The Official Network Thread

[Number 28]

Originally Posted by harry o

I'll always wonder if a 4k version of "the prisoner" was on the cards had network survived.

IMO, if anything in cult/classic TV that merits a 4K restoration upgrade The Prisoner is at the top of the queue. There was no indication from Network that they were going to venture into 4K, but Network always did play their cards close to their chest.

I expect they would have remained in the DVD/Blu-ray for the time being. Maybe they could release some 4K titles, for example, that would appeal to and drew the attention of boutique collectors to Network, thus broadening their customer base.

A question I have regarding the formats, will it get to the stage that to sell physical media it would be expected by buyers to be 4K quality, especially where the original elements can allow?

Originally Posted by harry o

Hopefully we may see "the baron" blu ray that network was about to release surface again ???

I pre-ordered The Baron films straight away and then got the refund after Network closed down. I would expect we will get the chance to buy this again.

One thing about the The Baron release, I would have thought The Saint films with Roger Moore would have been more of a seller. I have felt for sometime The Saint film The Fiction Makers would be a really good one for the Network HD treatment.

[The Hornets]

Originally Posted by Number 28

IMO, if anything in cult/classic TV that merits a 4K restoration upgrade The Prisoner is at the top of the queue. There was no indication from Network that they were going to venture into 4K, but Network always did play their cards close to their chest.

I expect they would have remained in the DVD/Blu-ray for the time being. Maybe they could release some 4K titles, for example, that would appeal to and drew the attention of boutique collectors to Network, thus broadening their customer base.

A question I have regarding the formats, will it get to the stage that to sell physical media it would be expected by buyers to be 4K quality, especially where the original elements can allow?

Buyers of archive TV aren't in the main the most new tech savvy, people here are very much a minority of a minority. Hence why Criterion and BFI were so slow ditching DVD and moving to UHD as they appeal to similar customers.

I think sales for these old TV shows on UHD would be tiny and much lower than something like old Star Trek which has a much larger international fan base.

Originally Posted by Number 28

I pre-ordered The Baron films straight away and then got the refund after Network closed down. I would expect we will get the chance to buy this again.

One thing about the The Baron release, I would have thought The Saint films with Roger Moore would have been more of a seller. I have felt for sometime The Saint film The Fiction Makers would be a really good one for the Network HD treatment.

For The Saint agree the TVMs were a feasible option for BD as we saw with The Protectors and the planned Baron release. They always said that long running shows like The Saint were too expensive as collectors these days want a complete boxset rather than a season by season approach before they can start to recoup money from sales.

Not sure any UK label would be interested in picking these up for BD as the core market of all the independent labels is very different to archive TV and they have strong customer support for their regular titles.

Think the best hope is ViaVision / Imprint in Australia as they are starting to put these out as with The Prisoner including some HD of Danger Man.

[WelshCollector]

MAN IN A SUITCASE
Blu-Ray Deluxe ITC box Set



I bailed at £30, but I seem to remember someone here was looking for this. Worth a punt.

[AndyB1973]

Seems CEX don’t have Man in a suitcase v1 now either! Looks like I’ll be missing that one completely now sadly.

[Ben_C]

I was half tempted to sell my Man in a Suitcase deluxe set and replace it with the significantly smaller standard edition way back when. So glad I didn’t in the end, as I reckon I definitely would have felt a bit of seller’s remorse after Network disappeared.
It’s a good set with a very comprehensive book.

[AndyB1973]

If it was any other volume bar the first I needed I’d be sorted, typical it’s that one that seems the most scarce!

[Number 28]

Originally Posted by Mr. Thomsen

Man, I wish someone would find a box of Revenge!

I kick myself for missing out on that one.

Have you managed to find a copy of Revenge?

A real gem of a film, with James Booth, Joan Collins, Kenneth Griffith released by Network back in 2016.

Chalkys are selling the DVD for just under £9.

There is a Blu-ray version, like new condition, going for a reasonable £18 or offers on ebay, not the usual £50+.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/375343875...Bk9SR4TVidLVYw

[side__on]

Found online, Home entertainment label Network Distributing decided it was time to bring the original into the 21st century. They called on BBC Studios and Post Production’s award-winning Digital Media Services who painstaking restored the content frame-by-frame to create a new HD version.

Network Distributing was able to source the original negatives for The Sweeney, although the 16mm film negatives varied in quality and condition and in some cases were very badly worn, with lots of scratching, scuffing and in one instance missing sprocket holes.

Led by Colourist Jonathan Wood, the team were tasked with the digital restoration of four series – 53 episodes in total. They devised a special workflow, comprised of a SCANITY film scanner, Nucoda Film Master and a HS-ART DustBuster. First a 2K scan of the original 16mm A/B negative rolls was generated on the SCANITY and conformed on the Nucoda Film Master, removing any residual picture movement caused by the physical film edit. After this, a full shot-by-shot grade with grain reduction and automated dust removal was carried out using the Nucoda. The HS-ART DustBuster was then used for manual clean up to ensure each of the episodes had a consistent look and feel. The master mono tracks were cloned across and the timecode of these new HD masters made to match the old so that the previously created 5.1 tracks remained in sync.

It was important that clarity and colour improvements were balanced with staying faithful to the style of the show and maintaining the 16mm film feel of the 1970s police series. The final episodes were formatted to HDCAM SR masters and released on Blu-ray.

[Number 28]

Originally Posted by side__on

Found online, Home entertainment label Network Distributing decided it was time to bring the original into the 21st century. They called on BBC Studios and Post Production’s award-winning Digital Media Services who painstaking restored the content frame-by-frame to create a new HD version.

Network Distributing was able to source the original negatives for The Sweeney, although the 16mm film negatives varied in quality and condition and in some cases were very badly worn, with lots of scratching, scuffing and in one instance missing sprocket holes.

Led by Colourist Jonathan Wood, the team were tasked with the digital restoration of four series – 53 episodes in total. They devised a special workflow, comprised of a SCANITY film scanner, Nucoda Film Master and a HS-ART DustBuster. First a 2K scan of the original 16mm A/B negative rolls was generated on the SCANITY and conformed on the Nucoda Film Master, removing any residual picture movement caused by the physical film edit. After this, a full shot-by-shot grade with grain reduction and automated dust removal was carried out using the Nucoda. The HS-ART DustBuster was then used for manual clean up to ensure each of the episodes had a consistent look and feel. The master mono tracks were cloned across and the timecode of these new HD masters made to match the old so that the previously created 5.1 tracks remained in sync.

It was important that clarity and colour improvements were balanced with staying faithful to the style of the show and maintaining the 16mm film feel of the 1970s police series. The final episodes were formatted to HDCAM SR masters and released on Blu-ray.

That is interesting to read. Thanks for posting it here. Maybe we will still get it on BD one day.

About the 5.1 sound, which on the series 1 BD is the default setting, you have to choose the original mono if you want it. On the episode Stoppo Driver, the chase at the start of the episode with a silver S Type Jag, the 5.1 sound lacks the sound of the police bell on the squad's Ford Consul, but is there on the mono version. I informed Network years ago of it and they were unaware at that point of it being ommitted/overlooked on the 5.1 sound track transfer.

I don't know if there were any other sound effects that got missed across series 1, but the car's bell/siren would have been dubbed on to the original mono soundtrack recording back in 1975.

[side__on]

The info is from 2011/12.I only ever listen to the mono track on my series 1 bd.

[DavidRoylance]

The above seems to suggest that all of The Sweeney was finished in HD in 2011, contrary to what he have read more recently.

[demented]

I was at BBC Studios who did the restoration work for most of Network’s and the then head of operations told me that they had complete restored THE SWEENEY in HD using the exact same workflow as described in side_on’s post. This was back in 2014/2015, I think. They had a huge image of Thaw and Waterman adorning one of the walls. I really do hope we get the complete series on Blu-ray.

[side__on]

I don't know which of the uk boutique labels would release the remaining episodes but I do think there's a good chance aussie label imprint will.

[harry o]

I'm pinning my hopes on the aussies !

[GreatUncleBaal]

I'm sure I read,
that there were just a few episodes of the Sweeney that were never finished.

[Modman]

I am pretty sure I saw a YT interview with one of the bigger British boutique labels where the guy said they are thinking of dipping their toe into British TV, it might have been Arrow but I am not sure.

It certainly wasn't a commitment and no titles were mentioned but there still might be hope for UK releases of classic TV.

For example, who's got the HD masters for The Baron? We know that was only weeks away from production when Network collapsed.

[Kyliefan1]

Originally Posted by side__on

I don't know which of the uk boutique labels would release the remaining episodes but I do think there's a good chance aussie label imprint will.

Imprint have already released Dame Diana Rigg and Linda Thorson's episodes of The Avengers on blu-ray, plus they will be releasing The Prisoner in a limted edition complete series blu ray box set on June 7th. With this being said, the hope is there.

THE PRISONER BLU RAY (IMPRINT)

https://viavision.com.au/shop/the-pr...-television-6/

[Number 28]

Originally Posted by Modman

I am pretty sure I saw a YT interview with one of the bigger British boutique labels where the guy said they are thinking of dipping their toe into British TV, it might have been Arrow but I am not sure.

It certainly wasn't a commitment and no titles were mentioned but there still might be hope for UK releases of classic TV.

For example, who's got the HD masters for The Baron? We know that was only weeks away from production when Network collapsed.

There were the 2 Baron films (4 episodes) which we nearly got last year and the one on the ITC Retro BD. So making 5 episodes out of the series of 30 episodes. I don't know if there are any more around, but that would make 25 more to restore.

There is one HD episode of The Strange Report, leaving 15 outstanding and the 1 of 17 of Shirley's World. The New Avengers 1 of 26 (Network's Cybernauts Trilogy). So I see those and The Baron as being the easiest as in terms of hours to be restored.

If, for example, Arrow did venture into British TV that might be good for bringing to the attention to a wider audiance Network's former film and TV catalogue and what was in the pipeline.

PS - Return of the Saint 1 of 24 restored.

[Number 28]

Originally Posted by Kyliefan1

Imprint have already released Dame Diana Rigg and Linda Thorson's episodes of The Avengers on blu-ray, plus they will be releasing The Prisoner in a limted edition complete series blu ray box set on June 7th. With this being said, the hope is there.

THE PRISONER BLU RAY (IMPRINT)

https://viavision.com.au/shop/the-pr...-television-6/

ViaVision released this January The Sweeney - The Utimate Collection on DVD with masses of extras, including Regan and even the 2 films. IMO, in one way that is a good sign to what ViaVision have done so much in one package, but it being The Ultimate Collection does that mean that is it and nothing more ie. no BD?

Special Features:

Armchair Cinema: “Regan” – the pilot to The Sweeney with Audio Commentary by Dennis Waterman, producer Ted Childs and director Tom Clegg\
Audio commentaries on selected episodes
Exclusive NEW Audio Commentaries by Rob Fairclough and Mike Kenwood, authors of “The Sweeney: The Official Companion”, on “Jackpot”, “Chalk and Cheese”, “Taste of Fear” and “Hearts and Minds”.
Introductions on select episodes by Tony Selby, Prunella Gee, Dudley Sutton, Billy Murray, Warren Mitchell, Wanda Ventham, Bill Maynard, Gwen Taylor, James Booth, Ken Hutchison, Lynda Bellingham, Nadim Sawalha, George Sweeney, John Lyons, Tina Heath, Geraldine James, Stephen Pacey, James Warrior, Jenny Runacre, Nick Stinger, Gary Morcambe and Peter Wight.
Interview with series creator Ian Kennedy-Martin
Interview with stunt arranger Peter Brayham
Interview with writer Roger Marshall
“Wild Boys” Featurette with Patrick Mower, George Layton, Lynda Bellingham and writer Roger Marshall
Outtakes
Audio Commentary on the 1977 film “Sweeney!” by producer Ted Childs, director David Wickes and writer Ranald Graham
Audio Commentary on the 1978 film “Sweeney 2” by director Tom Clegg and producer Ted Childs
Trailers for each Sweeney film with introductions by Lynda Bellingham, Ken Hutchison and James Warrior
Episode of Thames comedy series Man About The House guest starring Dennis Waterman
Restoration Featurette
and more…


https://viavision.com.au/shop/the-sw...mplete-series/

[wabrit]

Originally Posted by Modman

I am pretty sure I saw a YT interview with one of the bigger British boutique labels where the guy said they are thinking of dipping their toe into British TV, it might have been Arrow but I am not sure.

It certainly wasn't a commitment and no titles were mentioned but there still might be hope for UK releases of classic TV.

I think there was a recent interview with Sam Dunn of Indicator where he alluded briefly to the possibility of a TV strand, but as you say absolutely no details or assurances beyond that. Of course his admiration of 60s/70s British film is well known, so if you want to do some wishful thinking