After watching a recent LIFE ON MARS on the BBC-on-demand channel and discovering that BBC-America cut the best bit out of the broadcast version, I realize I need to buy the DVDs to see what else I'm missing. I checked amazon.uk and they have separate series 1 and series 2 sets and a complete box set. The sum total of the separate sets is £7 less than the complete box set, not an insignificant difference, especially with the dollar what it is these days.

My question is, is there anything in the complete box that is not in the separate season sets? I'd be willing to pay the difference if there are commentaries or some other nice supplements that weren't part of the original sets.

Surely this is getting a R1 release? I've been holding off on buying the British versions of this series and THE MIGHTY BOOSH because they are both popular here.


marc

I poked around a little; as far as I can tell the complete series box isn't significantly different (at all) from the individual series boxes.

That said, I agree with Marc. There's bound to be a R1 release. I mean, they released both series of Hex, how could they not do Life on Mars? If the American re-make actually materializes, it's a done deal. Either way it just a matter of time.

The company I work for actually looked into licensing LIFE ON MARS for a potential US release a while ago, but were told that the BBC were holding onto US distribution rights in anticipation of the US remake, so Marc and Terry are right.

I'm sure it will be released here eventually, though someone recently told me they queried the Beeb and were told they had no plans to release it in R1. That's more or less what they always say, then six months later, they release it.

But I've been burned more than once by region 1 releases that turned out to be lacking features that were on the original R2 release. I'm still annoyed about that cast commentary on DOCTOR WHO series 3. It's even listed in the enclosed booklet.

There's no difference between the two separate season sets, and the box set of both seasons.

Fans of the series should know, though, that some music has been substituted for the DVD release.

The commentary that's missing from the third season DOCTOR WHO set is the result of another music-licensing restriction.

Just in case you were interested, the BBC has just started to trailer the new spin off series, Ashes to Ashes. Seems to feature the same policemen, but John Simms' character is replaced by a woman who has found herself in the New Romantic hell of 1981.

The teaser has found its way onto YouTube:

Gene Hunt Arrives - Ashes To Ashes - BBC One

Alas, not in this country. The Beeb used to be pretty lax about youtube. I guess they are tightening up their copyright enforcement.