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Friday 16th July 2021 |
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Coming soon
Lovely Jubbly: A Celebration Of 40 Years Of Only Fools And Horses
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Only Fools And Horses, as Jim Sullivan (writer and son of show creator John Sullivan) takes you behind the scenes of each and every episode, in this fully illustrated definitive history of the iconic BBC show.
Once upon a time in Peckham, a South London grafter named John Sullivan had the idea for a sitcom based on the market traders and wheeler dealers he had grown up around, and au revoir, the nation's favourite sitcom, Only Fools And Horses, was born. In Lovely Jubbly: A Celebration Of 40 Years Of Only Fools And Horses, John Sullivan's son Jim takes us behind the scenes of each and every episode of the iconic series. Featuring interviews with cast and crew, and never-before-seen images from the Sullivan archive, Lovely Jubbly, this is the ultimate nostalgic trip down Hooky Street, and a cushty gift for Only Fools And Horses fans everywhere.
Will Any Gentleman..?
Harking back to the phenomenally successful Aldwych farces of the 1930s, Vernon Sylvaine's adaptation of his own hit West End play stars George Cole on top form as a bewildered bank clerk caught up in a series of unfortunate events.
Directed by Oscar-nominated Michael Anderson and co-starring Veronica Hurst, Jon Pertwee, William Hartnell, Sid James and Joan Sims, Will Any Gentleman..? is featured here as a brand new high definition remaster from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
Strait-laced Henry Sterling's peaceful life is periodically shattered by his wastrel brother's antics. But when he attends a local theatre to pay his brother's bouncing cheque he stays to watch the show - and ends up being hypnotised into thinking he's a devil-may-care philanderer!
Phil Wang - They Come Over Here
Comedian Phil Wang takes us through a funny and incisive look at race and belonging. Inspired by his forthcoming book Sidesplitter, Phil and a panel of guests explore the subjects of food, empire, music, nature, assimilation and power, and what they mean in today's multicultural society.
Tawny Pipit
A new remaster of this beautiful and atmospheric feature, made in rural England during WW2 as a show of defiance against those who threatened the English way of life.
Jimmy Bancroft (Niall MacGinnis) is a fighter pilot convalescing in an English village, from injuries sustained during the Battle of Britain. Along with his nurse Hazel Broome (Rosamund John) they spend summer days lazing in the Cotswold meadows until they discover a pair of nesting Pipits. Hazel's ornithologist uncle confirms that the birds are indeed tawny pipits, but the word soon spreads around the egg-collecting community that there is a rare and lucrative nest in this rural English village. Afraid of having the bird's eggs stolen or destroyed, the villagers agree to defend the nest against thieves, the army and the Ministry of Agriculture!
Written and directed jointly by Bernard Miles and Charles Saunders, this British comedy resonates with propaganda that aims to cheer up an audience weary of the ongoing war.
Anna Cale - The Real Diana Dors
The story of Swindon-born film star and regular comic performer Diana Dors is one of fame, glamour and intrigue.
From the moment she came into the world, her life was full of drama. Her acting career began in the shadow of the Second World War, entering the film world as a vulnerable young teenager and negotiating the difficult British studio system of the 1940s and 50s. Yet she battled against the odds to become one of the most iconic British actors of the 20th Century. This book follows her remarkable story, from childhood in suburban Swindon, to acting success as a teenager and finding fame as the 'the English Marilyn Monroe'.
Many remember her as an outspoken and sometimes controversial figure, grabbing headlines for her personal life as often as her film roles. For Diana, image seemed to be everything, but there was more to her than the 'blonde bombshell' reputation suggested. A talented actor, she worked on numerous film and television projects, building a fascinating career that spanned decades. Set against the backdrop of the changing social landscape of twentieth century Britain, this book charts the ups and downs of her diverse acting career and her tumultuous private life, to build a fascinating picture of a truly unique British screen icon.
Simon And Laura
Multiple-award-winning screen legend Peter Finch stars alongside Kay Kendall, Muriel Pavlow and Ian Carmichael in this whimsical satire on then-BBC programming that prefigures the current reality TV landscape by fifty years. Adapted from Alan Melville's hit West End play and directed by Oscar-winner Muriel Box, Simon And Laura is featured here as a brand new high definition remaster from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
A cunning idea for a new television programme showing the trials and tribulations of a famous married couple seems a sure-fire hit. But this perfect couple with their perfect life also argue, bicker and throw things at each other regularly when no-one is watching... Can they keep up their façade for the viewing millions?
Jacob Hawley: On Drugs
Stand-up comedian Jacob Hawley explores every corner of the UK drugs scene, from nightclubs to prisons in this BBC Sounds podcast series.
As a recreational drugs user for almost a decade, Jacob thought he knew more than most about the topic - but was shocked by how much he still had to learn. Beginning with a debate about legalisation, these 16 episodes examine the highs and lows of drug use and abuse, from psychedelics, ayahuasca and chemsex to addiction, county lines gangs and drugs behind bars and on the streets. Jacob visits a rehab clinic to talk to recovering addicts, meets families who have lost loved ones to drugs and speaks with dealers and policemen to canvass opinions from both sides of the law.
The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain
Hugh Grant stars as a young man who offends an entire town by declaring their mountain - a prized local landmark - to be a "hill". But he soon finds the eccentric locals, led by a witty innkeeper (Colm Meaney), will stop at nothing to defend their honour.
While the townspeople rally around their "mountain", a fiery young woman (Tara Fitzgerald) charms the puzzled out-of-towner into seeing things their way. Enjoy the laughs as the hilarious townspeople rise to the occasion - and the bewildered visitor stumbles into love when he least expects it!
Ed Reardon's Week 14
In these globally unprecedented times, Ed is also experiencing new and unusual circumstances. For the first time in 20 years, he's financially independent thanks to the timely arrival of his state pension, and living in a stylish, newly affordable 'capsule urban living unit' (a former office space converted into a flat). He has the luxury of three (organic) meals a day, all the premier catfood Edgar can eat, and even a new car - as well as free time to devote himself to his own long-cherished projects. But old habits die hard, and Ed's soon distracted by an unexpected meeting with his ex, Maggie, a fight to save an ancient oak tree, a request to write Ping's granny's memoirs and an eye-wateringly expensive trip to the vet.
Mitchell On Meetings
David Mitchell investigates how the humble meeting took over the world - and what we should do about it.
In this follow-up to Behaving Ourselves: David Mitchell On Manners, the comedian and columnist turns his attention to meetings, examining our love/hate relationship with them and asking how we evolved from getting together for a 'thing' to shouting at each other onscreen via Zoom. On the agenda: David talks to fellow comedian Russell Kane about the different ways introverts and extroverts behave in meetings; meets Dutch sociologist Wilbert van Vree to sum up several millennia of meetings - from hunter-gatherers, to the Middle Ages, to the modern-day office; and gets some tips from executive coach Sophie Bryan about being a good chairman (and dealing with the awkward person in the room). As he learns the secrets of communication, consensus, and coming together productively, can David overcome his scepticism and learn to love meetings?
Robert Sellers - Raising Laughter: How The Sitcom Kept Britain Smiling In The '70s
For the first time the stories behind the making of every sitcom from the 1970s will be told by the actors, writers, directors and producers who made them all happen.
Aside from providing entertainment to millions of people, the sitcom is a window into the culture of the day, and Raising Laughter provides a fresh look at one of our most divisive and controversial decades: the 1970s. It was the era of the three-day week, the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the winter of discontent, trade union Bolshevism and wildcat strikes. Many of these sitcoms tapped into the decade's sense of cynicism, failure and alienation, providing much-needed laughter for the masses. Shows like Rising Damp and Fawlty Towers were classic encapsulations of worn-out, run down Britain, while the likes of Dad's Army looked back sentimentally at an imagined English past. This is nostalgia with a capital N, an oral history, the last word, and an affectionate salute to the kind of comedy programme that just isn't made anymore.
Private Eye: The 60 Yearbook
Private Eye: The 60 Yearbook is a history of the last 60 years, as seen by Britain's first, most successful and indeed only fortnightly satirical magazine. From the Beatles to Brexit, JFK to Trump, the Moon landings to the Mars landings, it tells the story of the past six decades as they were recorded in the Eye's pages. The news stories you remember - and plenty you may have forgotten - are retold in cartoons, covers and the magazine's legendary spoofs as well as extensive extracts from some of its best-loved features like Mrs Wilson's Diary, Dear Bill and The Secret Diary of John Major.
It is also the story of the headlines Private Eye made itself, from the earliest stirrings of investigative journalism exposing the Poulson Scandal and Ronan Point, through major miscarriages of justice like the Stephen Lawrence case and the Lockerbie cover-up and national scandals that have cost the country billions in dodgy PFI contracts, government cock-ups and secret sweetheart tax deals. Inside are the stories that led to the fall of two cabinet ministers, countless corrupt business figures and even the official in charge of making sure everyone else in Whitehall's behaviour was above board.
Dream Horse
The latest British comedy feature to hit the silver screen, starring Toni Collette, Damian Lewis, and the best of Welsh acting talent - based on a true story.
Jan Vokes, a cleaner and bartender, recruits her reluctant husband Brian and local accountant Howard Davies to help her bring together a syndicate of villagers to breed a foal - which they raise on an allotment and name Dream Alliance. On the racetrack, he proves himself to be more than a match for the multi-million-pound race horses he comes up against - a true working-class champion, taking on the establishment at their own game. But much more than this, Dream begins to alter the lives of everyone in the syndicate, not least Jan's.
Charley's Big Hearted Aunt
One of a series of hit wartime comedies starring Arthur Askey as everyone's favourite cheeky chappie, Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt co-stars Arthur's partner-in-crime, Stinker Murdoch, alongside Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt. Energetically directed by Walter Forde (who would re-team with Askey and Murdoch a year later for The Ghost Train), this updated version of Brandon Thomas's uproarious farce is featured here as a brand new high definition remaster from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
Arthur, Stinker and Albert - a trio of reprobate students - are in danger of expulsion from Oxford for conduct unbecoming. After due consideration they hatch a cunning plan to save their bacon - the only problem is that it entails convincing the Dean that Arthur is actually Albert's wealthy Aunt Lucy!
A healthy selection of special extras include a limited edition booklet and various TV programmes featuring Askey, so order your copy of this comedy classic now.
Completely Staged
Starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen, along with A-list guests, the award-winning and critically acclaimed British television comedy series Staged was an instant hit.
Launched during the global coronavirus pandemic, the show follows the two thespians playing fictionalised versions of themselves as they try to rehearse a play during lockdown... over Zoom. Completely Staged presents the complete text of the BBC screenplays from Staged's writer and director Simon Evans and co-creator Phin Glynn. It features a foreword written by Gyles Brandreth and is illustrated throughout in full colour with stills from the show, original drawings, sheet music for the theme tune, Georgia Tennant's carrot cake recipe, tips on how to draw a pineapple and much more.
Jeremy Hardy Speaks To The Nation - The Complete Series 1-10
Included here are all 10 series of Jeremy Hardy Speaks To The Nation, with episodes on topics like "How to stay alive as long as you possibly can", "How to have a baby" and "How to confront the vexed issue of British identity without getting in the most fearful bate about the whole thing".
This bumper collection also includes Jeremy Hardy's New Year Cavalcade - an unmissable meditation on everything Yule and a healthy dose of comic Bisodol to flush away the memory of driving up the motorway for seven hours in the dark to spend quantity time with your family - and the memorial programme When Jeremy Hardy Spoke To The Nation.
Miriam Margolyes - This Much Is True
BAFTA-winning actor, voice of everything from Monkey to the Cadbury's Caramel Rabbit, creator of a myriad of unforgettable characters from Lady Whiteadder to Professor Sprout, Miriam Margolyes OBE, is the nation's favourite (and naughtiest) treasure. Now, at the age of 80, she has finally decided to tell her extraordinary life story - and it's well worth the wait.
Find out how being conceived in an air-raid gave her curly hair; what pranks led to her being known as the naughtiest girl Oxford High School ever had; how she ended up posing nude for Augustus John as a teenager; why Bob Monkhouse was the best (male) kiss she's ever had; and what happened next after Warren Beatty asked 'Do you fuck?'.
From declaring her love to Vanessa Redgrave to being told to be quiet by the Queen, this book is packed with brilliant, hilarious stories. With a cast list stretching from Scorsese to Streisand, a cross-dressing Leonardo di Caprio to Isaiah Berlin, This Much Is True is as warm and honest, as full of life and surprises, as its inimitable author.
The Assassination Bureau
Oliver Reed and Diana Rigg head an impeccable cast in The Assassination Bureau, a spirited caper inspired by a book co-written by Jack London.
Reed plays Ivan, the self-confident chief of an association of hitmen for hire, who will refuse no well-paid offer - especially the lucrative challenge of an aspiring reporter (Rigg). Reasoning that a running cat-and-mouse duel with his henchmen will rid the organisation of incompetents, Ivan agrees to become the object of a nonstop hunt. The game is afoot...and Europe is the playground!
The Assassination Bureau is a lavishly produced comic send-up from 1969 with unforgettable performances from Reed and Rigg.
Lucy Beaumont - Drinking Custard: Diary Of A Confused Mum
From TV's award-winning comedy mum, Lucy Beaumont, comes her "hilarious debut on the trials and tribulations of motherhood". Known for her sharp, witty and surreal view on everyday life, Lucy shares the unpredictable craziness of being a mum in this "brilliant and laugh-out-loud 'mumoir'".
Mums everywhere will recognise the madness of it all. Like when Lucy was hospitalised with indigestion in her third trimester (blame the burrito), or when she was *this close* to slapping her hypo-birthing instructor. Or the efforts she made to infiltrate the local mum's social groups and when she embarrassingly forgot her own new-born baby's name!
"Heart-warming and laugh-out-loud funny", Drinking Custard also captures Lucy's marriage to comedian Jon Richardson, as they navigate Lucy's raging pregnancy hormones and balk at pram prices together.
Mark Salisbury - The Insider's Guide To Inside No. 9
Welcome, reader, to the experience of a lifetime: a behind-the-scenes tour of the remarkable BAFTA award-winning series.
This show-by-show guide reveals the genesis of each episode's idea through to the scripting, casting, design, direction, and production - where you'll have access to the minds and imaginations of creators Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. Filled with the show's dark humour and behind-the-scenes photographs, production stills, mood boards and concept drawings, you'll find yourself delighted and disturbed in equal measure.
Every episode from the first five series is covered by interviews with key creatives and discussion of the inspiration and creation behind every moment.
For more, see our full list of new releases and products coming soon.
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Louis Barfe tells the touching story of the nation's best friends, Morecambe & Wise, in a new comedy biography. Other quality double acts have been and gone, yet none come close to the affection in which Morecambe & Wise are held. Barfe explores how it is that thirty-seven years after their last television show, they continue to work their unique brand of comedy magic. Sunshine And Laughter is out in hardback and eBook from Head Of Zeus now. Get it from Waterstones
Out now
Rentadick
Originally scripted by comedy legends John Cleese and Graham Chapman, this "hilarious" farce was the first of only two main features from cult director (and Oscar-winning editor) Jim Clark.
Starring James Booth, Richard Briers and Richard Beckinsale as three hapless private investigators, Rentadick is featured here as a brand new high definition remaster from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
Armitage, a rich scientist, has problems. Not only is his luscious wife being pursued (and caught) by all and sundry, but his laboratory is under threat of industrial espionage. He engages private detectives to protect both his business and his wife, but the service he receives is certainly not what he expected!
Ellie Taylor - My Child And Other Mistakes
My Child And Other Mistakes is the honest lowdown on motherhood and all its grisly delights, asking the questions no one wants to admit to asking themselves - do I want a child? Do I have a favourite? Do I wish I hadn't had one and spent the money on a kitchen island instead?
Stand-up comic, broadcaster and actress Ellie Taylor is relatable, clever and interested in how women can have it all. Her "honest, hilarious and moving account" of the whys and hows of having a baby makes perfect reading for expectant mothers and fathers everywhere, as well as those who've been there, done that, and wonder how on earth they did.
In her new book she writes candidly about her own personal experience exploring the decision to have a baby when she doesn't even like them, the importance of cheese during pregnancy, why she took hair straighteners to the labour ward, plus the apocalyptic new-born days, childcare, work and the inevitable impact on life and love and most importantly, her breasts.
Dr Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb
The lauded, satirical cinematic landmark is available in UHD (4K) for the very first time.
Nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture (1964), Stanley Kubrick's black comedy about a group of paranoia-inspired, war-happy generals who manage to initiate an "accidental" nuclear apocalypse, is horribly frightening, delightfully funny and surprisingly relevant to this day.
This is the saga of two psychotic generals: Joint Chief of Staff "Buck" Turgidson (George C. Scott) and Air Force Strategic Commander Jack Ripper (Sterling Hayden), who orders a bomber squadron to attack the USSR, triggering a Soviet secret weapon, the "Doomsday Machine", a diabolical retaliatory missile system. Peter Sellers portrays a trio of men who attempt to avert this catastrophe.
Snatch - 20th Anniversary
More than 20 years since its release, Guy Ritchie's crime caper with a comic twist debuts on 4K UHD Blu-ray. For those who haven't seen it before, the plot can be summarised as "a diamond heist gone wrong, a colourful Irish gypsy-turned-prize fighter... and a very temperamental dog".
Stanley Holloway
Born in London in 1890 Stanley Holloway was one of Britain's finest comedy actors. It was in the 1950s that Holloway produced arguably his finest work on the big screen and this box set includes four of his finest films: The Happy Family (1952); A Day To Remember (1953); Fast And Loose (1954); and Jumping For Joy (1956).
In terms of recognition, Stanley Holloway was awarded an OBE in 1960 and was also nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. He continued his long acting career into his 90s, passing away in 1982 aged 91, and will be remembered as one of Britain's greatest comedy actors.
With co-stars including Donald Sinden, Kathleen Harrison, George Cole, Frankie Howerd, Dora Bryan and many others, we are giving away three copies.
The Blandings Collection: P.G. Wodehouse Volume 2
Audible Studios presents the second volume of the best-selling PG Wodehouse collection. In this volume, Stephen Fry lends his voice to the Blandings stories. This collection contains: Summer Lightning, Heavy Weather, Blandings Castle And Elsewhere, Lord Emsworth And Others, Uncle Fred In The Spring Time.
Volume 1, The Jeeves Collection, was released in December.
Futtocks End And Other Short Stories
A notable presence in the British film industry for several decades and a key director of 1970s film comedies, Bob Kellett also produced these four 'wordless' short films for British cinema. They are A Home Of Your Own, San Ferry Ann, Futtocks End and Vive Le Sport.
Starring Ronnie Barker, Richard Briers, Bernard Cribbins, Barbara Windsor, David Lodge, Wilfrid Brambell, Joan Sims and Michael Hordern, all have been newly restored in high definition by Network's in-house award-wining restoration team from original film elements.
We have three beautiful, sparkling Blu-rays to give away. Don't miss on entering - these films demand to be seen!
Me Myself & Di
A new British comedy feature film.
After winning the 'trip of a lifetime' to a caravan park in Rhyl, North Wales, unlucky in love Northerner, Janet, is ready for a holiday romance. Unfortunately, taking the advice of her best friend, Diana - that she should pretend to be the opposite of who she actually is in order to find love - doesn't quite lead to the happily ever after that Janet was hoping for.
A "laugh-out-loud gritty rom-com", its ensemble cast including James Lance (Teachers), Will Mellor (Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps), Larry Lamb (Gavin & Stacey), Marek Oravec (Captain America: The First Avenger), Wim Snape (The Full Monty), and Katy Clayton (Shameless).
Just Like A Woman
Wendy Craig and Francis Matthews star as a bickering couple going through an acrimonious separation in this swinging, offbeat comedy from producer Bob Kellett and idiosyncratic writer/director Robert Fuest. Also starring John Wood, Dennis Price, Miriam Karlin, Peter Jones and Clive Dunn, Just Like A Woman is presented here as a brand new high definition restoration from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
Lewis and Scilla's rocky marriage finally breaks apart - a situation made worse by the fact that Scilla is a key part of the television show that Lewis produces. But while Lewis copes by picking up a passing starlet, Scilla indulges her passion for bathrooms by getting one custom-designed by an ex-Nazi architect!
The Pursuit Of Love
1920s, Oxfordshire. On the brink of adulthood, Linda Radlett (Lily James) and her beloved cousin Fanny Logan (Emily Beecham) are stuck in the countryside, impatiently waiting for life to begin so they can escape the confines of Alconleigh. Linda, who has lived her life under the terrifying regime of her father, narrator Fanny's "Uncle Matthew" (Dominic West), dreams of excitement and adventure.
But Fanny, abandoned by her mother The Bolter (Emily Mortimer) and raised by their Aunt Emily (Annabel Mullion), is more concerned with comfort and stability. When their glamorous neighbour Lord Merlin (Andrew Scott) brings Tony Kroesig (Freddie Fox) to their coming out ball, Linda falls hopelessly in love with him. However, sensing Fanny's disapproval of the match, it's not long before Linda pushes Fanny away and leaves her beloved cousin feeling left behind.
London Town
Jerry Sandford (Sid Field) has been playing the provincial theatres most of his life. But, when he is offered a chance to make it in the big time, Jerry grabs it with both hands and heads off to London town! When he arrives in the West End, however, he realises that the streets of London are not all paved with gold and he has to settle for life as an understudy to the headline act. Undaunted, his daughter Peggy (Petula Clark) decides to take matters into her own hands to give Jerry his big break, with hilarious consequences!
London Town was Britain's first major Technicolor musical and is part of British film legend. Financed by the Rank Organisation at a time of rationing and shortages for materials in 1946, it was filmed at Sound City Shepperton. Starring comedy legend Sid Field, it's a fine nostalgic look at 1940s music hall entertainment. The superb supporting cast also includes Kay Kendall and Greta Gynt.
Micky Flanagan: Peeping Behind The Curtain
An extraordinary backstage pass to Micky Flanagan's An' Another Fing tour, the sell-out O2 Arena run that became the world's biggest comedy tour.
Unlike anything else you've ever seen him in, this is an intimate and honest feature length documentary that reveals how Micky went from performing in East End pubs to creating an O2 Arena tour that saw him performing to more people than Beyoncé and Take That. From early raw material to the O2 Arena, this film reveals the man behind the laughter and invites the audience in to the rarely seen world of a master comic at work.
Geoff Norcott - Where Did I Go Right?: How The Left Lost Me
Comedian Geoff Norcott should have been Labour through and through. He grew up on a council estate, both of his parents were disabled, and his Dad was a union man. So, how was it that he grew up to vote Tory?
The big myth about the British working-class is that they're born Left-wing and generally stay that way. The working class intention to vote Tory has frequently flirted with the 50% mark. Labour haven't won the popular vote in England since 2001. And as the Left is increasingly diverted by identity politics, the one identity they often forget is the working-class.
Written with warmth, wit and often laugh-out-loud humour, Where Did I Go Right? is Geoff's attempt to understand why he ended up voting 'for the bad guys', and the perfect place to start if you want to understand why in Britain, blue-collar conservatism might be here to stay.
For more, see our full list of new releases and products coming soon.
Thanks for reading
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