TOUR OF DUTY now out on UK DVD!

PoochJD

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Hi,

For those of you who enjoy Vietnam films/shows, then you will be pleased to hear that TOUR OF DUTY: SEASON ONE has just been released in the UK, for the first time ever since the days of VHS rental tapes. :clap:

The better news, is that not only do you get all of Season 1 spread over 6 magnificent discs, but the show contains all of the original, untampered-with music, at is was meant to be seen and heard with! That includes the Rolling Stones theme song, "Paint It Black" over the opening credits, and many, many other hits of the 60's and 70's that are interspersed over the story.

And, just to add some cherries on the top of this little DVD cake bonanza, the UK gets brand new, never-before-seen extras, that are unique to the UK release, which include:

- a brand-new 55-minute documentary, with interviews about the making of the show, its reception, and its creation, made this year! (It's the first of three docs, with parts two and three on Seasons 2 and 3 respectively, which will be released in 2012.)
- Pages of Character, cast and crew biographies (over 20)
- Action Stills
- Behind The Scenes stills (around 100 of them)
- Publicity shots
- Poster and Lobby Card Galleries
- Deatiled synopses for every episode
- An on-screen Glossary of "Tour Of Duty" Military Terminology
- A decent, full-colour episode booklet with additional photographic stills and info about the show!

This is definitely the best release of the series ever, and I heartily recommend it! The picture has been remastered, and it looks very, very good indeed for a rough-and-ready 80's TV show. The sound is Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0. I beleive there are also subtitles for the show and all of the extras too! :clap: Strangely, despite the ageing of the show, the BBFC still feel that this is strong enough to warrant a 15 certificate! Go figure! (I thought it would be a 12 at best, and even then, only on a few of the strongest of episodes!)

Well done to Fremantle Home Entertainment on this A1 release! :) Well worth £34-99 of anyone's money! :clap: Oh, and it's out now! :D


Pooch
 
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I was only just thinking about this the other day! :thumbsup:

I remember watching it on a small pocket TV I had when I was young (11-12?) in the early 90s and watching it under the bed covers late at night.

Loved the start credits and I also remember it reminding me of The Lost Patrol on the Amiga 500.

Psycho666 :devil:
 
So it's been re-mastered and has the original music, is it worth upgrading from the US set?, I already have all three US seasons and they only cost me about £9 each delivered.
 
That's fantastic news.

Good that the UK get the full soundtrack wouldn't be the same without it
 
Blimey, at last! Yep, I also remember watching this in the early hours on ITV.
 
How many seasons were there? Are they also planned for release?
 
I'd be far more pleased if the price was not so stupidly high, we all know by the end of January it will probably be half that, this is one of those just before christmas price hiked sets :(
 
I used to watch this series when it was shown on TV, if memory serves me correctly, in the early hours of the morning on (I think) ITV. Loved it but I haven't seen it since then and until I saw this thread had completely forgotten it even existed!
 
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Hi,

I'm glad that there's so many like-minded fans of this excellent show. Having watched a recent rerun of it on FX, it still holds up to modern standards, because the effort was put in to decent characters and decent storylines. There's some real hum-dingers in Season 1 and 2. Season 3 is still good, but not as great as the first two. But don't let that put you off buying this set!

JammyOne - Reread my post in full, and you will see WHY the UK release is far superior to the US ones! ;) The devil's in the details, sir!

Sebastalone - Again, please reread my post, as your answer's in there! ;)

DrapedInDarkness - Nope, the price isn't that high - not for 6-discs of a limited-appeal, niche, cult show, that many people won't have heard of! £34-99 divided by six discs is equal to £5-83 per disc. Still too expensive for you?! :confused:

I also disagree with you, that come Jan 2012, the price is going to magically halve! I'm not sure what planet you're living on, but here on Earth, the set may come down after 3-4 months of being on sale at full-price. However, if you don't want to pay that, then by all means don't buy the set yet.

The set wasn't released with Christmas in mind. It was due to the long delays in gaining the copyright clearances for the music, completing the "Making Of" documentary in 16:9 format, rather than the original planned 4:3 ratio - as per the series itself, and due to the Summer Riots destroying most of the original pressings of the series, when the Sony DADC Distribution Plant was torched! Fremantle could have waited to release the set next year, but decided to try and get it released as soon as possible, despite all of the set-backs I've mentioned. For that reason, I am more than happy to pay £40 for a six-disc set of a great show, and fans of this kind of material should show some gratitude that their are companies out there willing to make an effort on releasing such material in the UK! :lesson: I apologise if that seems a little too close to the bone, but I don't think you realise how much effort has actually gone into getting this set prepared for UK fans, in comparison to the much derided US releases! :(

Fremantle has a fraction of the income that Warners and Universal has access too, when it comes to UK releases, so it's a nice way to say "Thank You" to companies like Fremantle who make an effort to do things right, to be prepared to pay a little more every now and again for high quality releases like this one.


Pooch
 
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I also watched this on ITV late at night but £35 is a too high price. I wouldn't pay anymore than £12.99 max. I haven't paid more than £15 a DVD boxset for the last 5 years. I would only think of getting it if all 3 were out as well. I am fed up off DVD season releases being stopped or come out so slowly (still no without a trace season 7 for example).
 
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Always pleased to meet vociferous fans like myself :smashin:

I always loved this show and have many of the episodes singed into my memory and yes I have been waiting for it to be released in the UK, But I am also a massively patient person and maybe it was my hopefulness shining through when I said it will be half that price ;)

As regards £5.83 per disc being too high for me......umm actually it is, I moved to a remote area to be a full time carer for my mum, sadly she passed away in March leaving me jobless and stuck in a remote area making future employment a real tough ask in the current climate :(

I never intended to provoke your sensibilities or impune your love of what is an absolute classic of genre TV by grubbing it down into purely financial terms :thumbsup:

I have deep admiration for the companies like Network and Fremantle who do put investment into releasing niche programmes and films that never quite hit their intended target market but were loved by a small obsessive group of hardcore fans like us :p

Can we be friends :lease: :rotfl:


PS, Still waiting for my boxset of Highwayman and Now and Again

Hi,

I'm glad that there's so many like-minded fans of this excellent show. Having watched a recent rerun of it on FX, it still holds up to modern standards, because the effort was put in to decent characters and decent storylines. There's some real hum-dingers in Season 1 and 2. Season 3 is still good, but not as great as the first two. But don't let that put you off buying this set!

DrapedInDarkness - Nope, the price isn't that high - not for 6-discs of a limited-appeal, niche, cult show, that many people won't have heard of! £34-99 divided by six discs is equal to £5-83 per disc. Still too expensive for you?! :confused:

I also disagree with you, that come Jan 2012, the price is going to magically halve! I'm not sure what planet you're living on, but here on Earth, the set may come down after 3-4 months of being on sale at full-price. However, if you don't want to pay that, then by all means don't buy the set yet.
 
Hi,

DrapedInDarkness - Yes we can be friends, and my apologies if my initial reply sounded callous. :( It wasn't meant to be, and obviously, everybody's personal circumstances vary, as to what is "affordable" to them. But, in terms of say £9 for a single film, or £5-83 for 3 hours of a TV show, then it goes without saying that the TV show will give you more value for your money.

Sorry to hear about your Mum though. :( Hope you're coping okay, with everything. :)

NWGarratt - The delay for "Without A Trace: Season 7" in the UK, is because it's still being shown on Channel 4. Basically, the DVD rights state that they can't release it for home viewing, until it's completed at least one complete run through on terrestrial TV. C4 have been playing it at Stupid O'Clock on random days of the week, and are coming towards the final four episodes, I believe.

It should, therefore, be out early next year... fingers crossed. ;)

I understand why people don't buy releases immediately, especially when it comes to TV shows, that run over several seasons, but sometimes you have to have a bit of faith, that the company releasing a particular show will stick with it. If people don't buy a show, then it does mean that there's a much higher chance of the rest of it not being released. Also, a lot of TV shows are required by their copyright owners to be released season by season, rather than purely in complete series boxed sets. This is to maximise revenue, and thus, make "Complete Series" boxed sets more affordable, when they do get released.

Anyway, I'd much rather pay £34-99 for the "Tour Of Duty" sets, (and support the releases), knowing that other than an eventual "Complete Series" set, they won't be superceeding the releases anytime soon, than be drip-fed some of the many film releases, like the Harry Potter franchise, where multiple releases are done over a couple of years, with each new release, improving on the previous one. Now that to me is far more of a blatant rip-off... ;)


Pooch
 
My post was very much tongue in cheek, I certainly did not think your reply was callous at all, But I honesly never spend more than £1-2 for dvds.......poundshops are my friends :laugh:

But when I find an employer willing to trust public transport I will go back to my bad old ways of buying tv boxsets to try and impart the fanship that exists back to the company and encourage them to keep releasing more boxsets of varying fame, And yes I completely agree that these multiple re-releases are a disgrace.......but as long as the public buys them....well they will keep doing them sadly.


As for mum, I miss her with every fibre of my being, but just mentioning her no longer brings me to instant tears, I can now look back at far happier times and am more comfortable knowing she no longer suffers any pain at all. Thank you for asking :thumbsup:

Hi,

DrapedInDarkness - Yes we can be friends, and my apologies if my initial reply sounded callous. :( It wasn't meant to be, and obviously, everybody's personal circumstances vary, as to what is "affordable" to them. But, in terms of say £9 for a single film, or £5-83 for 3 hours of a TV show, then it goes without saying that the TV show will give you more value for your money.

Sorry to hear about your Mum though. :( Hope you're coping okay, with everything. :)

NWGarratt - The delay for "Without A Trace: Season 7" in the UK, is because it's still being shown on Channel 4. Basically, the DVD rights state that they can't release it for home viewing, until it's completed at least one complete run through on terrestrial TV. C4 have been playing it at Stupid O'Clock on random days of the week, and are coming towards the final four episodes, I believe.

It should, therefore, be out early next year... fingers crossed. ;)

I understand why people don't buy releases immediately, especially when it comes to TV shows, that run over several seasons, but sometimes you have to have a bit of faith, that the company releasing a particular show will stick with it. If people don't buy a show, then it does mean that there's a much higher chance of the rest of it not being released. Also, a lot of TV shows are required by their copyright owners to be released season by season, rather than purely in complete series boxed sets. This is to maximise revenue, and thus, make "Complete Series" boxed sets more affordable, when they do get released.

Anyway, I'd much rather pay £34-99 for the "Tour Of Duty" sets, (and support the releases), knowing that other than an eventual "Complete Series" set, they won't be superceeding the releases anytime soon, than be drip-fed some of the many film releases, like the Harry Potter franchise, where multiple releases are done over a couple of years, with each new release, improving on the previous one. Now that to me is far more of a blatant rip-off... ;)


Pooch
 
Watched the whole series again when it was re-run on FX and it wasn't the same. Worth it for the restored soundtrack alone.
 
PoochJD;16000388 NWGarratt - The delay for "Without A Trace: Season 7" in the UK said:
S7 finished weeks ago and I watched those rather than rather wait for the DVD. I find it hard believe it is the first time it has been on TV. S6 was first shown ages ago.

I would pretty miffed I bought something like the Equaliser which I still like but they haven't bothered past season 1. I don't mind buying tsomthuing season by season as long as the others are 100% coming out but that can never really be given.
 
OMG....when is the complete set out?!? Want want want!

I only had other ones thanks to a fantastic member of HUKD who just happens to be on this thread too
 
Hi again,

S7 finished weeks ago and I watched those rather than rather wait for the DVD. I find it hard believe it is the first time it has been on TV. S6 was first shown ages ago.

As I said, it is the first time it's been shown on Terrestrial TV. However, it appeared on More 4 well over 12 months ago.

And yes, I sympathise with you about "The Equaliser", but maybe they will release the rest in the future. I've still got Season 1 on UK DVD, and enjoy it, but unfortunately sales of it weren't good enough to warrant the release of Seasons 2-4. Don't know why though. :( Unfortunately, there are no guarantees when it comes to DVD/Blu-ray releases of TV shows. All you can do is hope that titles will come out at some point in time.

ODB_69 - No news of a complete series set, only Season 1. Read my first post at the top of this thread, and you'll find all the info you need. :)


Pooch
 
OMG....when is the complete set out?!? Want want want!

I only had other ones thanks to a fantastic member of HUKD who just happens to be on this thread too

Hi ODB, I've emailed Freemantle to ask if there are any plans to release the other 2 seasons, when (or if) they reply I'll let you know.

For anyone who's got got a LoveFilm account they are available to rent now as well and I might do and compare them with the US versions or just wait until it drops to sub £20 as it inevitably will.

As much as I love supporting the little guy I do think £35 is too much for this especially when you compare it to other TV series on DVD. Also if they don't release the other seasons it'll make this release a little pointless IMHO as all it will end up doing is raising expectations that won't be realized.
 
Jammyone,

Fremantle WILL release Seasons 2 and 3 during 2012, as they are one of the very few companies who stick to releasing TV shows completely. Heck, they've committed themselves to releasing all 692 episodes of "Prisoner Cell Block H", so I can't see them NOT releasing Seasons 2 and 3 of "Tour Of Duty". ;)


Pooch
 
Jammyone,

Fremantle WILL release Seasons 2 and 3 during 2012, as they are one of the very few companies who stick to releasing TV shows completely. Heck, they've committed themselves to releasing all 692 episodes of "Prisoner Cell Block H", so I can't see them NOT releasing Seasons 2 and 3 of "Tour Of Duty". ;)


Pooch

Cheers, that will be good news :)
 
Defo buy for me when all 3 are out!
 
Hi again,



As I said, it is the first time it's been shown on . However, it appeared on More 4 well over 12 months ago.

Pooch

I would call More4 Terrestrial TV so it has been on before.

I will still be waiting for all 3 seasons of TOD to come out.
 
I used to love this series. When did they change the music? The ost is what would bring back the memories, wouldn't be the same without it.

And yes, £35 is way too much, I'll be patient.
 
Hi,

I would call More4 Terrestrial TV so it has been on before.

I guess, I still refer to any other channel, that isn't BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, C4 and Five, as non-terrestrial, as they are technically Digital Only channels. Still, I see what you are getting at, and irrespective of who has broadcast it, at least you now know what's caused the delay - the moron's who run Channel 4. ;)

I used to love this series. When did they change the music?

Like a lot of TV shows made in the 1980's, the cost of licensing all of the music for home video viewing releases could be very, very expensive. In the 1980's licencing a TV show for home video, often meant that the original music used in the broadcast show/episode could not (and would not) be included. As such, many shows had alternative music added for home video releases. Often this was newly-scored instrumental music, or "library music" (pieces of musics that are available for a more modest fee from a music library archive, specifically to be used in TV shows or films).

Nowadays, when a TV show is made, licensing a series for DVD or Blu-Ray will stipulate that the license will include all the original music as originally broadcast. This wasn't the case back in the 1980's, and hence, many hit TV shows of the time, had copyright and licensing issues that allowed only the TV broadcasts to include the original songs, but NOT the home video versions. So TV shows like "Fame", "Tour Of Duty", "Miami Vice", "The Equalizer" and the like that often featured songs by major artists of the day, were decimated in their home video release versions.

Simply put, because "Tour Of Duty" used so many different and famous pieces of music from the 1960's and 70's, in every episode, (from the likes of the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Jackson Browne, Stevie Wonder, et al), the cost to get licensing for every bit of music was deemed too expensive, and so when the US released the show onto DVD about two years back, all of the original music was removed and replaced with instrumental muzak, or alternative songs, that frequently bore no relation to the originals. (Just watch the very first episode of "TOD", and count how many songs you recognise, and you'll soon see why the costs easily mounted!)

This also meant that the famous Rolling Stone's song "Paint It Black" which is played over the opening credits of every episode, had to be removed, and this too, was replaced with instrumental music. Obviously, fans of the show were absolutely disgusted with the US DVD release, but many didn't know that the music had been replaced, so couldn't return the sets for a refund, and were left with a series they loved, which technically wasn't the same as the one they remembered.

Thankfully, the UK DVD version includes all of the excellent songs and music that made the show so memorable, as well as so utterly potent and poignant! Hence, why this is a big coup for UK fans of the show. :)

Hope that answers your question. :)


Pooch
 
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