years--beginning in 1963 and concluding in 1970--feature extensive performance films, as well as home movies and archival material. The best parts, of course, are the interviews with the Beatles themselves, who produced the entire thing. Along with reworking two previously unreleased John Lennon tracks as "new Beatles songs", the Anthology includes some unseen Lennon interview tapes so that his acerbic voice can be heard as well. This stands as a comprehensive document of that heady period, the second coming of rock & roll, as the Beatles took what Elvis had started and expanded upon it exponentially. This box set gives a solid sense of the historical context and the way these four musicians changed the world around them in the 1960s. --Marshall Fine

• Heartbeat - The Complete Series 11 | DVD | (27/08/2012) from £23.75   |  Saving you £26.24 (110.48%)   |  RRP £49.99

  Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield, this phenomenally popular series stars Jason Durr as PC Mike Bradley, the former Metropolitan officer whose work takes him into the heart of rural community life. Staple Sunday-night viewing for two decades, with colourful regular characters that viewers took to their hearts and a wonderfully nostalgic soundtrack, Heartbeat scooped many prestigious awards including Best Performing Peak-Time Drama in 1999 (beating Coronation Street), and a number of ITV Programme of the Year awards. Attracting a peak audience of 14 million and spawning a highly successful spin-off, The Royal, the series has garnered a devoted following, remaining prime-time viewing world-wide. Guest-starring Leslie Grantham, Celia Imrie, Peter Vaughan, Robert Glenister and Jan Francis, this series sees ex-CID man Dennis Merton replacing the newly promoted Sgt. Craddock. Facing some of Aidensfield s most dramatic situations, Mike and Dr. Tricia Summerbee discover an increasing mutual attraction; but when a violent case leaves Tricia fighting for her life, it seems Mike could lose her just as their relationship has begun to flourish...

• Biker Boyz | DVD | (02/07/2006) from £7.13   |  Saving you £10.86 (152.31%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Laurence Fishburne stars as 'The King of Cali,' president of a Californian motorcycle club made up of professional African American men who exchange their suits and ties at night for leather outfits and motorcycle helmets.

• Chariots Of Fire | DVD | (20/06/2005) from £5.96   |  Saving you £7.03 (117.95%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The come-from-behind winner of the 1981 Oscar for Best Picture, Chariots of Fire either strikes you as either a cold exercise in mechanical manipulation or as a tale of true determination and inspiration. The heroes are an unlikely pair of young athletes who ran for Great Britain in the 1924 Paris Olympics: devout Protestant Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a divinity student whose running makes him feel closer to God, and Jewish Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), a highly competitive Cambridge student who has to surmount the institutional hurdles of class prejudice and anti-Semitism. There's delicious support from Ian Holm (as Abrahams's coach) and John Gielgud and Lindsay Anderson as a couple of Cambridge fogies. Vangelis's soaring synthesised score, which seemed to be everywhere in the early 1980s, also won an Oscar. Chariots of Fire was the debut film of British television commercial director Hugh Hudson (Greystoke) and was produced by David Puttnam. --Jim Emerson

• I Claudius - Complete BBC Series (5 Disc Box Set) | DVD | (30/09/2002) from £28.99   |  Saving you £-19.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.98

  Originally transmitted in the autumn of 1976 I Claudius redefined the boundaries of television with an epic story spanning the annals of Roman history - from the mighty Augustus to the madness of Caligula. One of the jewels in the crown of BBC historical drama this timeless classic features inspirational performances by an all-star cast. This five-disc box set contains all thirteen 50 minute episodes: 1. A Touch of Murder 2. Waiting in the Wings 3. What Shall We Do About Claudius? 4. Poison is Queen 5. Some Justice 6. Queen of Heaven 7. Reign of Terror 8. Zeus By Jove! 9. Hail Who? 10. Fool's Luck 11. A God in Colchester 12. Old King Log

• Exodus | DVD | (02/02/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Otto Preminger's 1960 adaptation of Leon Uris's novel Exodus is a sprawling tale of the founding of modern Israel, starring Paul Newman as a resistance leader. The film works best as an example of Preminger's estimable skill with all levels of drama and action, but as a reflection upon history it is compromised by stereotypes, unpersuasive relationships and a certain moral ambivalence about issues related to the subject. There are good and exciting sequences, however, particularly one involving an effort to break through a British blockade and get to the homeland. --Tom Keogh

• Henry V | DVD | (10/08/2015) from £5.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Very few first-time film directors would have been capable of making such a triumphant adaptation of Henry V; but a still-youthful Kenneth Branagh's years of stage experience paid off handsomely and his 1989 version qualifies as a genuine masterpiece, the kind of film that comes along once in a decade. He eschews the theatricality of Laurence Olivier's stirring, fondly remembered 1945 adaptation to establish his own rules: Branagh plays it down and dirty, seeing the Bard's play through revisionist eyes, framing it as an anti-war story in contrast to Olivier's patriotic spectacle. Branagh gives us harsh close-ups of muddied, bloody men, and of himself as Henry, his hardened mouth and wilful eyes revealing much about the personal cost of war. Not that the director-star doesn't provide lighter moments: his scenes introducing the French Princess Katherine (Emma Thompson) trying to learn English quickly from her maid are delightful. What may be the crowning glory of Branagh's adaptation comes when the dazed leader wanders across the battlefield, not even sure who has won. As King Hal carries a dead boy (a young Christian Bale) over the hacked bodies of both the English and French, a panorama of blood and mud and death greet the viewer as Branagh opens up the scene and Patrick Doyle's rousing hymn "Non nobis, Domine" provides marvellous counterpoint (like the director, the composer was another filmic first-timer). A more potent expression of the price of victory could scarcely be imagined. --Rochelle O'Gorman, Amazon.com

• Harry's Game | DVD | (22/08/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Harry's Game is the story of two killers. One is Billy Downes (Derek Thompson) cold-blooded assassin of a British Cabinet Minister. The other is Harry Brown (Ray Lonnen) Captain by rank and with orders to eliminate the IRA hitman in his own backyard - the Falls Road Belfast. Both men believe their cause is just. But only one can win. Harry's game - to find the identity of the killer and destroy him before his cover is blown... With powerful performances from Ray Lon

• Friday Night Lights | DVD | (05/09/2005) from £4.89   |  Saving you £11.10 (226.99%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Billy Bob Thornton stars as a straight arrow coach in this High School football flick set in the west Texas town of Odessa

• House of Cards - Season 4 | DVD | (04/07/2016) from £2.99   |  Saving you £32.00 (1,070.23%)   |  RRP £34.99

  They've always been a great team. But now Frank (Golden Globe® winner Kevin Spacey) and Claire (Golden Globe® winner Robin Wright) become even greater adversaries as their marriage stumbles and their ambitions are at odds. Click Images to Enlarge

• Heartbeat - The Complete Fifth Series | DVD | (18/07/2011) from £11.99   |  Saving you £30.00 (300.30%)   |  RRP £39.99

  Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield and initially starring former EastEnder Nick Berry as PC Nick Rowan this enduringly popular series interweaves crime and medical storylines with a host of colourful characters that viewers took to their hearts and a wonderfully nostalgic soundtrack. Running for two successful decades and becoming staple Sunday-night viewing Heartbeat won several prestigious TV awards including Best Performing Peak-Time Drama in 1999 (beating Coronation Street) and a number of ITV Programme of the Year awards. The series attracted a peak audience of 14 million spawned a highly successful spin-off The Royal and a Top Ten hit single and has garnered a devoted following remaining prime-time viewing world-wide. In this complete fifth series the love story between Nick and Kate ends in tragedy and a dark cloud of shock and grief gathers over Nick as he is forced to move into a new and traumatising chapter in his life.

• Heartbeat - The Complete Series 10 | DVD | (26/03/2012) from £28.01   |  Saving you £21.98 (78.47%)   |  RRP £49.99

  Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield, this phenomenally popular series stars Jason Durr as PC Mike Bradley, the former Metropolitan officer whose work takes him into the heart of rural community life.Staple Sunday-night viewing for two decades, with colourful regular characters that viewers took to their hearts and a wonderfully nostalgic soundtrack, Heartbeat scooped many prestigious awards including Best Performing Peak-Time Drama in 1999 (beating Coronation Street), and a number of ITV Programme of the Year awards. Attracting a peak audience of 14 million and spawning a highly successful spin-off, The Royal, the series has garnered a devoted following and remains prime-time viewing world-wide.Guest-starring John Nettles, David Essex, Russ Abbot, Jean Alexander and Susan Jameson, among others, this series sees Mike and solicitor Jackie settling into married life, and new doctor Tricia Summerbee (Clare Calbraith) arriving at Ashfordly Hospital. There's romance for Gina and PC Phil Bellamy, while at the station Sergeant Craddock and his team face some of their toughest cases yet...