I was having a drink with a few friends yesterday and we were talking about which political TV programmes or documentaries we'd like to see appear on DVD. I immediately came up with the excellent BBC4 documentary series Tory! Tory! Tory! and the Margaret Thatcher Downing Street Years documentary made by Hugh Scully. Someone else couldn't understand why The Thick of It hasn't been published on DVD yet. Anyway, it set me thinking about looking into this a bit further, so why not tell me in the Comments Section of any programmes - recent, or in the dim and distant past- which you'd buy if they came out on DVD. I might then look at making it possible!
Monday, April 03, 2006
Which Political Programmes Would You Like to See on DVD?
I was having a drink with a few friends yesterday and we were talking about which political TV programmes or documentaries we'd like to see appear on DVD. I immediately came up with the excellent BBC4 documentary series Tory! Tory! Tory! and the Margaret Thatcher Downing Street Years documentary made by Hugh Scully. Someone else couldn't understand why The Thick of It hasn't been published on DVD yet. Anyway, it set me thinking about looking into this a bit further, so why not tell me in the Comments Section of any programmes - recent, or in the dim and distant past- which you'd buy if they came out on DVD. I might then look at making it possible!
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15 comments:
I really liked "The Project". Does anyone remember that?
I'd probably buy that on DVD
Collecting DVDs about political programmes! That is really very, very sad, Iain! I'm glad that I'm just a member of Joe Public and not a politico! You must get a life!
PS. Though I might buy Tory!Tory!Tory! if it comes out.
I can't believe that the documentary 'The Power of Nightmares' by Adam Curtis hasn't been released yet. Yes, it was controversial and you may not agree with all of it's conclusions, but to me it was one of the most powerful and thought-provoking documentaries I've ever seen on TV. Get your act together BBC!
I would like to see 'The Day Before Yesterday' which was on TV about 35 years ago - I don't think I actually saw it but my father had the accompanying book which I read and re-read to the [oint that I feel I have! It covered the political scene in post WW2 Britain, I think 1945-64.
Also those documentaries, I think in the Storyville strand, on Clinton's campaign 'war room' and the 2000 Bush campaign (the latter made by Alexandra Pelosi who is the duaghter of a US Congresswoman).
And BBC4 showed a great documentary about Chirac a few months ago. Actually BBC4 is good for these things generally - did anyone see the Poulson documentary on Satuday (not Iain obviously with his social whirl). I had no idea just how extensive it all was - more than T Dan Smith and Reggie Maudling.
"The Trial of Blair 2008"
The 1979 Election Coverage was also superb. The commentator with cigarre really lent an air of authority.
Equally, I have actually looked for a place to buy a DVD of the Channel 4 programme on the Miner's Strike that ran a while ago. It was called "Strike: When Britain Went to War" or something similar.
There are lots which I can't understand not having appeared - but I agree with the comments on "Thatcher - The Downing Street Years" and "The Project".
But one which has been bugging me for ages is the irregular Michael Cockerell series of "How to be..." documentaries - He's done Prime Minister,Chancellor,Foreign and Home Secretaries, Leader of the Opposition and Tory Leader - and all were excellent. I've got a couple taped on grainy VHS, but imagine the bonus footage and interviews you could cram on...
Nigel, the reason why Cockerell's programmes have never appeared is the huge amount of archive footage fees which would need to be paid. Such a shame.
I'd love to see GBH again. It was a fantastic series with an excellent cast and I'm amazed I've never seen it repeated.
According to some Liverpudlians I know who were around at the time it was also far more realistic than most of us watching ever assumed.
The opening of The English Parliament 2007
The new B'Stard live show where he is now a Labour MP
and
The opening of THE English Parliament 2007
With regard to earlier posts, Edge of Darkness is already on DVD, and 'GBH: Four Classic Episodes' will appear sometime over the Summer.
I, too, am really disappointed that The Thick Of It is not (yet) available on DVD.
The Downing Street Years was available for a while as a BBC Worldwide VHS video, but has (alas) yet to be released on DVD.
Those two famous clips by our leader repeated, alternatively, umpteen times: "I'm a pretty regular sort of guy" and the promise that his Government would be "Whiter than white"
Alan Clark's "The Tories".
Forget the rest. This was the best:
"Washington; Behind closed Doors."
This was a TV mini-drama in 1977 covering the Watergate scandal, with names changed to avoid damaging the innocent!
Jason Robards played President Richard Monckton ( Nixon ) and Robert Vaughan played the the sinister Haldeman/ Erlichman character with his usual icy, sinister aplomb.
The series was pure bliss. That they haven't brought it out on video or dvd could be described, for political junkies, as the Crime of the Century.
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