"Director: Philip Saville"

• Boys from the Blackstuff | DVD | (26/05/2003) from £7.99   |  Saving you £-0.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £7.00

  Alan Bleasdale's Boys from the Blackstuff gripped television audiences in 1982 with its bleak, fiercely funny exploration of the effect of the UK's economic depression on a group of Merseyside characters, originally introduced in his 1978 play, The Blackstuff. Bleasdale's writing is unsparing in both its pain and its unconditional affection for characters being pushed to the very limit of civilisation. Yosser Hughes (the outstanding Bernard Hill) is still, and rightly, recognised as one of the great creations of modern television drama: a man on the brink of madness, unlikeable, ostracised, digging a deeper hole with every desperate act, but ultimately a human being deserving our sympathy. The performances are wonderful throughout: particularly Peter Kerrigan as Malone, the once giant union leader reduced to a shadow but still with the spark that commands love and respect; Michael Angelis as Chrissie and, in a typically sharp cameo, Julie Walters as his wife. "My dreams still give me hope and faith in my class. I can't believe there's no hope," says Chrissie towards the end. And it's testament to Bleasdale's skill and the resilience of his characters that somehow, that flicker of hope remains unextinguished. The blackstuff--the tarmac--of the title becomes increasingly ironic. There is none. The boys have no work. The dole office scenes have a grimly nostalgic, documentary quality. Each second drips another droplet of disillusionment on people whose expectations are crushed by every effort to haul themselves up. Thatcher's Britain was a cruel place for many people. The unspoken question that hangs in the air after watching Bleasdale's poetic dissection of ruined lives is, have things really changed that much? Television drama doesn't come any more powerful or honest than this. On the DVD: Boys from the Blackstuff is presented in standard 4:3 TV format with a mono soundtrack that often suffers from a muffled quality. There's only one additional feature, but it's a treasure: The Blackstuff, Alan Bleasdale's original 90-minute play, is presented as a prelude to the series with the bonus of an insightful commentary from the author and the director, Jim Goddard. --Piers Ford

• My Uncle Silas - The Complete Series | DVD | (19/11/2012) from £9.61   |  Saving you £10.38 (108.01%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Albert Finney stars as the eponymous loveable rogue in these nostalgic tales set in the rural heart of England at the turn of the last century.

• Those Glory Glory Days | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  In 1961 a group of girls growing up in London develop a passion for the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club the first British team in the 20th century to win the English league and FA Cup ""double"". Twenty years later one of the girls Julia Herrick (Goodman) is a successful sports journalist. She finds herself sharing a car with her former hero Danny Blanchflower!

• Armchair Theatre: Volume 2 | DVD | (03/09/2012) from £6.99   |  Saving you £13.00 (185.98%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Armchair Theatre was ITV's flagship drama anthology series. Initially screened between 1956 and 1973, it was hugely popular, with viewing figures occasionally reaching twenty million, and became a byword for quality in televised drama.Pioneering, immensely influential and sometimes challenging in its content, the series consistently drew upon a wide range of talent. Armchair Theatre became a showcase for the post-war generation of British writers who sought to place sensitive social topics - in particular the British class system - under the microscope. Throughout, the series featured a number of powerful, award-winning plays, and its lasting influence was a testament to producer Sydney Newman's passionate belief in television's potential to bring high-quality drama to the viewing public. This collection brings together a further eight plays, initially broadcast between 1970 and 1974. Featuring scripts by Donald Churchill (Spooner's Patch), P.J. Hammond (Sapphire and Steel) and Roger Marshall, whose play ties into an episode of his most memorable series Public Eye, the programmes include accomplished performances from, among others, John Thaw, Anton Rodgers, Kenneth Haigh, Bill Maynard, Susannah York, Gordon Jackson and Warren Clarke.

• The Gospel Of John | DVD | (01/11/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  The Gospel John best-loved of the four gospels vividly comes to life in a faithful and powerful dramatization of the Biblical text. It meticulously re-creates the era of Jesus during a tumultuous period that changed the course of history. Starring Henry Ian Cusick (Lost Dead Like Me) as Jesus. Narrated by Christopher Plummer and with a cast of over 2 500 The Gospel of John has been adapted for the screen word for word based on the American Bible Society's Good News Bible. Directed by acclaimed British Director Philip Saville.

• Armchair Theatre - Volume 4 | DVD | (11/02/2013) from £13.02   |  Saving you £26.97 (207.14%)   |  RRP £39.99

  Pioneering, immensely influential and often challenging, Armchair Theatre was ITV's flagship drama anthology series. Bringing high-quality drama to the viewing public, the series easily demonstrated the network's potential to rival the BBC's drama output, with diverse and powerful plays showcasing some of Britain's most gifted writers. This set comprises twelve plays featuring performances by some of the era's most celebrated and accomplished actors - including Susannah York, Colin Blakely, Ian Holm, Irene Handl, Donald Pleasence, Terry-Thomas, Patrick Macnee, Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier, among many others. This volume includes early plays by both Jack Rosenthal and David Perry, and a star-studded production of Oscar Wilde's ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’.

• Count Dracula | DVD | (03/09/2007) from £5.94   |  Saving you £10.05 (169.19%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Regarded as one of the best adaptations of the classic Bram Stoker tale Count Dracula benefits from a critically-acclaimed performance from Louis Jourdan as the title character. A cult classic from the seventies the film faithfully recreates Stoker's characters and prose.

• Out of the Unknown (7-disc DVD Set) | DVD | (24/11/2014) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £69.99

  A 6-DVD box set compiling all surviving episodes along with some fragments from the legendary BBC2 anthology science fiction series with episodes written by such luminaries of the genre as John Wyndham Isaac Asimov Philip K Dick Ray Bradbury and J G Ballard - first broadcast between 1965 and 1971. Out of the Unknown was originally broadcast on BBC2 in four series. Only 20 of these episodes still remain and all are presented in this set on DVD for the very first time. These rarely-seen gems from the BBC Archives are sure to send both nostalgic and futuristic thrills down the spines of classic British television fans and dedicated followers of science fiction filmmaking. Special Features: All surviving episodes on DVD for the very first time Existing fragments and sound clips from other episodes

• Plays for Britain - The Complete Series | DVD | (02/09/2013) from £8.97   |  Saving you £11.02 (122.85%)   |  RRP £19.99

  This hard-hitting anthology series continued the single-play format that had proved so successful with ITV's legendary Armchair Theatre, presenting six contemporary plays by writers at relatively early stages in their careers. The keynote is a provocative realism: Stephen Poliakoff's Hitting Town is an intense portrayal of siblings who find refuge from their bleak lives in one incestuous night; Roger McGough's The Life Swappers is a darkly comic take on the theme of exchanged identities; Howa...

• The Life And Loves Of A She-Devil - Complete Series | DVD | (30/08/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The complete series of the 1986 BBC Bafta award winning drama starring Patricia Hodge Dennis Waterman and Julie T Wallace. A screen of bizarre probably satanic sigils set the scene for this adaptation of Fay Weldon's novel about infidelity and impersonation.

• Armchair Theatre - Volume 3 | DVD | (27/08/2012) from £25.98   |  Saving you £16.00 (66.69%)   |  RRP £39.99

  Pioneering, enormously influential and often challenging, Armchair Theatre was ITV's flagship drama anthology series. Bringing high-quality contemporary drama to a wider viewing public, the series easily demonstrated the network's potential to rival the BBC's drama output with diverse and powerful plays by some of Britain's most gifted writers. This set comprises twelve plays taken from the series' first incarnation, produced by ABC and broadcast in the 1950s and '60s. An astonishing roll-call of writers includes J.B. Priestley, James Mitchell, Fay Weldon and Alun Owen; Patrick McGoohan, Stanley Baker, Billie Whitelaw, Colin Blakely, Judy Cornwell and Hugh Griffith are among the celebrated and accomplished actors appearing in groundbreaking dramas ranging from the playful to the poignant.

• The Fruit Machine | DVD | (16/07/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Lovers Eddie and Michael witness a murder and go on the run with a professional hitman on their trail.

• Boys From the Blackstuff - Parts 1 And 2 | DVD | (03/04/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  1. Jobs For The BoysChrissie assembles an unofficial building gang but their moonlighting is being watched by the Department of Employment's investigators. A raid by the fraud squad leads to tragedy2. MoonlighterDixie father of four and once the proud foreman is working illicitly on the docks when he discovers happenings that he'd rather not see. Meanwhile after threats from the Department of Employment his wife Freda is too scared to open the door.3. Shop Thy NeighbourChrissie's dole money has been stopped pending the enquiry into the 'moonlighting' affair. With no food in the cupboard the scene is set for a showdown with his wife Angie - this after all was going to be her time4. Yosser's StoryOnce Yosser dreamt of making it big. Now his manic search for work alternates with fruitless efforts to avoid eviction and keep his three children from being taken into care.5. George's Last RideA lifetime of adversity has left George's beliefs unbroken. When the end comes Chrissie discovers a legacy and finds that something must be said.

• The Buccaneers | DVD | (07/03/2011) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Based on the last novel of acclaimed author Edith Wharton The Buccaneers features an epic cast including Michael Kitchen Cherie Lunghi Mira Sorvino Dinsdale Landen Rosemary Leach Sheila Hancock Greg Wise Connie Booth and Jenny Agutter. Seen through the eyes of a family governess four ambitious American girls - Virginia and her sister Nan their friend Lizzy Elmsworth and their Brazilian friend Conchita - secure husbands and position in England in order to live happily ever after. But life bears little resemblance to the fairytales; and castles appear a lot less magical when you have to live in them. They soon find themselves trapped by the trappings of wealth and discover that beneath fine manners and social graces lie some very shabby vices. A superb cast stunning scenery and costumes and a story that unfolds as lavishly and unexpectedly as their lives The Buccaneers makes compelling viewing representing television drama at its very best.

• First Born | DVD | (24/07/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Edward Forester a genetic researcher of considerable talent becomes obsessed with creating a human/ape hybrid species. However when he succeeds in his aim he is ordered to destroy the result. Unable to kill the baby he hides Gor passing him off as his adopted son whilst going to painstaking lengths to teach him to walk and talk. Eventually under Forester's tutelage Gor is able to blend into society and communicate as humans do. However it's only a matter of time before the g

• The Cloning Of Joanna May - The Complete Series | DVD | (19/01/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Carl and Joanna May were once happily married that is until Joanna was caught out having a sneaky affair behind Carl's back... A decade on from their acrimonious split and Joanna is feeling fed up about the whole fiasco and decides to pay Carl a visit after he makes her life as awkward as he can. When she turns up she's shocked to find that Carl has been hard at work creating 3 clones of her to live with him.

• Pinter's Progress & The Homecoming | DVD | (01/11/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Feature film and documentary. The Homecoming: This is a superlative piece of 20th century drama transferred to the screen with great skill. The screenplay differs little from the original play but Peter Hall uses the camera to create new imagery and symbolism. It is clear that Hall and his cast were completely in tune with this piece as the acting is superb. Paul Rogers is the clan 's malevolent patriarch and Ian Holm is the amusing but insidious Lenny while Vivien Merchant 's Ruth is both hypnotic and captivating. This is Harold Pinter 's masterpiece perfectly brought to the big screen by Sir Peter Hall. Pinter's Progress: A personal take on working with Harold Pinter from intimate conversations with actors directors and writers on their experiences of the man and his work. One of the truly great modern playwrights Harold Pinter passed away on Christmas Eve 2008 leaving behind a great legacy of work in theatre and film.

• Crash: The Mystery Of Flight 501 | DVD | (03/09/2001) from £4.98   |  Saving you £-1.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  After a bomb scare flight 1501 is downed. Attributed to 'pilot error' the pilot's wife sets out to clear his name and expose the truth behind the crash...

• My Uncle Silas - The First Complete Series | DVD | (20/04/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  The Complete Series One Based on the short stories of H.E. Bates (The Darling Buds Of May), My Uncle Silas stars Albert Finney as Silas, a loveable old country rogue cocking a snoot at the respectable conventions of life in Edwardian England. Silas is an incorrigible rogue, a drunkard and a lecher so when his 10-year-old nephew Edward (Joe Prospero) comes to stay in the countryside with his uncle, hes certain of a very interesting summer! Together, the pair get into all kinds of scrapes, from rigging a country boxing catch to dodging the amorous advances of a distinctly eccentric lady aristocrat (Charlotte Rampling). Sumptuously filmed and beautifully evocative of a bygone England, My Uncle Silas is an ITV drama Series to treasure. This DVD includes all six episodes from the First Series. Episode Title: The Wedding Queenie White The Blue Feather Silas & Goliath The Revelation and The Widder

• Family Pictures | DVD | (26/05/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Over a 40-year period the Eberhardt family struggles to survive a floodtide of upheaval and heartbreak love and betrayal passion and pain...hoping they can someday heal their hearts and return to the perfect family captured in the pictures of photo albums past.