Olivia Sutton's Fanfic Journal

Title:  The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer

Featured Actors:  Vic Reeves (Jim Moir), Bob Mortimer

Episode Length:  30 minutes

Number of episodes per series (DVD set):  12

Total Seasons (Series): 1

Format:  PAL Region: 2

Production Source:  BBC

General Information:  Another of  Reeves and Mortimer's New Wave comedies.

Title:  Space: 1999

Featured Actors:  Barbara Bain, Martin Landau, Catherine Schell

Episode Length:  1 hour

Number of episodes per series (DVD set): 6

Total Seasons (Series): 2

Format:  NTSC Region: 1

Production Source:  ITV

General Information:  Do to an accident at a nuclear-waste disposal site on the moon, the moon is sent hurling away from Earth.  The people working at moonbase are trapped on the moon, and soon find themselves discovering new life and new civilizations as the moon has sort of  become a spaceship.  This is a live-action Gerry Anderson series.

Title:  Thunderbirds

Featured Actors:  Peter Dyneley, Shane Rimmer, David Holliday, Jeremy Wilkin, Matt Zimmerman, David Graham, Ray Barrett, Sylvia Anderson, et. al.  (All voices only)

Episode Length:  1 hour

Number of episodes per series (DVD set):  6 (sets 1-4), 5 (set 5), 3 (set 6)

Total Seasons (Series): 2

Format:  NTSC Region: 1

Production Source:  ITV

General Information:  Gerry Anderson's most famous and best Supermarionation television series.  The series features Jeff  Tracy, millionaire, business executive, and former astronaut as the head of International Rescue - a service organization that he started to rescue people anywhere in the world.  International Rescue is also a top-secret organization, no one in the world at large knows that Jeff and his sons are the organization.  Jeff's sons are:  John Tracy, space monitor aboard Thunderbird 5 a geostationary satellite that can monitor any frequency in the world for distress calls (and communicate back to those in distress); Scott Tracy, the pilot of Thunderbird 1 a super-sonic reconnaissance craft that is normally the first on the scene in the disaster zone; Virgil Tracy, pilot of Thunderbird 2, the organization's huge transport that carries rescue equipment to the disaster site; Alan Tracy, astronaut and pilot of Thunderbird 3, the organization's space rocket; and Gordon Tracy, aquanaut and pilot of the organization's tiny yellow mini-sub.  Other regulars include:  Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and her driver/butler Parker, the organization's London agents; Ma Tracy, Jeff's mother; Kyrano, Jeff's loyal gardener, chef, and servant as well as friend; and Kyrano's daughter Tin-Tin.  The regular villain is the Hood.  Although a bit dated in places (particularly the use of a villain like the Hood), most of  this series really stands up well.  Set 4 was the first DVD set I ever bought and I was amazed how well the stories stand up.  (I probably would have bought Doctor Who first, but Thunderbirds came out earlier).  You do get used to the Supermarionation technique - in many ways, it's like watching something animated, but of course with models.   Derek Meddings did the model work on this and Doctor Who and later became one of the world's most famous and accomplished model makers, having worked on the James Bond films and many other projects.

Torchwood  - See separate entry under Doctor Who

Title:  UFO

Featured Actors:  Ed Bishop, George Sewell, Michael Billington, Gabrielle Drake, et. al.

Episode Length:  1 hour

Number of episodes per series (DVD set):  13

Total Seasons (Series): 2

Format:  1 Region: NTSC

Production Source:  ITV

General Information:  Gerry Anderson live action series.  Much, much better than Space:  1999.  Although the series starts slowly, once it gets going it's a very good SF series.  What I particularly liked is that it gives you the feeling the main characters are always behind the 8-ball.  No matter what they find out about the aliens they are fighting, it's never really enough to help them win, and often information comes too late to help.  Like all Gerry Anderson shows, including Space: 1999, the model shots are pure perfection.  However, unlike Space:  1999, UFO has great characters and good, consistent, plotting.  It is, however, a bit of a 1970s program, so many of  the main characters drink like fish and smoke like chimneys.  (And yes, it is a bit unrealistic that members of  a super-secret organization like SHADO would drink so much while on duty, but it's a sign of the times.)  SHADO - Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organisation, is an secret organization who's purpose is to investigate, research, and ultimately stop the strange UFOs that are suddenly attacking Earth (or at least England) and also kidnapping people.  Trust me, it's fun.  And it's pronounced "you-FOE" as if it's all one word, not "you-F-oh" like individual letters.

Title:  A Very Peculiar Practice

Featured Actors:  Peter Davison

Episode Length:  30 minutes

Number of episodes per series (DVD set):  7

Total Seasons (Series): Unknown (I have series 1)

Format:  PAL Region: 2

Production Source:  BBC

General Information:  Peter Davison plays a doctor for the third time (the others being a vet in All Creatures... and of course, The Doctor in Doctor Who).  This time around he's a medical doctor at a university campus.  This show is also very strange.  I bought it because it had Peter Davison in it, and I was never really sure if it worked or not for me.

Title:  The Original Vic Reeves Big Night Out

Featured Actors:  Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer

Episode Length:  30

Number of episodes per series (DVD set):  7

Total Seasons (Series):  2

Note:  Sold in a single DVD set of all 14 episodes.

Format:  PAL Region: 2

Production Source:  Channel 4

General Information:  The first of  Reeves and Mortimer's New Wave comedies.  This one has a bit of structure, in that it's designed like a late-night talk show, although it's actually a complete parody or send-up of  that format.  It's really a parody of David Letterman, even down to the stupid human tricks.

Title:  Wire in the Blood

Featured Actors:  Robson Green, Hermione Norris

Episode Length:  2 hours

Number of episodes per series (DVD set):  3

Total Seasons (Series): 4 or 5 (ongoing)

Format:  1 Region: NTSC

Production Source:  ITV

General Information:  Based on a popular series of novels, Dr. Tony Hill is a clinical psychologist and university instructor, who is initially called in to help local Bradford police DCI Carol Jordan on a serial murder case.  Tony becomes a regular contributor to solving cases for the department, while balancing his own work at the university, and growing personal feelings for Carol.  I love this show, but I've seen it wildly out-of-order and haven't gotten all the DVDs yet.  Still, highly, highly recommended.  Please note - besides being creepy, because this series deals with violent serial killers, and sex crimes in a realistic way, it is not for the faint of heart nor for those under 18.  BBCA stuck a "mature" warning on it for a reason, folks.

And that's all folks.  Next up a listing of  my US and other series on DVD, a write-up on Doctor Who and it's spin-offs, and a list of  movies I have on DVD.  Again - any questions on any of these series are most welcome.  Any other suggestions of other British series to look out for are also welcome.  And I'm hoping to do a panel on the topic for Mediawest, I just need to contact there panel person.

--Olivia