"Actor: Nigel Pegram"

• Roberts Robots - Series 1 | DVD | (02/08/2010) from £8.98   |  Saving you £6.00 (85.84%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Brilliant inventor Robert Sommerby is head of a research establishment that is engaged in a very special secret project: the development of robots. Far from the crude, lumbering, steelc-lawed automatons of sci-fi films, Robert's robots are humanoid in appearance and ultrasophisticated in design, with highly developed electronic brains, fast reflexes and smooth, natural movement. Naturally, there are personality clashes; Eric is Robert's most advanced robot, who thinks humans are quite disgusting with their revolting habits like eating, while K.T. (aka Katie) is big, strong, and very stupid - he has a tendency to walk through doors and is generally kept away from guests. The eccentric Robert encounters all sorts of problems - not least, the devious activities of Marken, head of an acquisitive electronics company, and his seedy private eye, Gimble, who will try anything to discover Robert's secret project. But he has his doting Aunt Millie and lovely fiancée Angela to help out, and he's just about tolerated by at least some of his robots - who are fair-minded enough to concede that he is, after all, only human! From Bob Block, the creator of Rentaghost, Roberts Robots stars John Clive as Robert and Magpie presenter Jenny Hanley as Angela, this release comprises all seven episodes of series one, originally transmitted in 1973.

• Roberts Robots - Series 2 | DVD | (01/07/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Brilliant inventor Robert Sommerby is head of a research establishment engaged in a very special secret project: the development of robots. Far from the crude, lumbering, steel-clawed automatons of sci-fi films, Robert's robots are humanoid in appearance and ultra-sophisticated in design, with highly developed electronic brains, fast reflexes and smooth, natural movement. Naturally, there are personality clashes; Eric is Robert's most advanced robot, who thinks humans are quite disgusting with their revolting habits like eating, while K.T. (aka Katie) is big, strong, and very stupid - he has a tendency to walk right through doors and is generally kept away from guests. The eccentric Robert encounters all sorts of problems - not least, the devious activities of Marken, head of an acquisitive electronics company, and his seedy private eye, Gimble, who will try anything to discover Robert's secret project. But he has his doting Aunt Millie and lovely fiancée Angela to help out, and he's just about tolerated by at least some of his robots - who are fair-minded enough to concede that he is, after all, only human.

• Proteus | DVD | (07/10/2002) from £17.82   |  Saving you £-14.83 (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  A conventional but spirited monster-at-loose quickie, Proteus stars British hulk Craig Fairbrass (Beyond Bedlam) as an undercover cop marooned with a gang of panicky drug dealers (played by Americans no one has heard from since 1995) on an oilrig-cum-unethical-genetics research station where a shape-shifting creature is on the prowl, mostly impersonating human beings but occasionally appearing as a giant shark-person. The Thing-like creature absorbs personality traits from the victims it absorbs, so--in a gag reminiscent of the cancerous liver gambit from Forbidden World (1983)--it is finally defeated because it becomes a heroin addict. There is a neat joke about the way the towering hero is constantly beaten up by people far shorter than he is, and Fairbrass's fed-up mockney patter sometimes wrings a few laughs from lines like "f***ing typical--you can never find a mutated monster when you want one!" The sick humour and weird science that were the strengths of the original novel (Slimer, written by screenwriter John Brosnan and Leroy Kettle under the significantly initialled pseudonym Harry Adam Knight) is hammered out in favour of rubbery goop effects and familiar running-around waterlogged corridors being pursued by a red-filtered subjective camera. Doug ("Pinhead") Bradley shows up in old-age make-up as the evil industrialist behind the monster-making programme in the last reel, and effects man director Bob Keen stages an especially gross death scene for the villain as he chokes on a huge scaly tentacle in what looks like an outtake from a gay porn film. On the DVD: An extras-free package, full-screen transfer, and a lot of strange colour distortions that make some dark scenes look like photographic negatives. --Kim Newman

• All Dogs Go To Heaven | DVD | (22/04/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  From the same kennel as An American Tail ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN was a favourite for all children (and adults) when it was first released in 1989 and now it's destined to attract a whole new generation of fans. Burt Reynolds provides the voice for Charlie B. Barkin a loveable canine rogue who's been doing time in the dog-pound for his sins. With the help of his faithful friend Itchy (Dom De Luise) he escapes and discovers that his previous partner-in-crime Carface (Vic Tayback) is now incredibly wealthy. Not only that but Carface has decided that Charlie is now superfluous and wipes him out. At the pearly gates he's refused entry to heaven by the Heavenly Whippet (Melba Moore) as it seems that there is no evidence of Charlie doing any good deeds during his lifetime. Charlie returns to earth where he discovers Carface's secret - a little orphan girl with the remarkable ability to talk to animals who Carface uses to predict racing winners. Charlie kidnaps Ann-Marie hoping to ruin Carface and make a fortune at the races but Ann-Marie believes she has found a good pal. The pair are united in a delightful musical adventure through the animated-animal population of the underworld of New Orleans. All manner of rascally criminals are pursuing Ann-Marie but with the help of reformed German shepherd Charlie she defeats them. This is a classic childrens' fantasy adventure film packed with thrills laughter and puppy love.