The Official Network Thread

[MillyD]

Originally Posted by Deadend45

Months ago I looked up the really cheap network BDs on rarewaves and they all got only two stars in my PDFs of book film reviews.

Some of those cheap, old films I actually quite enjoyed but Spring Meeting really is dreadful. I stopped watching it too.

[fatboyslim142]

It appears some Network stuff is being re-released by Spirit Entertainment including the Jasper Carrott series that led to thosee Audience with... specials.

[CouncilSpectre]

Originally Posted by pferreira

I just noticed that Network put out The Animals of Farthing Wood on DVD. For whoever now owns the home media rights I wonder if the original negatives exist to present the series in HD?

The series was commissioned and funded by the EBU, and then produced by John Mills' Telemagination, who sub-contracted France's La Fabrique to help animate the series.

God only knows where any original assets would have ended up. If it was Telemagination then they no longer exist in their own right, having been folded into TV-Loonland in the mid-2000s. In turn they were later bought by m4e, who were then bought by Studio 100. Any assets could sit anywhere along that chain, or somewhere else entirely.

Rather unhelpfully there's nothing on the back of the box on the Network DVD release to give a clue as to where the rights sat even then, let alone now.

[Mike0284]

Originally Posted by fatboyslim142

it appears some network stuff is being re-released by spirit entertainment including the jasper carrott series that led to those audience with... specials.

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by CouncilSpectre

The series was commissioned and funded by the EBU, and then produced by John Mills' Telemagination, who sub-contracted France's La Fabrique to help animate the series.

God only knows where any original assets would have ended up. If it was Telemagination then they no longer exist in their own right, having been folded into TV-Loonland in the mid-2000s. In turn they were later bought by m4e, who were then bought by Studio 100. Any assets could sit anywhere along that chain, or somewhere else entirely.

Rather unhelpfully there's nothing on the back of the box on the Network DVD release to give a clue as to where the rights sat even then, let alone now.

I had no idea the series went through so many hands. The bright side is Network managed to release it so there's hope whoever Network got the rights from can licence the series for blu-ray and might have possible negatives of the show. The DVDs say licenced from EBU but no idea who would have the negatives.

[CouncilSpectre]

Originally Posted by pferreira

I had no idea the series went through so many hands. The bright side is Network managed to release it so there's hope whoever Network got the rights from can licence the series for blu-ray and might have possible negatives of the show. The DVDs say licenced from EBU but no idea who would have the negatives.

Network definitely licensed it from the EBU but it's unlikely they would have the original production assets. Those would most likely have stayed with Telemagination, La Fabrique, or Martin Gates Productions who look like they co-ordinated the production. The series is on Prime Video listed under Martin Gates Productions. Sadly they went bump back in 2019. Although there's a HD option of the show on Prime Video I bought the first episode and it doesn't look any different to the Network DVD so I'd imagine it's an upscale at best.

[fatboyslim142]

Originally Posted by Mike0284

Some are just DVD ONLY for the time being. Best bet is to follow the relevant thread on here.

[Deadend45]

Found a Euro site (Denmark?) that has network releases starting at 3.50 pounds.:
https://imusic.co/movies/search?_for...=&offset=0#tbl

A few seem missing elsewhere like 'Till Death Us Do Part'.
I have never ordered from the site nor am I endorsing it but the Tracked shipping rates seem to be reasonable.

[drush9999]

Originally Posted by Deadend45

Found a Euro site (Denmark?) that has network releases starting at 3.50 pounds.:
https://imusic.co/movies/search?_for...=&offset=0#tbl

A few seem missing elsewhere like 'Till Death Us Do Part'.
I have never ordered from the site nor am I endorsing it but the Tracked shipping rates seem to be reasonable.

imusic are reliable, the website doesn't scale properly on some browsers though and you have to zoom out.

[Deadend45]

Originally Posted by drush9999

imusic are reliable, the website doesn't scale properly on some browsers though and you have to zoom out.

Have there ever been working codes for the site?

[drush9999]

Originally Posted by Deadend45

Have there ever been working codes for the site?

Never bothered to find out, certainly the Honey browser addon doesn't have any.

[chane]

I remain dismayed that neither Network, before they folded, or any other studio ever restored the often distorted (overloaded) audio of the Danger Man/Secret Agent series for a BD edition. The distortion could have easily been removed via software https://www.izotope.com/en/products/...g5zKTduAy7BDf6 and Edwin Astley's excellent scoring would have been well worth the effort.

[Deadend45]

Originally Posted by Deadend45

Another place to buy network titles, BDs starting at 4.50GBP:

https://chalkys.com/search?page=1&q=...rice-ascending

BF sale code:BLACKFRIDAY10

[WelshCollector]

Reasonably priced copy of Revenge on Blu-Ray alert:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186842580...mis&media=COPY

[Deadend45]

'Reasonably' as in the typical massive greed of a reseller.

[DavidRoylance]

Network did announce the hour long Danger Man episodes but I believe the project was abandoned because of the expense of getting access to the elements.

[The Hornets]

Originally Posted by DavidRoylance

Network did announce the hour long Danger Man episodes but I believe the project was abandoned because of the expense of getting access to the elements.

There was never an official announcement.

IIRC at a convention around 2 years before Network's demise Tim Beddows in a panel discussion said Network were working on the 1 hour shows in HD.

No more was ever said by Tim or Network themselves.

[DavidRoylance]

You are right, of course. I remember that it was widely quoted at the time on on the Zeta Minor forum and treated as if it were an announcement.

Originally Posted by The Hornets

There was never an official announcement.

IIRC at a convention around 2 years before Network's demise Tim Beddows in a panel discussion said Network were working on the 1 hour shows in HD.

No more was ever said by Tim or Network themselves.

[Guernica78]

Wonder what the likelihood now time has passed of the Sweeney series coming out on Blurray. I know there’s a few insiders on this forum. Will 2025 be the year?

[DavidRoylance]

There is some unsubstantiated hope that Imprint will finish the restoration next year.

Originally Posted by Guernica78

Wonder what the likelihood now time has passed of the Sweeney series coming out on Blurray. I know there’s a few insiders on this forum. Will 2025 be the year?