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Pipkins: Volume Two
R2 - United Kingdom - Network Review written by and copyright: Rob Hunt (22nd September 2005). |
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The Show
 Judging by creation/episode broadcast dates of this show they all predate my birth, so I was not on especially familiar ground when reviewing this release. However, like the older programs I grew up with I could appreciate the similar feel of this enjoyable cult classic - one which I can understand will no doubt be treasured by a great many people. Pipkins tells a variety of stories with a set of three-four main characters, in much the same way similarly themed offerings such as The Sooty Show/Sooty & Co. and latter-day offerings such as Playdays did when I was growing up, and at primary school. The main characters in Pipkins are Hartley the Hare - an eccentric, michievous creature who often is played out to be the lovable rascal - always getting into trouble, but yet endearing to the viewer; next there is Topov the Monkey - the youngest character on the show, often asking questions on behalf of the younger audience viewing - getting everything explained clearly so that it can be understood fully, or at least understood better; then comes Pig - one of the more creative of the bunch, who is often eating food, but also displaying a friendly and truthful image - sometimes rivalling Hartley at various things; and finally there is Tortoise - the most quiet and slowest of the group, but often the wisest and most intelligent - aways liking to have peace and quiet and having times to rest. The various characters appear in only some of the episodes, but Hartley appears in all the episodes, and is the main star of the Pipkins series. Indeed, the voice of Hartley (Nigel Plaskitt) is probably the strongest link between all the episodes as a whole, and in a sense it is his show. The 10 episodes... DISC ONE contains the first 5 of the 10 episodes present on this 2-disc set. I won't go into great detail as each of the episodes is only about 15mins long in length, and so there isn't a great deal to sum up. Each episode contains an introduction by Hartley, which is nice touch. - "Bertha and Hartley Clean Up" (17:44) is the first episode of Pipkins ever (as far as I'm aware) and introduces the main characters including Inigo Pipkin himself (the late George Woodbridge, who appears to have been only present for the first episode). - "Hartley's Teeth" (15:19) tells the story of Hartley and his hidden obsession with sweets. - "Topov and the Bananas" (15:28) tells the story of Topov and his nightmare involving bananas. - "Catching the Mood" (16:12) tells the story of different moods (happy and sad). - "Hartley and the Lamp" (15:17) is a variation on the story of Aladdin - involving a magic lamp. DISC TWO contains the second 5 of the 10 episodes present on this 2-disc set. Again, I won't go into great detail as each of the episodes is only about 15mins long in length, and so there isn't a great deal to sum up. Each episode once again contains an introduction by Hartley. - "Let's Make An Opera" (15:43) is the story of making an opera (for someone's birthday). - "Mrs. Muddle's Puppet Show" (15:20) is the story of creating a puppet show using food. - "The Plant Growers" (15:09) is the story of Pig and Hartley being entrusted to look after some plants. - "Hartley the Conjurer" (14:58) is the story of Hartley thinking he can do magic. - "Cheering Up Tortoise" (14:19) is the story of Pig and Hartley trying to make Tortoise happy. All the episodes were fun to watch, with some great comedic moments in and some good educational value. Best of all, they don't insult childrens' intelligence (like more modern childrens equivalent shows - like the appalling Tweenies - tend to do at times).
Video
The video picture presented here is of a fairly good quality, bearing in mind that it's from a Betamax recording of an old TV broadcast. Episode clarity isn't great and there are a load of picture problems present, but most are only there for the odd second here and there, and wouldn't be noticed too much unless you were looking for them. This is probably the best quality the episodes will ever see, and to be honest I've seen a lot worse offerings.
Audio
Audio is provided in 2.0 Dual Mono - once again from the Betamax recordings (done by ex-Presenter Jonathan Kydd). The audio is of better quality than the picture, but only just. Still - this isn't a show that is going to be noted for a stunning transfer in audio and visual terms, and this is really not a bad track.
Extras
Network have provided some great extras across these 2 DVDs and I will review them seperately. DISC ONE extras: *"Mrs. Muddles Remembers - In Conversation with Sue Nicholls" featurette (10:13) is an enjoyable recollection with Sue Nicholls explaining how she came to be on the show, what it means to her and it is clear she had a fantastic time starring in it. *"A Writer's Tale - In Conversation with Sue Pleat" featurette (13:08) is slightly more serious, but still worth watching, and tells of how Sue Pleat came on board, scripting many of the episodes, and what she brought to the show using her past experiences as a writer. *DVD-ROM Feature - 42-Page Script (in .pdf format) - This feature is sadly only accessible to those with a DVD-ROM drive, but is a great addition to the overall package. The script is a scanned in copy of one of the originals (judging by the pen highlights it was Nigel Plaskitt's copy. Definitely a treat for die-hard fans of Pipkins, i'm sure. DISC TWO extras: *"On the Canal" Incomplete Episode (missing Opening Titles) (13:04). This episode is missing the introductory titles, and the audio/video quality is slightly worse than the rest of the episodes on the DVD, but is still very watchable. A great addition by Network. *"21st Century Pipkins" Episode (created especially for this DVD release) (9:52). This shorter episode is a good bit of reminiscing for ex-Presenter Jonathan Kydd - which finishes on a note that leads nicely into his interview on the next special feature... *"Hartley Hare in Conversation" Two-Part Interview: Part One 'Jonathan Kydd'; Part Two 'Elizabeth Lindsay' (12:38). Listed on the menu as two separate items this is actually one extended interview, and if you select Jonathan Kydd and watch it to the end it automatically goes to the second chapter (Elizabeth Lindsay). Both give good interviews and both appear to also have fond memories of the program.
Overall
The DVD menus present here are all animated, with Hartley (joined by Topov on DISC TWO) presenting each section in a humorous and irreverent way. I was impressed by the effort put into this. Overall a great nostalgic set with some fine extras presented by Network. Fans of Pipkins will no doubt pick this up and enjoy the selection of episodes on offer, as well as being able to enjoy the special features too. The menus are well done (although get annoying fairly quickly) but it is clear this set was created with great love and it shows. The only letdown is the lack of any subtitles. I've seen previous Network releases which made amends on their predecessors (who lacked the subtitles) but sadly there have been no subtitles created for this DVD set - which is a shame.
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