Hancock, a sitcom starring Tony Hancock after his departure from the BBC, is to be released on DVD for the first time.

The long sought-after series ran for thirteen episodes in 1963 after the comedy star had left the BBC and split with his regular writers of the previous decade, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. It was broadcast on ITV by regional franchise holder Associated Television (ATV).

Penned by four different scriptwriters, the series focuses on Hancock's adventures, which, more often than not, start on a street corner where he is minding his own business but where he soon finds himself entangle when something happens. And it frequently does; for example, his adventures see him becoming a spy for MI5, witnessing a bank robbery, taking part in a kitchen sink film, taking on the role of an escort and even falling in love.

Unseen in more than fifty years, the complete series will be released in July and is now available to pre-order direct from distributor Kaleidoscope, an organisation specialising in old and lost television recovery and archival. It will be available from third party retailers such as Amazon from October onwards.

The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society, which is partnering with copyright owner Roger Hancock Limited and Kaleidoscope to make the DVD release possible, say: "The THAS is thrilled that the 1963 ATV series of Hancock is being made available on DVD. Made after Hancock parted company with Galton and Simpson, the series has long been the holy grail for Hancock fans and we are certain that this commercial release will be snapped up by fans everywhere."

Extras included on the three-disc set are set to include audio content, various commercials featuring the star comedian, and an extensive booklet about the sitcom.

The companies recently worked together to release Hancock's first television series, 1956 sketch show The Tony Hancock Show, also broadcast on the ITV network.