Shop Newsletter |
Friday 8th November 2019 |
It's that time again - our fortnightly Shop Newsletter. There are a few new titles to share today, plus a varied smattering of competitions.
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Artist Steve Lilly has a range of nostalgic favourites amongst his Comedy Classics collection, with prints available to buy in various formats: posters, framed artwork, mugs, key rings and more. Pieces range from Tommy Cooper to Porridge and the Carry On regulars to Only Fools And Horses. A charming Christmas present idea. Enter the discount code BRITCOM at the checkout to get 10% off. View catalogue
Coming soon
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing - Series One & Two Box Set
Fresh from yesterday's news that the hit show will return next Summer, here comes the complete collection to date of the much-loved Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.
In the hilarious and heart-warming series, following their life-changing heart surgeries, comedy legends and lifelong friends Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse embark on a relaxing yet epic journey around Britain, eating great food, discussing life and death, and attempting to catch some of the nation's iconic fish. Bob is a keen apprentice and eager to learn, while experienced angler Paul has his patience tested time and again as he tries to teach Bob the rules of the river. Set against the backdrop of the stunning British countryside, Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing shows two comedy giants in their element and as you've never seen them before.
If you fancy your luck, we also have 3 copies of the box set to give away.
Both series are available individually as Blu-rays, too: a much better view of the stunning UK countryside.
Mrs. Brown's Boys - Bumper Christmas Bundle
This box set includes a whopping 15 Christmas specials from the smash-hit sitcom about a supposedly normal working class family in Dublin.
If you've got the previous specials already, last year's 2 editions - new to DVD - are also available alone.
Mrs. Brown fans can also indulge in the brand-new-to-DVD All Round To Mrs. Brown's - Series 3.
The Duke Wore Jeans
British pop icon Tommy Steele stars in a wonderfully exuberant musical comedy as a Cockney who wins the heart of a princess when he poses as an aristocrat! Featuring songs written by Lionel Bart, Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) star Mike Pratt and Steele himself, The Duke Wore Jeans's soundtrack album scored a number one hit in 1958. The film is presented here as a new high definition transfer from the original film elements.
When the son of an impoverished aristocrat is manoeuvred into a potential arranged marriage under guise of selling access to their famous prize bull, he finds salvation in a chance meeting with a chirpy Cockney lad who happens to be his exact likeness.
Surviving Christmas With The Relatives
Surviving Christmas With The Relatives is a heart-warming, riotous take on the traditional festive family get-together, as disparate relatives are thrown together in a confined space for a 3-day ordeal. The film sees two sisters and their families come together in their recently deceased parents' falling down country house, with chaotic consequences.
Gemma Whelan, Julian Ovenden, Joely Richardson, Michael Landes, Sally Phillips, Ronni Ancona, Sophie Simnett, Patricia Hodge and James Fox star.
Bad News
A must-own set for fans of The Comic Strip Presents and much-loved rockumentary, Bad News. Includes the original Bad News album with rare extra tracks; Bootleg 2-disc album with previously unreleased Live at Hammersmith and Castle Donnington; Monsters of Rock 1986; Bad News Tour; Bad News on DVD; replica tour programme; cloth patch; and more.
Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans
Atti is a Roman teenager with brains but very little brawn. When one of his schemes falls foul of Emperor Nero, he's forced to join the army and is sent to miserable, cold, wet Britannia where the natives are revolting - quite literally. Things go from bad to worse when Atti is captured by Orla, a feisty teenage Celt and he uses his Roman smarts to help save her grandmother.
Meanwhile a furious Nero has ordered more troops to crush the rebellion, led by Boudicca, warrior Queen of the Iceni tribe. Atti rejoins his fellow Romans and as the armies prepare for an historic showdown at the Battle of Watling Street, the two new friends find themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield.
This star-studded British comedy comes from the original makers of the hit Horrible Histories TV series.
Clockwise
John Cleese returns to full-on madcap Basil Fawlty mode in the classic farcical road trip comedy from celebrated playwright Michael Frayn, now available to experience in high-definition for the very first time. For this beautiful new 2019 restoration of the film, the original colour negative has been freshly scanned, restored and graded in 4K, and is joined by a few delightful extra features.
Cleese stars as Mr Stimpson, a clock watching headmaster obsessed with timekeeping. When he boards the wrong train on his way to a headmasters' conference, however, his obsessive punctuality is put to the test. Turning back, a further series of blunders and misunderstandings see him hijack a student in her father's car; unknowingly go on the run from the police; seek refuge in a monastery; and cause a significant amount of damage - but will he get to the conference on time?
Roy Chubby Brown - 50 Shades Of Brown
The blue comic Roy Chubby Brown's new live show from 2019. It's one of just two stand-up DVDs being released this year.
Plebs - Series Five
Following the blaze that nearly gutted the Crown and Toga, the boys have given it a lick of paint and are pushing ahead with their goal to turn it into Rome's trendiest nightspot. This time round we see them embark on a wine-buying trip to Tuscany, attempt to lure in rival firms of chariot hooligans, turn the space into a wedding venue and pursue an illegal archaeological dig.
Starring Tom Rosenthal, Jon Pointing and Ryan Sampson as Marcus, Jason and Grumio. Other returning cast include Ellie Taylor, Tom Basden, Karl Theobald, Maureen Lipman, Samantha Spiro and Danny Webb. This year's guests include Amanda Holden, Tracy Ann Oberman, Leo Gregory, Tony Robinson, Nigel Lindsay, John Thomson, Phil Davis, Kevin Bishop and Christopher Biggins.
We also have three copies of the ITV2 sitcom on DVD to give away.
Dad's Army - The Lost Episodes
From the original scripts - including David Croft's original camera directions - come three lost Dad's Army episodes, remade with a new cast.
One of Britain's favourite sitcoms, Dad's Army ran for eighty episodes over nearly ten years and is rarely far from our screens - but three episodes (all from Series 2) were lost many years ago in cost-saving archive purges and haven't been seen since 1969. Now they have been faithfully recreated for Gold to mark the 50th anniversary of their original broadcast.
Kevin McNally leads as Captain Mainwaring, with Robert Bathurst as Sergeant Wilson, Kevin Eldon as Lance Corporal Jones, David Hayman as Private Frazer, Mathew Horne as Private Walker, Timothy West as Private Godfrey and Tom Rosenthal as Private Pike. The episodes are The Loneliness Of The Long-Distance Walker; A Stripe For Frazer and Under Fire.
Tim Vine - Sunset Milk Idiot Live
That second of two stand-up DVDs.
It's Tim Vine hitting the stage at full speed and firing off jokes like a tennis ball serving-machine set to maximum. Prepare to be bombarded with absolute Nonsense. Experience Owl with a towel! Witness the wearing of an ice cream hat under hot lights! Meet the record Toucan! Sing about Cake and Milk? This is Tim's silliest show to date. More laughs than ever before and his only show wearing blur shorts. Teddies on a hoop! Teddies on a hoop!
The Iron Maiden
Recently returned to popularity after a DVD release and repeats on the Queen's favourite television channel, Talking Pictures, The Iron Maiden - from the producer and director of the Carry On films - has now been freshly remastered in HD for this brand-spanking-new Blu-ray release. See the joy of the early 60s in sparkling, crystal clear, colour high-definition.
Aviation designer Jack Hopkins is notably absent from his creation's latest test flight. He is, in fact, many miles away indulging his greatest passion: an old showman's traction engine called The Iron Maiden! Jack has his heart set on entering the prestigious Annual Steam Rally at Woburn Abbey, but hadn't reckoned on some fierce and devious opposition.
Michael Craig is the engineering genius whose hobby spells trouble for boss Cecil Parker, with Alan Hale Jr. as the American tycoon who eventually comes to share his passion.
Worzel Gummidge - The Complete Collection
Well we'll be bumswizzled! The original 1980s' hit Worzel Gummidge starring Jon Pertwee, Una Stubbs and Geoffrey Bayldon comes back to DVD in this brand new box set later this month, ahead of Mackenzie Crook's two new comedy specials based on the scarecrow character, broadcasting on BBC One at Christmas.
Excitingly, the original film masters of all 53 episodes of Worzel Gummidge and sequel Worzel Gummidge Down Under were rediscovered recently, allowing for brand new, high-quality remasters to be made. Sadly only the 1980 Christmas special - a musical edition featuring Billy Connolly - has been given the treatment this time, but hopefully there'll be enough interest in this DVD set to allow a fully remastered and restored Blu-ray set next year.
Either way, if you're not familiar with Worzel or don't already own the series, this is a wonderful value box set oozing with fun and laughter, suitable for the whole family. We also have one copy available to win!
Anna And The Apocalypse
It's Christmas time and the sleepy Scottish town of Little Haven is under threat from a zombie apocalypse, forcing Anna (Ella Hunt - Cold Feet) and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones. But even zombies can't stop the teen drama: will Anna's best friend John (Malcolm Cumming - Long Lost) reveal his true feelings for her, or will her smug ex Nick (Ben Wiggins - Mary Queen of Scots) win back her affections? And will she be able to repair her rocky relationship with dad Tony (Mark Benton - Shakespeare & Hathaway - Private Investigators) before it's too late?
This epic, independently-produced, British musical Christmas romantic comedy horror (phew!) will be released early next month in glistening HD, jam-packed with special features.
We've two copies currently up for grabs in our current round of competitions.
Blinded By The Light
From writer/director/producer Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) comes the inspirational comedy drama Blinded By The Light, set to the music and lyrics of Bruce Springsteen's timeless songs. It tells the story of Javed (Viveik Kalra), a British teen of Pakistani descent, growing up in the town of Luton, England, in 1987.
Amidst the racial and economic turmoil of the times, he writes poetry as a means to escape the intolerance of his hometown and the inflexibility of his traditional father. But when a classmate introduces him to the music of 'the Boss', Javed sees parallels to his working-class life in Springsteen's powerful lyrics. As Javed discovers a cathartic outlet for his own pent-up dreams, he also begins to find the courage to express himself in his own unique voice. Based on Sarfraz Manzoor's acclaimed memoir Greetings From Bury Park.
Orphans
Renowned Scottish actor Peter Mullan (Mum, Trainspotting) made his feature film directing debut with this fierce jet-black comedy of familial grief shot in and around the streets of Glasgow where he grew up. As four siblings reunite for the funeral of their mother, Orphans blends realist drama, wildly absurdist humour, and moving social observation. Gleefully unsentimental and taking wicked delight in subverting audience expectations, Orphans is a dark, dangerous, funny and extraordinarily touching modern classic of Scottish cinema.
This premiere Blu-ray release is not only newly restored and remastered, but comes brimming with extras. Click through to see the full list.
For more, see our full list of new releases and products coming soon.
Out now
Wallace & Gromit - The Complete Collection: 30 Cracking Years
Aardman Animation's four half-hour specials featuring the Oscar-winning duo - charming and eccentric inventor Wallace and his faithful four-legged companion Gromit - are brought together in this timeless collection.
Packed full of exclusive features, this 30th anniversary edition of Nick Park's iconic creation includes A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave and A Matter Of Loaf And Death.
Never The Twain - The Complete Series
Starring Donald Sinden and Windsor Davies as two curmudgeonly antique dealers, Never The Twain rapidly became one of Thames Television's most popular comedies. Created by sitcom legend Johnnie Mortimer - who, with Brian Cooke, created Father Dear Father, Man About The House and George & Mildred - this classic comedy was a constant favourite with the viewers throughout its whopping ten year run.
Showcasing guest appearances by Honor Blackman, Gabrielle Drake, Barbara Murray, Prunella Scales and Christopher Ellison, this set contains all eleven series about Simon Peel and Oliver Smallbridge: not the easiest of neighbours! Simon is a blue-blooded Oxbridge snob while Oliver is a former barrowboy with a chip on his shoulder - the only thing they have in common is an ex-wife and a willingness to stoop to endless lengths to do the other down. But when Simon's son and Oliver's daughter begin to show an interest in one another, the two men (once business partners, now long fallen-out) are forced to put on a little more of a united front.
David Mitchell - Dishonesty Is The Second-Best Policy: And Other Rules To Live By
David Mitchell's best-selling Thinking About It Only Makes It Worse, published back in 2014, must really have made people think - because everything's got worse. We've gone from UKIP surge to Brexit shambles, from digging up Richard III to breaking up fatbergs, from Big Society to food banks, from twerking to stabbing. It's probably socially irresponsible even to try to cheer up. But if you're up for it all the same, why not dive into this brilliantly observed and witty analysis of the farce of recent years?
As facts are downgraded to opinions, as customers are preyed upon by algorithm-wielding websites, voters by targeted lies, cinema-goers by superheroes and children by measles, David Mitchell negotiates a path between the commercialisation of Christmas and the true spirit of Halloween.
Click through for an exclusive video clip of Mitchell recording the audiobook release.
Defending The Guilty
BBC Two's recent legal-eagle comedy series starring Will Sharpe and Katherine Parkinson.
Idealistic pupil barrister Will Packham is shown the ropes by his cynical, worldly-wise pupilmaster Caroline. Will wants to be a barrister. But so do his fellow trainees: posh moral vacuum Liam, angry class warrior Danielle, and superbrain oddball Pia. And there's only room in chambers for one of them.
Will's boss Caroline is a cold-blooded winner in a wig. The komodo dragon of the courts. She believes a barrister should burn to win, and isn't too fussed about justice. The problem with Will is, well, he's just a bit too Hufflepuff. For Will, law is about helping people in need. But the more he learns about criminal law, the less anything looks black and white. In this competitive world of moral greys, can Will's idealism survive?
Monty Python's Flying Circus Norwegian Blu-ray Edition
Years in the making, Network presents the entire original television series of Monty Python's Flying Circus, fully rejuvenated for the first time. Sketches, some edited for timing, taste and copyright reasons, have been carefully restored to their intended length and the majority of Terry Gilliam's animations have been newly scanned in high definition and restored to a specification way beyond their original format. Hitherto unseen outtakes, film inserts and studio recordings have been retrieved, adding yet another dimension to this exclusive release.
This box set breaks new ground in the field of archive restorations, and is now available to own: all 45 episodes fully remastered, recoloured and regraded, in stunning HD quality. We've seen the box and a new of episodes already, and it really is a sight to behold. If you're even half-considering buying, don't think further: order now!
Series 1 is also now available separately, on DVD, standard Blu-ray, and as a Blu-ray DigiPak. We have one copy in that final, premium format to give away.
Tales From The Lodge
Tales From The Lodge is a fresh take on the portmanteau horror-comedy genre. An isolated lodge somewhere in England. Five old university pals, now nudging 40, gather for a weekend to scatter the ashes of their friend, Jonesy, who drowned himself in the lake three years earlier. They settle in for a fun evening, entertaining each other with stories of murders, ghosts, zombies and possessions, but as day turns to night, the gang become aware of another horror story unfolding around them... and this one is real.
Sandi Toksvig - Between The Stops
This long-awaited memoir from one of Britain's best-loved TV presenters - a writer, broadcaster, activist, comic on stage, screen and radio for nearly forty years, presenter of QI and Great British Bake Off star - is an autobiography with a difference: as only Sandi Toksvig can tell it.
"Between The Stops is a sort of a memoir, my sort. It's about a bus trip really, because it's my view from the Number 12 bus (mostly top deck, the seat at the front on the right), a double-decker that plies its way from Dulwich, in South East London, where I was living, to where I sometimes work - at the BBC, in the heart of the capital. It's not a sensible way to write a memoir at all, probably, but it's the way things pop into your head as you travel, so it's my way."
Good Omens
It takes good and evil to save the world in this adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's cult novel, starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant. Aziraphale is a fussy angel. Crowley is a loose-living demon. They've both been on Earth for over 6,000 years. During that time they've grown quite fond of it, and, against all odds, each other. But there's a problem - the Antichrist has arrived here on Earth, which means the world they have become too fond of will end in flames, if they don't manage to save it.
This "wildly imaginative and screamingly funny" drama follows Aziraphale and Crowley as they join forces in an attempt to find an 11-year-old Antichrist (and his dog) and avert the Apocalypse.
Armageddon is coming - but it doesn't have to be the end of the world.
Happy Ever After
Cinema icon David Niven is on top form as the improbably-named Jasper O'Leary in this uproarious culture clash comedy from director Mario Zampi that also features Hollywood star Yvonne de Carlo, professional Irishman Barry Fitzgerald and George Cole as a gormless yokel. Filmed in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Happy Ever After was framed for 1.66:1 for those few theatres at the time of release that could exhibit widescreen features. Both versions are included on this release.
When General O'Leary goes to meet his maker after an unfortunate hunting mishap his Irish estate is bequeathed to a distant relative, Jasper. Jasper's new-broom tactics soon annoy the locals, however, and it's not too long before they decide he has to be "removed"...
For more, see our full list of new releases and products coming soon.
Thanks for reading
You can find our full comedy shop on our website at any time, and some of the best new release news, competitions and bargains on Twitter: @BritComedyShop.
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