The Official Network Thread

[ballsofcheese]

Originally Posted by spearce8

Can you please e-mail this to Network's CS

I'm sure someone at Network will have already looked into it. It's possible that both studios do realise the value of the series and the price is too high for Network. But a partwork release schedule similar to Scarlet , Suitcase etc with perhaps one disc a month and 2 films seems such an obviously popular choice it's difficult to know why it hasn't happened.
I suspect Bluray availability is down to the studios creating HD masters but they simply have higher priorities.
Such a waste.
ITV own 18 of the Carry On films outright yet you can see from the irregular repeats across the ITV channels that even after over a decade of HD broadcasts not a single ITV Carry On seems to have an HD master available.

[ballsofcheese]

Originally Posted by Aclea

The elements for both cuts of The Terrornauts are in terrible condition - the uncut version worst of all - and any proper restoration would literally cost more than the film.

Two-Way stretch is one I can easily see SC doing themselves at some point.

They did "I'm Alright Jack" quite some time ago so I thought TWS was a given.
One problem could be pricing. Studio Canal discs are generally far more expensive than other labels, they rarely have discounts beyond one site at a time and they don't become cheap after a few months like most other titles.
So I guess they can't sell enough day one units to make it worthwhile.
So its chicken and egg. £20 for an old British B&W film on Bluray won't fly off the shelves but if that's what SC want then by not buying them we are deterring them from releasing more.

[CV19]

Originally Posted by Modman

Wow, just had a quick check, I've seen everyone with the exception of Emnannuelle, many multiple times.

Well, to be honest you haven't missed much. Even an ardent Carry On fan like myself will admit Emmannuelle is quite poor and without question the weakest film in the whole series in my opinion.

[CV19]

Originally Posted by ballsofcheese

Network have a deal with Studio Canal and have released hundreds of their titles already with plenty of them on Bluray too so it's not too far removed to hope they might get the chance for the Carry On series. SC seem to have stalled after 4 of their colour ones so with Network appearing to get the rights to the things SC are not interested in releasing so I would hope the enterprising Network staff take advantage of their position of having deals with both ITV and SC and get on with releasing the rest of the Carry On series. SC and ITV don't seem interested in doing so

I sincerely hope Network will eventually release all the remaining Carry On's, as ITV have never appeared to have any interest in their catalogue titles as you say. At least I could finally throw away my Carlton/Cinema Club DVD's. The Studio Canal DVD's are quite good generally speaking, but the Cinema Club releases range from fairly good to truly awful - depending on which film.

[ballsofcheese]

Originally Posted by CV19

Well, to be honest you haven't missed much. Even an ardent Carry On fan like myself will admit Emmannuelle is quite poor and without question the weakest film in the whole series in my opinion.

Suzanne Danielle was always lovely to look at but as you say the film is terrible and it really does tarnish the reputation of the series. It should never have had the Carry On prefix attached.
But then Carry On England was just as bad.
After a disastrous first week in the cinemas with an AA (15) they withdrew it, made censor cuts then reissued it as an A (PG).
Didn't change the fact that the writing was dreadful. From a historical point of view its good they retained both versions although the uncut version didn't appear on home video until the dvd.
Apparently there were lots of minor censor cuts to the early Carry On film to tone down some of the saucier bits but like the Hammer films of the time the cut moments were not retained and are forever lost

[ballsofcheese]

Originally Posted by CV19

I sincerely hope Network will eventually release all the remaining Carry On's, as ITV have never appeared to have any interest in their catalogue titles as you say. At least I could finally throw away my Carlton/Cinema Club DVD's. The Studio Canal DVD's are quite good generally speaking, but the Cinema Club releases range from fairly good to truly awful - depending on which film.

Yes - some of the ITV Carry On discs suffer the same problem as some of their other comedies including Norman Wisdom in that they're not anamorphic so its difficult to display them on modern tv's without borders all round or cutting things off. OOer missus

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by CV19

Well, to be honest you haven't missed much. Even an ardent Carry On fan like myself will admit Emmannuelle is quite poor and without question the weakest film in the whole series in my opinion.

I think that dubious honour goes to either cut of Carry On England.

[CV19]

Originally Posted by ballsofcheese

....But then Carry On England was just as bad.....

Yes, it was only just marginally better I would say, but not by much, you're right. I'd say the last good one for me was Carry On Behind - although I know some fans are quite critical of this film too, but personally I enjoyed it although Windsor Davies is no substitute for Sid James.

[CV19]

Originally Posted by Aclea

I think that dubious honour goes to either cut of Carry On England.

At least the Cinema Club's DVD of England was one of the better releases in terms of picture quality. Emmannuelle was a poor transfer, and in pan-and-scan. However the worst one was Abroad - amazed they even let that go. Yet the version shown on Channel 4 one year was like comparing night and day.

[Aclea]

The uncut England was okay quality but the censored cut looked like a transfer of an old worn VHS copy.

[CV19]

Originally Posted by Aclea

The uncut England was okay quality but the censored cut looked like a transfer of an old worn VHS copy.

Yes, some of the DVD's look rather like that.

By the way, I should have pointed out when I was talking about the Cinema Club DVD's, I meant the original releases from the year 2001. There were re-released special editions of the Carry On's about 3 or 4 years later, but whether or not they were improved transfers, I couldn't say. All I know is that they included audio commentaries.

[Aclea]

The reissue of England is the one with both cuts. IIRC Behind and England were among the very first VHS releases in the UK, and the shorter cut of England on the Carlton SE probably used that same ancient master.

[CV19]

Originally Posted by Aclea

The reissue of England is the one with both cuts. IIRC Behind and England were among the very first VHS releases in the UK, and the shorter cut of England on the Carlton SE probably used that same ancient master.

I'm old enough to remember the VHS releases from about 1986/7 by a firm called 'The Video Collection' which put out a number of Carry On's - only the Rank films as I recall. They cost £7.99 each - a fair old sum back then considering I was still on my first job and not earning very much money. Oh happy days.

[RossyG]

Fake Kenneth Williams (posh): “The Video Collection is proud to present...”. (Snide) “The Best of British Comedy!”

Yes, happy days. I was a sixth former and the idea of owning films seemed mind-blowing.

And according to the inflation calculator, that 1986 £7.99 is worth £23.85 today.

I still tend to think in late-80s VHS prices, which is why I’m always amazed when people complain about Blu-Ray prices today. £70 for HD restorations of all 24 episodes of The Persuaders (complete with books and extras) seems like a steal when I think of how I bought it on crappy VHS at £10.99 for two episodes, so £131.88 in 1990, which is £323 today.

But I digress...

[CV19]

Originally Posted by RossyG

Fake Kenneth Williams (posh): “The Video Collection is proud to present...”. (Snide) “The Best of British Comedy!”

Yes, happy days. I was a sixth former and the idea of owning films seemed mind-blowing.

And according to the inflation calculator, that 1986 £7.99 is worth £23.85 today.

I still tend to think in late-80s VHS prices, which is why I’m always amazed when people complain about Blu-Ray prices today. £70 for HD restorations of all 24 episodes of The Persuaders (complete with books and extras) seems like a steal when I think of how I bought it on crappy VHS at £10.99 for two episodes, so £131.88 in 1990, which is £323 today.

But I digress...

Brilliant, yes I remember the trailer for those Carry On titles. And I completely agree with you, spending a tenner on a blu-ray today is nothing to what we spent back in the late 80's for a crap pan-and-scan VHS tape.

From memory, The Video Collection titles were the cheapest, but I do remember clearly the Warner Home Video titles (the ones with the very large cases) costing £14.99 - around £40 in today's money according to some inflation calculators.

CBS/FOX and CIC Video were usually around the £12 mark I think, but still quite expensive at that time. Most of my spare cash went on videos, and as you say, the idea of actually owning a film was something to be proud of.

[BigNickUK]

We digress

[CV19]

Originally Posted by BigNickUK

We digress

Yes it happens sometimes - one conversation leads to another.

In a way, it's still Network related as we're all hoping this label can pick up the rights to all the films we've been discussing.

[BigNickUK]

Originally Posted by CV19

Yes it happens sometimes - one conversation leads to another.

In a way, it's still Network related as we're all hoping this label can pick up the rights to all the films we've been discussing.

Or Studio Canal continue their Carry On Collection

[CV19]

Originally Posted by BigNickUK

Or Studio Canal continue their Carry On Collection

Nothing would please me more, believe me. We can only hope.

[drush9999]

I'd be up for a Carry On Blu-ray set or two. Some of the DVDs are non-anamorphic which is irritating.