The Observer might be suffering a few financial problems, but it's still able to afford the free gifts, including a cracker this Sunday (27th September), Abigail's Party.
Yes, the original BBC TV production of Mike Leigh's classic 70s play (1977 specifically) and if you like facts, number 11 in the BFI's all-time top 100 British TV programmes. The cocktail party from hell in suburbia, that's all you need to know.
Make a dash to our newsagents early this weekend, surely to sell through quickly.
We flagged this up last year and now, presumably with screening just around the corner, a trailer for the new version of The Prisoner has appeared online.
As reported, the new version isn't a straight remake, but a new take that reflects '21st century concerns and anxieties, such as liberty, security and surveillance, yet also showcase the same key elements of paranoia, tense action and socio-political commentary seen in McGoohan’s enigmatic original'.
If that sounded like hard work, it's not as hard as the trailer itself, almost 9 minutes long and it has to be said, less than inspiring. But if you want to check it out, you can view it below. Expect it to be on the small screen on both sides of the Atlantic in the very near future – on ITV in the UK.
We covered this some time back, but if you've still not caught the Beyond Biba movie (which has yet to get a widespread release), you can check it out at London's Horse Hospital on Wednesday 30th September.
Made in conjunction with the designer, the movie centres on Barbara Hulanicki, looking at both the past and present, from the heady days of Biba, its influence in years since and perhaps most importantly, a look at Barbara herself and how she has kept on going forward, particularly in the world of interior design. This showing will also featuring iconic period model Jan de Villeneuve and artist/illustrator (and 'child of Biba') Daisy de Villeneuve, who will be in conversation with Plectrum editor Guy Sangster Adams, discussing Biba's continuing influence.
Tickets are £9/£7.50, which includes a copy of Plectrum Magazine. Signed Beyond Biba posters (by Barbara Hulanicki) and artwork and books by Daisy de Villeneuve will also be available on the night.
Sadly, not everything has survived, but the remaining episodes of the first series of The Avengers, along with the second series, are about to get a DVD reissue, courtesy of Optimum.
Just two and a half first series episodes survive, but thankfully all of series 2 is still around, all fully restored (for the first time) and of course with Patrick Macnee playing Steed, Honor Blackman doing the partner thing as Catherine/Cathy Gale. The entire eight-disc set has a running time of 1,520 minutes, augmented by extras including a 132-page book covering series one, a series one scrapbook, scripts, materials, stills, promotional brochures, audio commentaries and an Honor Blackman interview – most of that new for this release.
Look out for this from 5th October 2009, priced 'officially' at £79.99, but certain to be discounted in the Christmas run-up (it's already around £57 on Amazon for pre-order).
Find out more at the Amazon website
Via Cinedelica
From 1965 through to 2003, the BBC gave us all a glimpse (rightly or wrongly) into the world of the future. That show was called Tomorrow's World and from today, you can re-live those predictions online, with the BBC uploading the best (and worst) clips for us all to enjoy again.
Which means we can see the first-ever show (life on Mars and flood defences), along with the home computer terminal (1967), artificial gardens (1968), a computerised school, the robot-run office and the Moog synthesiser (all 1969), the first cordless mobile phone from '79 and…well, just about anything else weird and wonderful you can think of, including a man speaking Morse Code to a computer. Yes, really.
For non-UK readers, not sure if this is viewable outside the BBC's native land, but give it a try – it's well worth the effort.
It could have gone either way, but Telstar, the story of maverick early 60s producer Joe Meek, was actually really well received when it hit the cinemas. So the DVD of Telstar should be fairly popular.
As you might expect, it covers the rapid rise to fame, his unique brand of 60s pop, early 60s London, madness, depression, bizarre studio equipment, heartbreak, paranoia, murder and suicide, not to mention drugs and the occult.
The DVD release also throws in a documentary (Telstar: An Inside Look), additional scenes, extended performance clips and the trailer. Amazon is doing pre-orders right now for under £10, the release date is September 28th 2009.
Find out more at the Amazon website
Via Modculture
