Comedy

• Scrubs - Series 1 | DVD | (27/06/2005) from £9.24   |  Saving you £21.75 (235.39%)   |  RRP £30.99

  The sitcom may be flatlining, but as long as there are fresh and original series like Scrubs, the prognosis isn't entirely negative. Created by Bill Lawrence, Scrubs is an interns'-eye view of hospital life and the torturous, tragic, and triumphant route to becoming a doctor. The eminently likeable Zach Braff heads the cast as "newbie" J.D., whose years of medical school haven't quite prepared him for chaotic Sacred Heart Hospital. Family Guy has nothing on the live-action Scrubs when it comes to surreal asides and fantasy sequences (for example, J.D. literally becomes the proverbial deer in the headlights when he cannot answer a medical query), pop culture references, and TV Land casting (John Ritter guest stars as J.D.'s negligent father in "My Old Man," and St. Elsewhere veterans William Daniels, Ed Begley, Jr., Stephen Furst, and Eric Laneuville appear as Legionnaire's-stricken doctors in "My Sacrifical Clam"). With surgical precision, this inaugural season charts J.D.'s growth as a doctor and a human being, and the close-knit bonds he forms with his equally overwhelmed peers and colleagues, including best friend and surgeon Chris Turk (Donald Faison), beautiful, but raw-nerved and by-the-book Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke), and supportive nurse Carla Espinoza (Judy Reyes'), who affectionately nicknames J.D. "Bambi." But at the heart of the series is J.D.'s relationship with his mentor, Dr. Cox (an Emmy-worthy John C. McGinley), a cross between Obi-Wan Kenobi and a pit bull. Giving Scrubs a further shot of adrenaline are recurring characters Jordan (Christa Miller Lawrence), Dr. Cox's satanic ex-wife, and Neil Flynn as the Janitor, who torments J.D. just as Larry Miller menaced Jerry in the Seinfeld episode "The Doorman." Scrubs' animated sensibility allows for inexplicable cameos by Jimmie Walker or, at one point, an impromptu West Side Story-esque dance-off to convey the schism between the surgeons and other doctors. But while hilariously funny, Scrubs can break your heart too, as in the two-parter "My Occurrence"/"My Hero," with guest star Brendan Fraser as Jordan's spontaneously spirited brother, who is diagnosed with leukemia, and "My Old Lady," in which J.D., Elliot, and Chris experience for the first time losing a patient. Whether you're a "newbie" or devoted viewer, this DVD release is just what the doctor ordered. --Donald Liebenson, Amazon.com

• The Full Monty | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £8.25   |  Saving you £-2.26 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Overtaking Jurassic Park as the UK's biggest box office attraction of 1998, and winning one of its four Academy Award nominations, The Full Monty was the surprise world-wide smash of the year, it's unexpected success reflecting the underdog inspiring message of the film itself. Leading a strong cast, it was Robert Carlyle's appearance here which propelled him to sex-symbol superstardom and brought him high-profile Hollywood roles in Angela's Ashes, The World is Not Enough and The Beach among others. The story revolves around the attempts of five unemployed grafters from the recession-hit industrial North to reclaim some of their dignity, which they attempt to do by the unlikely expedient of becoming male strippers. The film follows their struggle to become The Chippendales for real women, from their shambolic beginnings to their euphoric debut appearance in front of 300 hungry lasses! Saucy and spicy with a rocking soundtrack, The Full Monty tells of the triumph of spirit over adversity, reminding us that everyone can be special, no matter what their shape ... or size. This is British independent film making at its very best, exhibiting the heart-warming truthfulness captured by many UK directors, yet eschewing their often gloomy negativity for an altogether more optimistic outlook: it's a modern fairy tale in which all five Cinderellas get to go to the ball. --Paul Eisinger

• That Peter Kay Thing | DVD | (15/08/2005) from £7.47   |  Saving you £12.52 (167.60%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The award winning 'That Peter Kay Thing' not only launched the career of one of the UK's most popular comedians but was also the forerunner to the phenomenally successful 'Phoenix Nights'. Six beautifully crafted stories set in and around Bolton with Peter Kay himself playing 15 unique character creations including Mr Softee the ice cream man; Leonard the oldest paper boy in Britain; Marc Park the egocentric pop star; Phoenix Club owner Brian Potter and Max the hapless doorman. The second disc contains exclusive previously unseen footage and the original award winning pilot episode 'The Services'.

• Friday Night Dinner - The Complete Collection (Series 1 - 6) | DVD | (09/11/2020) from £29.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  INCLUDES ALL 37 EPISODES FROM SERIES 1 6 OF THE AWARD WINNING, SMASH HIT COMEDY ˜FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER'. Tuck into six glorious helpings of award-winning madness with the Goodmans as they get together for a Friday night dinner of food, family and major-league bickering. Of course every family has its eccentricities, it's just the Goodman family have made an art form of theirs. Friday Night Dinner is an original series about growing up but not growing away. It marries the ground-breaking with the familiar and, best of all, it's really, really funny. Starring: Tamsin Greig (Episodes), Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners), Paul Ritter (No Offence), Tom Rosenthal (Plebs) and Mark Heap (Benidorm). Created by award winning producer and writer Robert Popper (Peep Show, The Inbetweeners, Look Around You). The funniest comedy on TV Radio Times Too good to miss The Guardian Just perfect The Times Friday Night Dinner boasts one of the best comedy ensembles on TV- Digital Spy

• My Big Fat Greek Wedding | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £8.75   |  Saving you £11.24 (128.46%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A new comedy about thirty year old Toula, a woman who upsets her traditional Greek family when she decides to marry a high school teacher who is most definitely not Greek!

• The Simpsons: Complete Season 1 | DVD | (29/03/2004) from £22.95   |  Saving you £17.04 (74.25%)   |  RRP £39.99

  From practically the first episode, broadcast in 1989, The Simpsons impacted on planet TV like a giant multi-coloured meteor. With a claim to being the defining pop cultural phenomenon of the 1990s--hip, fast, sharp and primary--there was nothing even in rock & roll to match this. The Simpsons is possibly the greatest sitcom ever made. Although the animation was initially primitive, never before had cartoon characters been so well drawn. There had been loveable middle-aged layabouts on TV before, but Homer Simpson successfully stole their crown and out-slobbed them all in every department ("The guys at the plant are gonna have a field day with this," he grumbles in "Call of The Simpsons" as he watches scientists on a TV news item who can't decide whether he is incredibly dense or a brilliant beast). However, in this first series he isn't quite yet the bloated man-child he would become in later series; instead he's a growling patriarch with a Walter Matthau-type voice. His sensible half Marge's croak, meanwhile, has yet to settle down, while the vast cast of minor Springfield characters have yet to find their place. Bart, however, was a smash from the start: dumb as Homer but spiky-haired and resourceful, he sets out his manifesto in "Bart the Genius"; while "Moaning Lisa" spotlights his over-achieving sister and is a good early example of the series' clever handling of melancholy bass notes. Throughout its life there's always been confusion as to whether The Simpsons is a show for kids or adults, but with allusions in these first 13 episodes to Kubrick, Diane Arbus, Citizen Kane and (in a very satisfyingly anti-French episode) Manon des Sources, it should already have been clear that this was a programme for all ages and all IQs from 0 to 200. Dysfunctional they may have been, but the Simpsons stuck together, and audiences stuck with them into the 21st century. --David Stubbs On the DVD: The packaging is good but the 13 episodes are spread very thinly here, with just five each on discs one and two . The commentary track is intermittently interesting though a tad repetitive, as creator David Groening is joined by various other members of the team. The third disc has some neat extra stuff, including outtakes, the original Tracey Ullman Show shorts and a five-minute BBC documentary, but is again fairly brief. The menu interfaces are pretty clunky, annoyingly forcing you to watch endless copyright warnings after each episode and with no facility to "play all". The content is wonderful, of course, but three discs looks like overkill. --Mark Walker

• Sliding Doors | DVD | (06/08/2001) from £6.98   |  Saving you £10.27 (179.55%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Nice concept, shaky execution--that about sums up the mixed blessings of British actor Peter Howitt's intelligent but forgivably flawed debut as a writer-director. It's got more emotional depth than most frothy romantic comedies and its central idea--the parallel tracking of two possible destinies for a young London professional played by Gwyneth Paltrow--is full of involving possibilities. It's essentially a what-if scenario with Helen (Paltrow) at the centre of two slightly but significantly different romantic trajectories, one involving her two-timing boyfriend (John Lynch)and the other with an amiable chap (John Hannah) who represents a happier outcome. That's the film's basic problem, however: the two scenarios are so romantically unbalanced (one guy's a total cad, the other charmingly sincere) that Helen inadvertently comes off looking foolish and needlessly confused. Still, this remains a pleasant experiment and Howitt's dialogue is witty enough to keep things entertaining. It's also a treat for Paltrow fans; not only does the svelte actress handle a British accent without embarrassing herself but she gets to play two subtle variations of the same character, sporting different wardrobes and hairstyles in a role that plays into her glamorous off-screen persona. --Jeff Shannon

• Groundhog Day | DVD | (18/02/2002) from £7.55   |  Saving you £12.44 (164.77%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Bill Murray does warmth in Groundhog Day, a romantic fantasy about a wacky weatherman forced to relive one strange day over and over again, until he gets it right. Snowed in during a road-trip expedition to watch the famous groundhog encounter his shadow, Murray falls into a time warp that is never explained but pays off so richly that it doesn't need to be. Director Harold Ramis (who co-starred with Murray in Ghostbusters) takes an absurd situation and explores its every imaginable comic possibility. The elaborate loop-the-loop plot structure cooked up by screenwriter Danny Rubin is crystal-clear every step of the way, but it is Murray's world-class reactive timing that makes the jokes explode, and we end up looking forward to each new variation. Because none of the other characters are aware that Groundhog Day is continually repeating itself, Murray goes through a repertoire of responses, from conniving lust for Rita (Andie MacDowell) to gleeful nihilism to a Zen resignation worthy of Buster Keaton. Groundhog Day manages the rare feat of producing belly laughs in abundance and also being genuinely wise about the human condition. --David Chute, Amazon.com On the DVD: the disc presents the movie in a 1.85:1 ratio and with Dolby surround sound. There are trailers for Groundhog Day, Ghostbusters and Multiplicity, along with filmographies for Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Andie McDowell and Chris Elliot. This remastered edition also comes with an extended documentary "The Weight of Time", which offers insights into the "European"-style script and production difficulties, but is a little over-lavish in its praise of the actors on set. Thought-provokingly, the documentary also touches upon the spiritual nature of the movie and what it has meant to an audience beyond being a simple comedy. Also included here is a director’s commentary by Ramis which, although informative, has too many long breaks and would surely have benefited from the addition of Bill Murray to the conversation. --Nikki Disney

• Peter Kay - Live At The Top Of The Tower | DVD | (22/11/2004) from £4.90   |  Saving you £15.09 (307.96%)   |  RRP £19.99

  For his first video Live at the Top of the Tower, Bolton comedian, actor and Channel 4 star Peter Kay returns to his roots--both as a stand up and by performing live in Blackpool, his childhood haunt. Bolstered by the acclaim heaped on his two television series (That Peter Kay Thing and Phoenix Nights), Kay is very much at the top of his game. Odd then that his live routine suffers from something of a false start, relying on characters from and references to his TV show and an awkward batch of jokes. Once settled though, Kay happily emerges as one of the funniest men in the country. His humour is fairly traditional in its sources but succeeds by its very universality. Much is made both of his family life and growing up in the 1980s, the reasons why he makes such a great guest on the rash of television shows dissecting the decade. His style will be very familiar to fans of Phoenix Nights (his words on the Northern club circuit: "tomorrow's acts at yesterday's prices, today"--are straight from his Brian Potter character) and his acting and writing have obviously been hugely influenced by his life as a stand up. He emerges from the video as a great visual comic, a brilliant mimic and an inspired observationalist--his piece on the perils of Teletext is one of the highlights. Those who have taken to the likes of Mark Park, Cheryl Avenue, Jerry Sinclair and Kay's countless other creations should not hesitate when it comes to Live at the Top of the Tower, nor should anyone else with a sense of humour. --Phil Udell

• Yes Minister & Yes Prime Minister Complete Boxset | DVD | (16/10/2006) from £21.21   |  Saving you £-8.22 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Yes Minister: (1980 - 1984) From the minds of Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay comes the complete box set of all three series of Yes Minister. First-class political satire and a worldwide favourite seen in over 80 countries Yes Minister is well-known for being closer to the truth than those in the political arena would like to admit. Re-live the exploits of the amiable and honourable Jim Hacker and his permanent Secretary the urbane but evasive Sir Humphrey Appleby as they balance the intricacies of government bureaucracy. The four-disc set contains the complete Yes Minister collection from Hacker's arrival on the political arena as Minister of Administrative Affairs through to the extraordinary events that turned Jim Hacker MP into Jim Hacker PM. Yes Prime Minister (1986 - 1988): Following his stout stand against the Eurosausage The Rt Hon James Hacker was propelled along the corridors of power to the very pinnacle of politics - No. 10. Fortunately for the country however his scheming adversary Sir Humphrey Appleby finds himself in the exalted position of Cabinet Secretary. Appleby is more than willing to steer the unsteady ship of state through the perilous waters of government... Features every episode from both seasons of Yes Prime Minister.

• American Pie 2 - Deluxe Collector's Edition DUAL FORMAT | Blu Ray | (02/06/2025) from £29.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The characters you love are back! One year after the prom-night misadventures immortalised in American Pie, the entire gang has reunited for the summer. Now, an innocent-looking beach house will be transformed into the ultimate party-central. Five guys will discover the powerful bonds of friendship and Super Glue. Five girls will explore the mysteries of love and the Rule of Three. And from late-night band camp encounters to some very accommodating next-door neighbours, this will be one summer vacation none of them will ever forget. This first followup to the coming of Age classic has now been remastered in 4K HDR10 and Dolby Vision from the original negatives, exclusively by 88 Films. BRAND NEW 4K REMASTERS OF BOTH THE THEATRICAL VERSION AND UNRATED VERSION FROM THE ORIGINAL NEGATIVES PRESENTED IN ULTRA HIGH DEFINITION (2160P) IN 1.85:1 ASPECT RATIO, PRESENTED IN DOLBY VISION HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR10 COMPATIBLE),HIGH DEFINITION (1080P) BLU-RAY(TM) IN 1.85:1 ASPECT RATIO ALSO INCLUDED, 5.1 DTS-HD MASTER AUDIO, 2.0 DTS-HD MASTER AUDIO, OPTIONAL ENGLISH SUBTITLES, AUDIO COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR JB ROGERS [THEATRICAL CUT], AUDIO COMMENTARY WITH WRITER ADAM HERZ [THEATRICAL CUT], AUDIO COMMENTARY WITH ACTORS JASON BIGGS, MENA SUVARI, AND THOMAS IAN NICHOLAS [THEATRICAL CUT], AUDIO COMMENTARY WITH ACTOR EDDIE KAYE THOMAS [THEATRICAL CUT], DELETED SCENES, THE TEMPTATION OF OZ, STIFLER'S DAD MOVES IN, STIFLER'S DAD MEETS JIM'S DAD, OUTTAKES, THE BAKING OF AMERICAN PIE 2 FEATURETTE, GOOD TIMES WITH THE CAST FEATURETTE, BE LIKE THAT MUSIC VIDEO BY 3 DOORS DOWN, THEATRICAL TRAILER (WITH JASON BIGGS INTRO), BEHIND THE SCENES STILLS GALLERY, FEATURES O-RING WITH NEW ARTWORK BY TOMMY POCKET, FEATURES RIGID SLIP CASE WITH CLASSIC POSTER ATWORK, FEATURES 40 PAGE PERFECT BOUND BOOK OF CAST AND CREW STILLS AND BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTOS

• Fisherman's Friends 2: One and All | DVD | (07/11/2022) from £7.95   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The sequel to the 2019 hit UK comedy charts the next instalment of the Fisherman's Friends amazing and uplifting true story. Following the unexpected success of their debut album No Hopers, Jokers and Rogues we rejoin the world's oldest 'buoy band' a year later struggling to navigate the pressures, pitfalls, and temptations of their newfound fame. Fisherman's Friends One And All follows the celebrated shanty singers through the highs and lows as lifelong friendships are put to the test and they battle the dreaded 'curse of the second album'. Product Features B-roll Featurette (TBC)

• One Foot in the Grave Complete Series 1 - 6 Box Set | DVD | (04/10/2010) from £31.89   |  Saving you £-11.33 (N/A%)   |  RRP £20.56

  Who would have thought retirement could be so chaotic? Certainly not querulous Victor Meldrew one of tree-lined suburbia's perennial complainers or his long suffering wife Margaret. When he's forced to take early retirement Victor suddenly has plenty of time on his hands to rage against the petty annoyances of life. But there's one thing to remember in the Meldrew household - whatever can go wrong often does and it usually spells disaster for Victor... Series 1: 1. Alive and Buried 2 The Big Sleep 3 The Valley of Fear 4 I'll Retire to Bedlam 5 The Eternal Quadrangle 6 The Return of the Speckled Band Series 2: 1. In Luton Airport No-One Can Hear You Scream 2. We Have Put Her Living In The Tomb 3. Dramatic Fever 4. Who Will Buy? 5. Love And Death 6. Timeless Time Series 3: 1. Monday Morning Will Be Fine 2. Dreamland 3. The Broken Reflection 4. The Beast In The Cage 5. Beware The Trickster On The Roof 6. The Worst Horror Of All Series 4: 1. The Pit and the Pendulum 2. Descent into the Maelstorm 3. Hearts of Darkness 4. Warm Champagne 5. The Trial 6. The Seceret of Seven Sorcerers Series 5: 1. The Man Who Blew Away 2. Only A Story 3. The Affair Of The Hollow Lady 4. Rearranging The Dust 5. Hole In The Sky 6. The Exterminating Angel 7. The Wisdom Of The Witch (Christmas Special episode) Series 6: 1. The Executioner's Song 2. Tales Of Terror 3. Futility Of The Fly 4. Threatening Weather 5. The Dawn Of Man 6. Things Aren't Simple Anymore

• A Bad Moms Christmas | DVD | (05/03/2018) from £8.75   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS follows our three under-appreciated and over-burdened moms (Amy, Kiki, and Carla) as they rebel against the challenges and expectations of Christmas in hopes of creating a more perfect holiday for their families. And if that was hard enough, they have to do all of that while hosting and entertaining their ultimate holiday foes: their own mothers. By the end of the journey, our moms have redefined how to make the holidays special for their families and it ends up bringing them closer to their own moms.

• Mannequin | DVD | (06/01/2003) from £6.95   |  Saving you £6.04 (86.91%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Made in 1987, Mannequin represents everything that was naff about late-80s Hollywood: from its bland, boxy, electro-rock soundtrack to its sub-Sarah Ferguson fashion sense to its tawdry sets, flimsy characterisation and cheap slapstick humour (including the mandatory amusing dog). It might be centuries before its radioactive awfulness dies down enough to make it watchable, even as kitsch. Mannequin is notionally a romantic comedy in which Andrew McCarthy plays a luckless department store employee and Kim (Sex and the City) Cattrall is an Egyptian Princess reincarnated as a shop window dummy, who comes to life when she encounters McCarthy, only to revert to mannequin status when anyone but McCarthy is watching her. With her encouragement, he becomes emboldened in his career as a window decorator as well as falling in love with the Princess. James Spader's oily, stammery executive is just one of the many examples of a film that tries way too hard to be funny, the sort of characterisation that would be barely adequate for a comic TV ad, let alone a 90-minute movie. Still, for fans of Sex and the City who might want to feast upon the spectacle of a younger Kim Cattrall, Mannequin might offer a measure of relief. On DVD: Mannequin on disc has just the original trailer as an extra, while no amount of DVD enhancement can conceal the tawdry feel of this movie. --David Stubbs

• American Beauty | DVD | (02/07/2006) from £4.90   |  Saving you £15.09 (307.96%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Provoked by forbidden passions, Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) decides to make a few changes in his rut of a life

• Fisherman's Friends | DVD | (08/07/2019) from £6.38   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  British comedy drama based on a true story. While on a stag weekend in Cornwall, London music executive Danny (Daniel Mays) is tasked with signing a group of local fishermen who perform together as part-time sea shanty singers. Despite the uphill challenge of convincing all of the ten men, who want no part of fame or fortune, to sign with him, Danny embeds himself in the community and succeeds, only to find out from his boss that the idea to sign them was just a big joke. Unwilling to go back on his word, Danny attempts to convince another label to offer them a real contract. The cast also includes James Purefoy, Tuppence Middleton and David Hayman.

• Beat the Devil (DVD + Blu-ray) | Blu Ray | (16/03/2020) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Humphrey Bogart stars in this classic adventure comedy directed by John Huston and written by Truman Capote. One of a disparate group of fortune-seekers looking to claim uranium-rich land East Africa, a hard-up Billy Dannreuther (Bogart) faces the swindling machinations of his cohorts as they await passage from an Italian port. But with scheming and ruses aplenty, will this motley crew miss the boat completely...? Presented in a new 4K restoration, this wry send-up of noir classics including Huston's own The Maltese Falcon - features an all-star cast including Jennifer Jones, Gina Lollobrigida and Peter Lorre . Special Features: Presented in High Definition and Standard Definiton **FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Fully illustrated booklet featuring new writing on the film

• Cool Runnings | DVD | (22/01/2001) from £8.25   |  Saving you £6.74 (81.70%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Based on an improbable but true story, Cool Runnings concerns the Jamaican bobsled team that competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics. Director Jon Turteltaub (Phenomenon) does a fine job with both the absurdity of the situation (the athletes had never even seen snow) and the passion behind it (their desire to compete and win). John Candy, in one of his last roles, is touching as a disgraced coach who seizes the opportunity to work with the Jamaicans as a chance for redemption. The bobsled scenes look good and the races are exciting. The climax, which is entirely unexpected, takes the film to a wholly different level, even if events in the story don't quite match the facts. --Tom Keogh

• 9 To 5 | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £6.99   |  Saving you £6.00 (85.84%)   |  RRP £12.99

  At 'Consolidated' the office manager (Tomlin) the vice president's secretary (Parton) and the newest employee (Fonda) become great friends as they share their resentment about their egotistical sexist boss (Dabney Coleman). When they inadvertently get a chance to take revenge they institute a host of popular office procedures in his absence - even as their scheme spins wildly out of control! Full of witty social commentary this delightful comedy marks Dolly Parton's first film d