The Official Network Thread

[fatboyslim142]

Originally Posted by Rayjg

What would be considered the best, most seamless, movie stitched together from various episodes? Usually you can tell that they are two distinct stories no matter how well they've been blended together.

Lots of 2 part TV episodes have been edited together for DVD etc releases & in the case of the 1998 TV mini-series (4 episodes) Far from the Madding Crowd that was ENTIRELY edited together for DVD. I just wish companies would just release TV shows as originally broadcast, ie in episode order & NOT edited together for DVD etc.

[Kieran Seymour]

The best ones are where they had the sense to make a two-part story, or filmed extra footage to expand a single episode

I haven't seen them, but for the UK you be looking at The Baron, Man in a Suitcase, Space: 1999 (Destination Moonbase Alpha, not the other three), The Saint and Danger Man. From the US, the eight Man from UNCLE ones and the original Battlestar Galactica. And I suppose the John Mills Quatermass ought to be thrown into the mix as well.

I did actually get to see Battlestar Galactica on the big screen back in the 1980s and it was a great morning. Mind you, I was ten and it was an unexpected Christmas treat for my year at school, so I'd probably have sat through anything and enjoyed it!

Basically, the real interest, outside of nostalgia, is if they did something a bit different other than just chop off the credits, so extra footage or an alternate cut - The Man from UNCLE ones often had extra footage to spice them up a bit, and entire websites have been devoted to the differences between the original three-part Battlestar Galactica pilot and the movie edit.

[MillyD]

Do get the full series for OUT. Going to pre-order that one, because seems to have significant limited content. A blind buy for me, but like Tom Bell, and seems to have a good reputation.

[fatboyslim142]

Originally Posted by Kieran Seymour

The best ones are where they had the sense to make a two-part story, or filmed extra footage to expand a single episode

I haven't seen them, but for the UK you be looking at The Baron, Man in a Suitcase, Space: 1999 (Destination Moonbase Alpha, not the other three), The Saint and Danger Man. From the US, the eight Man from UNCLE ones and the original Battlestar Galactica. And I suppose the John Mills Quatermass ought to be thrown into the mix as well.

I did actually get to see Battlestar Galactica on the big screen back in the 1980s and it was a great morning. Mind you, I was ten and it was an unexpected Christmas treat for my year at school, so I'd probably have sat through anything and enjoyed it!

Basically, the real interest, outside of nostalgia, is if they did something a bit different other than just chop off the credits, so extra footage or an alternate cut - The Man from UNCLE ones often had extra footage to spice them up a bit, and entire websites have been devoted to the differences between the original three-part Battlestar Galactica pilot and the movie edit.

Are there any other UK ones you can think of?

I know The Best of Benny Hill film (different in production style to Monty Python's And now for Something Completely Different) is cobbled together from the episodes of his TV show that were produced & directed by John Robins but that really doesn't count.

[grahams76]

Originally Posted by MillyD

Do get the full series for OUT. Going to pre-order that one, because seems to have significant limited content. A blind buy for me, but like Tom Bell, and seems to have a good reputation.

The yellow slipcase?

[harry o]

Did "the champions" have a movie length effort with a couple of episodes spliced together I can't recall ??

[MillyD]

Originally Posted by grahams76

The yellow slipcase?

I think limited booklet too but ok not that much limited

[The Screaming Feces]

That's a nice surprise for The Baron! I would like the entire series, but I'll buy this one to support a complete release down the road.

Perhaps the reason Network hasn't said anything about releasing Danger Man or The Saint recently is because they're still at work transferring all the episodes to HD? Perhaps that's naïve, but I can dream! I'd take Blu-ray releases of The Champions or Strange Report while we "wait".

[harry o]

" legend of the champions" thank you wki !

[Martyghost]

Originally Posted by fatboyslim142

Is there a list of TV shows that had films made from actual episodes stitched together? I can do the searching for the corresponding films etc.

so far I know that the following have film versions:

Seaway x1
Danger Man x2
The Saint x2
The Persuaders! x4
The Baron x2

Also does anyone know which series have had their compilation film versions released?

The Persuaders was actually x8 film versions but until Network's feature release the other 4 weren't in English.

[Martyghost]

Originally Posted by harry o

" legend of the champions" thank you wki !

A mix of The Beginning and The Interrogation if I recall correctly.

[Modman]

Ok, I appreciate its all DVDs but Network have a small TV box set sale running to the 16th May.

https://networkonair.com/300-april-t...df5XC96wYX-sGs

[cutback73]

Originally Posted by fatboyslim142

Are there any other UK ones you can think of?

I know The Best of Benny Hill film (different in production style to Monty Python's And now for Something Completely Different) is cobbled together from the episodes of his TV show that were produced & directed by John Robins but that really doesn't count.

Codename Kyril with Edward Woodward, Joss Ackland, Peter Vaughan et al was originally a mini series and was released as such by Network, but is normally shown as the "hacked down into TV movie" version when it gets shown now. Although that's not a theatrical release, so probably doesn't count...

I will be preordering the Baron blu ray as soon as the credit card goes round to next month, and crossing fingers it does well enough to get the remainder released!

[OceanBlue]

Originally Posted by cutback73

Codename Kyril with Edward Woodward, Joss Ackland, Peter Vaughan et al was originally a mini series and was released as such by Network, but is normally shown as the "hacked down into TV movie" version when it gets shown now. Although that's not a theatrical release, so probably doesn't count...

I will be preordering the Baron blu ray as soon as the credit card goes round to next month, and crossing fingers it does well enough to get the remainder released!

I watched Network's DVD release of Codename: Kyril earlier last year (maybe even earlier than that, what with how fast time flies by), deliberately placed before I started re-watching the third season of the original Equalizer (as I believe Woodward shot it inbetween the end of Season 2 and the first few episodes of Season 3 (they shot the first few Season 3 episodes earlier than normal because a strike may have been on the way (which in the end didn't happen). If you haven't seen Codename: Kyril, go into it cold (my focus when I watched it, was seeing how much screentime Edward Woodward had). I thought it was very good, and well worth watching.

I'm hoping Network announce (sooner rather than later) second Blu-ray volumes of the Danziger Brothers anthology series. I'm a bit torn with this Baron Blu-ray release (it's also reminding me of that Man in a Suitcase Blu-ray (called To Chase a Million).

[fatboyslim142]

Originally Posted by Martyghost

The Persuaders was actually x8 film versions but until Network's feature release the other 4 weren't in English.

What are the 8 Persuaders ones?

[fatboyslim142]

Originally Posted by harry o

Did "the champions" have a movie length effort with a couple of episodes spliced together I can't recall ??

Legend of the Champions (TV, 1983)

[Hammerlover]

Their Hammer deal sounded promising...once upon a time.

[Martyghost]

Originally Posted by fatboyslim142

What are the 8 Persuaders ones?

The Persuaders! Take 50 with Tony Curtis and Roger Moore | Order now - YouTube

Hopefully this will cue up to the 24 second mark.

[Martyghost]

Originally Posted by Django100

I'm hoping they get back to releasing films on blu at some point.

I was hoping for more unseen TV myself.

[harry o]

I hope we get more ITC blu ray series releases, "return of the saint" comes to mind the last big glossy action effort from Robert S. Baker producer of "the persuaders !" high production values with european locations and some great guest stars.