"Actor: Michael Parkinson"

• Ghostwatch | Blu Ray | (12/12/2022) from £13.00   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  101 Films presents Ghostwatch (1992), a BBC production that terrified Britain on 31st October 1992. Despite being part of BBC Drama's Screen One series, the presence of trusted presenters, along with the quality of the production, convinced thousands of people that the events depicted on screen were genuine, and taking place live. Title 028 on the 101 Films Black Label, this 30th anniversary edition includes a new documentary on the making of Ghostwatch. Sarah Greene and Craig Charles report from a reputedly haunted London home for the outside broadcast, while Michael Parkinson and Mike Smith stay in the warmth and safety of a BBC studio. The Early family are allegedly being harassed by the ghost 'Pipes', so named as his banging and crashing were initially attributed to bad plumbing. After a deliberately slow start the tension gradually builds, culminating in a terrifying crescendo. Although entirely fictional, the masterly combination of great scripting, intuitive direction and perfect casting made the supernatural pastiche appear frighteningly real. An inspiration to a generation of filmmakers, and years ahead of the profusion of found footage movies that would follow, Ghostwatch is regarded as a classic of the genre and remains as relevant, as terrifying, and as inspirational today. Product Features 'Do You Believe in Ghosts?', a brand new 30th anniversary documentary on the Ghostwatch phenomenon Commentary with film historians Shellie McMurdo and Stella Gaynor Commentary with writer Stephen Volk, producer Ruth Baumgarten and director Lesley Manning Shooting Reality by Lesley

• Ghostwatch | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £7.25   |  Saving you £5.74 (79.17%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The BBC broadcast 'GHOSTWATCH' on the 31st of October 1992. It seemed to be a live broadcast which was a cross between Crimewatch and the movie Poltergeist. The programme terrified Britain and caused outrage in the press. It's legacy lives on, cited as an inspiration for 'The Blair Witch Project' and Derren Brown's ''The Sance'. GHOSTWATCH is regarded as a classic of the genre and remains as relevant, as terrifying and as inspirational today. Sarah Greene and Craig Charles report from a reputedly haunted North London council house for the outside broadcast, whilst Michael Parkinson and Mike Smith stay in the warmth and 'safety' of a BBC studio. The Early family are allegedly being harrassed by the ghost 'Pipes'- so named as his banging and crashing were initially attributed to bad plumbing. After a deliberately slow start the crescendo sees children speaking in tongues, Sarah Greene sent to her doom, and Michael Parkinson possessed by an evil spirit. Although pure fiction, the masterly combination of great scripting, intuitive direction and perfect casting made the supernatural pastiche appear frighteningly real. Despite being part of BBC Drama's Screen One series, the presence of Michael Parkinson convinced thousands of people it was real. The drama caused an uproar and was banned from repeat transmission for over a decade.

• Matthews | DVD | (30/10/2017) from £5.86   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  INCLUDES ALTERNATIVE ARTWORK REVERSIBLE SLEEVE. Considered by many to be one of the greatest athletes of all time, Sir Stanley Matthews footballing skill, sportsmanship and pioneering spirit placed him light years ahead of his time. A hero to fans of England, Stoke City, Blackpool and the beautiful game itself, across a stellar career spanning 35 years, that ended at the age of 50, Matthews, who never once entered the referee s book, was the first ever recipient of the Ballon D Or, the first winner of the Football of the Year Award, and latterly, the inaugural inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame. Yet, it was how he used his status as a global sports superstar, to defy the apartheid government of South Africa, and take football to the impoverished all-black townships of Johannesburg that truly secured his legend. With never-before-seen archive footage, plus interviews including Sir Michael Parkinson, Sir Richard Branson and Gary Lineker, witness the incredible true story of one of Britain most famous and inspirational sporting sons.

• The Michael Parkinson Collection | DVD | (22/11/2010) from £15.98   |  Saving you £9.01 (56.38%)   |  RRP £24.99

  With a career spanning over 40 years Michael Parkinson is without a doubt the most successful and recognised interviewer in the country and one of the nations favourite Television personalities. For the first time on DVD comes a collection of some of the finest moments of an illustrious career. This DVD features sections of classic in-depth interviews with some of the most famous people in the world over the last 40 years. Celebrated sportsmen from Muhammad Ali to George Best to David Beckham. International actors such as Steve Martin Gwyneth Paltrow Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman Much loved comedians such as Kenneth Williams Robin Williams Dame Edna and Des O'Connor and home grown TV personalities from Stephen Fry to Jamie Oliver even Rod Hull and Emu have all sat in the chair opposite the nations favourite interview host and a bona fide national treasure Parky.

• Parky's Picks | DVD | (26/11/2012) from £4.47   |  Saving you £20.52 (459.06%)   |  RRP £24.99

  This collection celebrates the great talkers and demonstrates what the Parkinson show was all about. By concentrating in greater depth on individuals who remain fresh in the memory and high in my esteem you'll be entertained, informed and reminded that the show gave time and space for the guest to talk on whatever subject took their fancy. So sit back and enjoy the likes of Oprah Winfrey on her extraordinary childhood, Michael Caine on learning to drive Hollywood Style, Dr Jacob Bronowski’s thoughts on the morality of science, Jonathan Miller's chicken impressions, Peter Ustinov's ordeal at the hands of Japan's answer to Michael Parkinson, Dame Judi Dench on Shakespeare in the nude, Don McCullin on war photography and Bette Midler on performing in Turkish Baths.

• The Best Of Tommy Cooper | DVD | (17/05/2004) from £8.15   |  Saving you £1.84 (22.58%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Born in 1923 Welsh comedian Tommy Cooper delighted audiences until 1984 when he collapsed on stage at the end of his act and later died (and millions of TV viewers thought it was part of the act!). He has received various accolades for his work including a caricature commemoration (along with four other comedians) on the 1998 special issue of postage stamps. This BBC release compiles highlights of Tommy's long and successful career.

• The Kumars At Number 42 | DVD | (11/11/2002) from £4.99   |  Saving you £15.00 (300.60%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Meet the Kumars at No. 42. A fictional immigrant family who have bulldozed their back garden so they can build a studio on the back of their house and indulge their spoilt son Sanjeev who fancies himself as a celebrity chat show host. Each week the celebrity guests are invited onto the show to partake in the unique Kumar experience -a thorough interrogation by the entire family. Dad is keen to get down to business literally; Mum just wants what every Asian mother wants a wedding

• Ghostwatch | DVD | (25/11/2002) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-0.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  BBC TV's legendary 1992 Halloween special caused a storm of controversy. The programme went out as a 'live' telecast about a haunted house on a London estate with Michael Parkinson as anchor man in the studio Mike Smith presenting the phone-in Sarah Greene as the reporter in the house itself and Craig Charles as the Outside Broadcast interviewer. According to the press at least in the days following transmission it caused a wave of panic among the British viewing public similar

• Dockers | DVD | (29/03/2004) from £4.98   |  Saving you £1.01 (20.28%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Dockers is a landmark one-off drama suspended somewhere between Ken Loach and Alan Bleasdale's Boys from the Blackstuff. A striking Channel Four production Dockers dramatises the infamous struggle that developed when five Merseyside dockworkers were fired for refusing to work overtime with no pay, and gained the support of co-workers who wouldn't cross their picket line. As a result, those who stood in solidarity with the original five were sacked as well--500 in total--leading to a two-year stand-off. Co-written by award-winning screenwriters Jimmy McGovern (Cracker) and Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting), the two-year ordeal is brought home with startling reality, not least because of the contribution of the real-life Liverpool dockers who helped develop the script in extensive writing workshops, lending the film an authenticity it might have otherwise lacked. While the narrative hangs around the moving central story of one family in which both father and son are caught up in the strike, dramatic conflicts develop on multiple levels: between father and son; between the families of the sacked workers (this is particularly well realised as one long-time friend, played by The Royle Family's Ricky Tomlinson, turns scab); and between the workers and the union that betrays them. Ken Stott and Crissy Rock (Ladybird, Ladybird) are outstanding as the central working-class couple, old before their time at 47, and if nothing else, the film reveals one further reason why Liverpool loved Robbie Fowler quite so ferociously: during post-goal celebrations, Fowler lifts his jersey to reveal a T-shirt emblazoned with a message of support for the wronged dockers, ensuring national attention for the action at a time when all hope seemed lost. --Tricia Tuttle

• Prom At The Palace | DVD | (01/07/2002) from £9.59   |  Saving you £10.40 (108.45%)   |  RRP £19.99

  One of the most remarkable things about this recording of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Prom at the Palace--quite apart from the musical goodies on offer--is the opportunity to glimpse inside the royal garden, and see what Her Majesty's principal home looks like from the back. Who would have guessed she had her own lake? Voyeurism aside, director Bob Coles also catches the palpable sense of occasion and excitement that surrounds the concert, with some swooping camera angles and shots of a very chuffed-looking crowd. The music, introduced by Michael Parkinson, is a mix of popular favourites (Zadok the Priest, "Jupiter" from The Planets, Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks) and a few lesser-known items such as Malcolm Arnold's The Nation's Dances. The outdoor acoustic is generally handled pretty well with some sensitive microphone placement, and the soloists all sound wonderful; Angela Gheorghiu stops the show with a passionate account of "Vissi d'Arte" (from Tosca) and 13-year-old clarinettist Julian Bliss gives a remarkably assured performance of Messager's fluffy salon-piece Solo de Concours. Occasionally the BBC Symphony Orchestra loses concentration and plays somewhat scrappily--the accompaniment to Figaro's aria "Largo al Factotum" is not all it should be--but overall this is a fine souvenir of a historic concert. On the DVD: Prom at the Palace has no special features on DVD. The arias in French and Italian are all subtitled in English. All profit from the sale of the DVD will be donated to the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Trust. --Warwick Thomson

• The Mole | DVD | (23/10/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  The BBC One television series Star Portraits with Rolf Harris is both a showcase for professional portrait artists and a revealing new way of profiling famous people. It's part art show part chat show. On this episode Rolf paints Michael Parkinson Charlie Dimmock David Dickinson and Meera Syal.

• Dockers | DVD | (01/08/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Dockers is a landmark one-off drama suspended somewhere between Ken Loach and Alan Bleasdale's Boys from the Blackstuff. A striking Channel Four production Dockers dramatises the infamous struggle that developed when five Merseyside dockworkers were fired for refusing to work overtime with no pay, and gained the support of co-workers who wouldn't cross their picket line. As a result, those who stood in solidarity with the original five were sacked as well--500 in total--leading to a two-year stand-off. Co-written by award-winning screenwriters Jimmy McGovern (Cracker) and Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting), the two-year ordeal is brought home with startling reality, not least because of the contribution of the real-life Liverpool dockers who helped develop the script in extensive writing workshops, lending the film an authenticity it might have otherwise lacked. While the narrative hangs around the moving central story of one family in which both father and son are caught up in the strike, dramatic conflicts develop on multiple levels: between father and son; between the families of the sacked workers (this is particularly well realised as one long-time friend, played by The Royle Family's Ricky Tomlinson, turns scab); and between the workers and the union that betrays them. Ken Stott and Crissy Rock (Ladybird, Ladybird) are outstanding as the central working-class couple, old before their time at 47, and if nothing else, the film reveals one further reason why Liverpool loved Robbie Fowler quite so ferociously: during post-goal celebrations, Fowler lifts his jersey to reveal a T-shirt emblazoned with a message of support for the wronged dockers, ensuring national attention for the action at a time when all hope seemed lost. --Tricia Tuttle

• Ghostwatch (Limited Edition) | Blu Ray | (08/11/2022) from £54.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  101 Films presents Ghostwatch (1992), a BBC production that terrified Britain on 31st October 1992. Despite being part of BBC Drama's Screen One series, the presence of trusted presenters, along with the quality of the production, convinced thousands of people that the events depicted on screen were genuine, and taking place live. Title 028 on the 101 Films Black Label, this 30th anniversary edition includes a new documentary on the making of Ghostwatch, a new commentary, limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork, a booklet with new writing on the film and more. Sarah Greene and Craig Charles report from a reputedly haunted London home for the outside broadcast, while Michael Parkinson and Mike Smith stay in the warmth and safety of a BBC studio. The Early family are allegedly being harassed by the ghost 'Pipes', so named as his banging and crashing were initially attributed to bad plumbing. After a deliberately slow start the tension gradually builds, culminating in a terrifying crescendo. Although entirely fictional, the masterly combination of great scripting, intuitive direction and perfect casting made the supernatural pastiche appear frighteningly real. An inspiration to a generation of filmmakers, and years ahead of the profusion of found footage movies that would follow, Ghostwatch is regarded as a classic of the genre and remains as relevant, as terrifying, and as inspirational today. Product Features 'Do You Believe in Ghosts?' a brand new 30th anniversary documentary on the Ghostwatch phenomenon Commentary with film historians Shellie McMurdo and Stella Gaynor Commentary with writer Stephen Volk, producer Ruth Baumgarten and director Lesley Manning Shooting Reality by Lesley Manning Limited Edition Booklet: Includes 'Extra Sensory Perception Management' by Sarah Appleton, 'Ghostwatch - As it Happened' by Tim Murray and short story '31/10&' by Ghostwatch writer Stephen Volk Reproduced script, annotated by director Lesley Manning Set of six art cards