Cert:

Cat.no: BBCDVD 1062

Running time: 186 minutes

Year: 1990, 1992, 1993, 2000

Pressing: 2001

Region(s): 2, 4 (UK PAL)

Chapters: 36 plus extras

Sound: Stereo

Languages: English

Subtitles: None

Fullscreen: 4:3; Widescreen: 16:9

16:9-enhanced: No; Yes

Macrovision: No

Disc Format: DVD 9

Price: £15.99

Extras: "I Don't Believe It" documentary

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Directors:

Susan Belbin and Christine Gernon

Producer:

Susan Belbin and Jonathan P. Llewellyn

Screenplay:

David Renwick

Music:

John Hooper and Eric Idle

Cast:

Victor Meldrew: Richard Wilson
Margaret Meldrew: Annette Crosbie
Mrs Warboys: Doreen Mantle
Patrick Trench: Angus Deayton
Pippa Trench: Janine Duvitski
Barman: Paul Merton
Glynis: Hannah Gordon

One Foot in the Grave is the sitcom about the cantankerous old pensioner Victor Meldrew (Richard Wilson), his long-suffering wife Margaret (Annette Crosbie), her friend Mrs Warboys (Doreen Mantle) and their neighbours Patrick (Angus Deayton) and Pippa (Janine Duvitski) who always happen to look on when things go desperately wrong for the Meldrews, causing them to wonder whether that's their normal behaviour.

I never could get into when it was first broadcast, but did do so a few years down the line and this DVD brings together six episodes from the run, although not one from each series as you might expect.

It starts with 1990's Return of the Speckled Band, as the Meldrews are planning a holiday to Athens, despite Mrs Warboys' derogatory comments on the place and also takes in a visit from a snake. Two episodes from 1992 follow with Victor's trip to the village fete in Dreamland and a ghoulish visit from his brother Alfred in The Broken Reflection.

Then comes two episodes from 1993, Warm Champagne with a sunburnt Victor not feeling his best when a new light is introduced to the bedroom after a millk tanker knocks the street lamp through their window and The Trial in which Victor is summoned for jury service, but might end up on the wrong side of the bench.

Finally, we have the last episode ever made, Things Aren't Simple Anymore, the one in which Victor dies after being killed in a hit-and-run accident after he attends a desperately lacklustre reunion in which he was the only attendee, the apologies from the others read out to him in a barman cameo from Paul Merton. Margaret never got to find out who did run Victor over, but the series has to end somehow and as this is the first time we ever saw Hannah Gordon turn up as her friend Glynis, it doesn't take a genius to work out what'll happen.

I would prefer, however, to see individual series released on DVD, especially since all six episodes from the last one have been rated in widescreen by the BBFC.

The end for Victor.

The picture of the last episode and the accompanying documentary look fine because they're recent, but while the earlier episodes don't fare quite so well they are okay to watch. No particular artifacts can be seen. The box states a ratio of "4:3", but this only applies to the first five episodes as the last (and the documentary) is presented in anamorphic 16:9 widescreen as it was filmed.

No problems with the sound, but it's a sitcom that doesn't stretch itself.

The only extra is the 45-minute "I Don't Believe It" documentary, hosted by Angus Deayton and featuring back-slapping comments from several TV celebs.

There are 36 chapters to the disc, each episode having an equal six and the menus are silent and static. Surprisingly, there are no subtitles.

FILM CONTENT PICTURE QUALITY SOUND QUALITY EXTRAS
OVERALL

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2001.