Stars: Peter Richardson, Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Rik Mayall, Robbie Coltrane, Keith Allen, Nigel Planer

Director: Peter Richardson

Summary: Features the complete thirty-nine episodes from the ground-breaking comedy series. Episodes include: 'The Beat Generation', 'Five Go Mad In Dorset', 'Dirty Movie', 'The Strike', 'Consuela', 'Bad News', 'Funseekers', 'South Atlantic Raiders', 'Les Dogs', 'The Crying Game', 'Wild Turkey' and much more...

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It hardly needs spelling out that The Comic Strip Presents…kick-started the careers of the bulk of our `alternative' comedians. Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer, French and Saunders, Peter Richardson, Keith Allen--all started here.

The series is the very definition of a `mixed bag'. Each show was a separate story in its own right, and each one couldn't be more different from the last--from the sixties pastiche `The Bullshitters' to the arty `Les Dogs' (starring Kate Bush, no less).

With 39 episodes to choose from, the overall quality of the episodes does vary somewhat. For every excellent `South Atlantic Raiders' and `The Supergrass', there's a woeful `Spaghetti Hoops'. But The Comic Strip Presents…deserves its place in comic history by virtue of being different, by trying to create new and interesting work, and in doing so being truly groundbreaking.

When you take risks, you end up with gems such as the double header of `Bad News Tour' and `More Bad News', which follow a chronically bad rock group on the road. These two episodes alone are worth your attention, the interplay of the four leading players (Edmondson, Planer, Mayall and Richardson) a marvel to watch and with scenes that will make you keel over--Vim Fuego's take on `Imagine/Imogen' is pure gold.

Other highlights include `Five Go Mad In Dorset', a wonderful take on Enid Blyton's skewed and irreverant view of teenagers in Britain; `Mr Jolly Lives Next Door', which sees Mayall and Edmondson, in a precursor to their days on `Bottom', getting themselves in a sticky situation with Mr Jolly, played brilliantly by the late Peter Cook; and Strike!', a Hollywood-esque take on the miners' strike of 1984.

The Comic Strip Presents…pushed comedic boundaries and was never afraid to do things a little differently and this collection is a fine record of its prolific, always interesting, and often hilarious output.--Mark Oakley

Aspect Ratio:	4:3 Full Frame, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Documentary Featuring Cast And Crew Interviews, Interviews From 1988, The Comic Strip Live Behind The Scenes Look Directed By Julian Temple, Two First On Four Documentaries
Release Date:	July 4, 2005
Runtime:	999 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	V C D 0385
Keywords:	Comedy, Box, General, Comic, Strip, Nine, Set, Complete, Discs
Genre:	Comedy