Author Topic: Victoria Wood: All Day Breakfast on TONIGHT and future DVDs (Read 2374 times) Tweet Share

Angst in my Pants · « **on:** September 05, 2010, 01:45:04 pm »

I know there are a few Victoria Wood fans here, so I thought I'd mention that this is being repeated on G.O.L.D with the first showing tonight at 9pm. Other than the 'The Mall' segments, I don't think I've ever seen this.

This, along with 'Wood & Walters' and the three plays, has been teased for a DVD release for so long that I'm doubtful it will ever come out, although my hopes have been raised again as play.com currently has a wealth of Wood down for an October release in advance of the 2009 'Mid-Life Christmas' special due for release in November - does anyone know anything about these?

The Victoria Wood Collection
Victoria Wood's Christmas Selection Box Set (3 Discs)
Victoria Wood - 3 Plays
Wood & Walters - The Complete Series
Victoria Wood - Live in Your Own Home
Victoria Wood's Mid-Life Christmas

All currently down for an 18 October release, except the 'Christmas Selection Box' and 'Mid-Life Christmas' which are down for 29 November, so I expect 'Mid-Life' will be part of a wider box set.

seimaj · « **Reply #1 on:** September 05, 2010, 10:38:05 pm »

For me this was the last consistenly funny thing Wood did.
The Richard and Judy take off is very good throughout; there is, what I THINK, the last 2 woman sketch between Vic And Julie (in the clothes shop) some leftfield oddness (Celia's black and white dance footage) and the Mall, which although dragged on, did have its moments, especially if you were familiar with Eldorado at the time ("Tea, Mrs Banstead?" "The hot drink? I'd love some!")

Dinnerladies wasn't irreverent enough for me, it was bogged down by storyline, I just wanted randomness, but I know what Wood was trying to acheive and I think she did, even if it wasn't what I wanted. All The Trimmings had only flashes of greatness, the ER parody being, line for line, one of the best sketches she has ever done, every single line is a killer. Last years Mid-Life....was overblown drawn out late-French and Saunders level material.

I was hoping for the more simple sketches, her and Julie just talking etc. But I suppose she feels she has done that and wants to move on.

I would dearly love to see those plays on DVD. Hope it comes true!

Roy*Mallard · « **Reply #2 on:** September 06, 2010, 05:25:48 am »

Nice to see so much Vic getting released. I'm guessing the xmas selection box will be the 3 xmas specials (hopefully including All Day Breakfast). The Victoria Wood collection will probably be As Seen On TV and dinnerladies, tho maybe i'll be wrong. Would love to get Wood & Walters, the 3 plays and the xmas set, but i'l pass on Live In Your Home as i think it's the same tour that i saw her on during the early-mid 90's, and it was all about the menopause and under clothes body things that you don't hear about too often these days. She was great, but it was aimed more at a female audience.

dinnerladies is STILL my number 1 favourite sit com - i've said this a million times on here, and i'm happy to say it again.

greencalx · « **Reply #3 on:** September 06, 2010, 06:51:55 am »

Is the 1989 series (Mens Sana in Thingummy Doodah etc) among that lot? I remember quite enjoying that at the time.

Absorb the anus burn · « **Reply #4 on:** September 06, 2010, 01:29:17 pm »

I'd defend 'As Seen On TV' and the six 'playlets' (from 1990 or thereabouts) being some of the best British comedy of the last thirty years. Consistently good writing and characterisation, often stoner surreal and funny-touching (think Alan Bennett & Jack Rosenthal at their best) with a cruel often sneery humour - there is something occasionally waspish-NY about early Wood - makes sense I guess as VW is a Woody Allen obsessive... However, I do think there has been a slow dip in quality since then... Not saying that she has lost it - there are some very good episodes of Dinnerladies & VW sticking the mince pie in her eye (Noel Coward style) is one of my ten favourite jokes. She is consistently good live... But the the last Christmas special was horrible. I don't remember laughing once.

'All Day Breakfast' has some shit parts and some really good material. I love the tampon ad. Celia Imrie with a clipboard: "and it won't let you down, no matter how much blue ink we throw at it...". The Mall is very much for people who took sneaky pleasure in Eldorado. I adore the needless overwriting that Eldorado was guilty of... "Tea? The hot beverage?" line is a great example. Her Judy to Preston's Richard is brilliant and could have had legs.

There isn't one uncomfortable pause, non sequitor or embarrassing moment in The Office that isn't done better in one of the twelve docu-soaps in 'As Seen On TV' - I made this point earlier in the "Has The Day Today dated?" thread.

Wood & Walters...? Not seen it for ages, but The Singing Snobs always stuck in my memory. A funny and vicious take down of The King's Singers - Swingle Singers crap that used to feature a lot on TV pre 1986. There is also skit on Fred Dinage / 'How?' which is fucking hilarious... Jack Hargreaves lookalike "How? How on earth can I present a television show when I am senile old fool?" cut to Dinage-a-like "How? How on God's earth do TV companies keep commissioning shows as bad as this?"..... Rik Mayall appears to do a monologue and is extremely unfunny... The audience are deaf, old, badly lit and unresponsive... It doesn't really work, but there are probably 45 minutes of great VW material.

By the way, Margery & Joan in 'As Seen On TV"...? Who exactly are they meant to be? I always though Judith Chalmers & Celia Hoyles, but a friend thinks differently...

Angst in my Pants · « **Reply #5 on:** September 06, 2010, 01:30:57 pm »

Quote from: greencalx on September 06, 2010, 06:51:55 am

Is the 1989 series (Mens Sana in Thingummy Doodah etc) among that lot? I remember quite enjoying that at the time.

That's already out on DVD as part of 'Victoria Wood Presents...' - currently £5.93 on amazon. It's also being repeated on G.O.L.D at 15:20 today.

Watching 'All Day Breakfast' yesterday I realised I had seen it before, but not since the original broadcast. It's definitely of the same standard as 'As Seen on TV'. Biggest laughs for us last night were Susie Blake's fitness expert ("...and bring back hanging.") and Celia's b&w dance footage, which we rewound three or four times just for her hilarious crazed expression.

Was the woman playing the assistant in Pippa's Knix the same woman who played Trixie Trouble in Acorn Antiques? I thought so, but my boyfriend thought it was just meant to sound like her like one of the gay guys was supposed to sound like Kenny. "One of my regulars, he ain't!"

I really hope these DVD releases happen as they've been postponed far too often for my liking. I'm guessing the "Christmas Selection Box" will put together the already-released "...With All the Trimmings" and the same-day release "Mid-Life Christmas" with (hopefully) "All-Day Breakfast" given it's three discs and that was also a Christmas special. On a similar token, given the release dates and price, I'm guessing "The Collection" will pull together "Wood & Walters", "Three Plays" and "Live in Your Home" rather than attempting to re-sell "As Seen on TV" and "dinnerladies" again.

The "Mid-Life Christmas" really was a disappointent, I keep meaning to watch it again but the image of a multitude of Freda & Barries just puts me off.

Has anyone been to the live "dinnerladies" show that's currently touring?

Angst in my Pants · « **Reply #6 on:** September 06, 2010, 01:38:55 pm »

I'm not sure if this was G.O.L.D cutting, but I was a bit disappointed that the breakfast show format suddenly stopped and went into the stand-up routine and song. It would have been nice to have a final sketch to close off the breakfast show.

I loved the "Real Life" song at the end, great to hear one I'm not too familiar with.

I saw two "Wood & Walters" screened at the BfI a year or so back, and they came across as quite experimental - almost as if they weren't really sure what kind of format show would best suit their talents. I'd still love to see the whole lot though, even with lowered expectations.

Ignatius_S · « **Reply #7 on:** September 06, 2010, 01:54:01 pm »

Quote from: Angst in my Pants on September 06, 2010, 01:30:57 pm

….Has anyone been to the live "dinnerladies" show that's currently touring?

I haven’t myself – I have been meaning to check out one or two stage adaptations of sitcoms, but from what I’ve read, it’s been one that was less well received. That said it did get some good write-ups (although a lot of publications, you’d expect write-up to accentuate the positive) and this current tour is the second, I believe.

The single biggest gripe I’ve read is about the adaptation being rather cack-handed and it doesn’t sound that this has changed. Audience feedback online has been a bit mixed, but leaning more towards it being worth a visit.

Jemble Fred · « **Reply #8 on:** September 09, 2010, 10:05:03 am »

I did love this quote from her in the Independent today – I was going to bump the Biopics thread to mention it, but I got one of those warnings, so gave up. Made me laugh, anyway.

Quote

He has long been compared with Eric Morecambe – particularly in the spectacles department – so it seems fitting that Jim Moir, better known as Vic Reeves, has been cast in the BBC's new drama about Morecambe and Wise.

But Moir will not play Morecambe in the feature-length BBC2 drama, instead taking the role of Eric's father George, while Victoria Wood – who also conceived the project – appears as his pushy mother Sadie.

Morecambe & Wise will chart the pair's rise from children's variety performers to much-loved television stars, with the story starting in 1930 and running until 1954– the year of Running Wild, Morecambe and Wise's first television series.

"We may think of Morecambe and Wise as that brilliant and much-loved double act, but I've always thought that a film about their days as child performers in variety and their struggles to establish themselves would make a fantastic story," said Wood.

The drama, which is written by Peter Bowker – who also wrote Occupation and Blackpool among others – will show viewers three different versions of Eric and Ernie as time progresses.

"We toyed with the idea of using puppets to play the young Eric and Ernie," said Wood. "But in the end sanity prevailed and we have our three Erics and three Ernies of different ages. We could only run to one Sadie, however, so I am hoping to show the passage of time by smiling a lot when Sadie is young, then wearing a different coat."

The cast also includes Bryan Dick as Ernie Wise, Daniel Rigby as Eric Morecambe, Reece Shearsmith as Ernie's Dad, Harry, and Eastender's Emer Kenny as Eric's wife.

Both Morecambe and Wise's families are involved with and supportive of the drama.

koeman · « **Reply #9 on:** September 09, 2010, 10:37:20 am »

That's a lovely quote, and a project I'm now rather excited about.

Madison · « **Reply #10 on:** September 12, 2010, 12:55:33 am »

What a great quote, very

"I don't think it's got a theme, its just various people talking - and sometimes they do things in brackets"

(maybe misquoting, my Up To You Porky is in another room, sigh)

neveragain · « **Reply #11 on:** September 13, 2010, 11:38:04 am »

Saw "The Library" last night, very enjoyable in her unique way although it doesn't make much sense that Anne Reid would keep taking her along on the dates.

Roy*Mallard · « **Reply #12 on:** September 22, 2010, 01:59:49 am »

Already posted in the new Goodies thread, but just in case - Wood & Walters and Screenplays (Talent, Nearly A Happy Ending & Happy Since I Met You) to be released by Network on 18th October. Great news.

http://www.networkdvd.net/upcoming_products.php?osCsid=ffe9ef82c4686eec6dbc0e19de340a87

adders · « **Reply #13 on:** September 25, 2010, 04:42:14 pm »

I've read somewhere that the Live In Your Own Home dvd is only going to be the 48 minute version shown on BBC1 in 1994! This is ridiculous as the VHS release was a lot longer, so I've just e-mailed 2entertain to find out. I suggest we bombard them with e-mails suggesting they change it, if it is the editied version.

As for the boxset, I think it contains:

As Seen On TV (don't known how much though)
Acorn Antiques
Victoria Wood Presents (the 1989 playlets)
Pat & Margaret
Live In Your Own Home
Victoria's Empire (the 2007 documentary programme)

Wood and Walters and the itv three plays are definately getting a release by Network anyway, as the artwork is now available to see. Never seen any of these in full, apart from a few small clips so can't wait. Wood and Walters will be interesting as Wood always seems to refer to it as being mostly terrible, so I'm surprised that it's getting a release in full and not just a best of compilation.

Also, what about Sold Out? That's the only stand up performance not available on DVD. It was released by 4Front I think. I don't even have a video player anymore and my VHS copy is worn to bits.

Jemble Fred · « **Reply #14 on:** September 27, 2010, 10:41:39 am »

A really badly written article in today's Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2010/sep/27/victoria-wood-bbc-comedy-decca-aitkenhead

She could be the lovechild of Alan Bennett and Pam Ayres, apparently. Good one, 'Decca'.

adders · « **Reply #15 on:** September 30, 2010, 04:39:01 pm »

Regarding the contents of the 3 disc Christmas Selection boxset, I've just been informed that it contains Midlife Christmas (not very good), All The Trimmings (okay)and Sold Out (the brilliant stand up performance from 1991!) which has previously only been available on video. This comes as somewhat of a surprise as Sold Out has nothing to do with Christmas, it was broadcast in April 1992 on ITV. All Day Breakfast would have made more sense as at least that was broadcast on Christmas Day.

I can actally live without Midlife Christmas and All The Trimmings, so not happy about having to fork out for the boxset jst to get Sold Out on dvd at last.

Angst in my Pants · « **Reply #16 on:** September 30, 2010, 05:19:12 pm »

Thanks for that, good to finally know. After the initial excitement seeing how much was being released, this has turned out to be quite disappointing. I don't mind the inclusion of Midlife Christmas even though it's far from a favourite, but I'm annoyed I'll have to re-buy All The Trimmings just to get Sold Out... although I'm more annoyed that All Day Breakfast has still been left out completely.

At least Live in Your Own Home is getting a separate release, the larger box set has too many repeated releases to warrant me buying that.

Artwork is up for the two boxsets:

"Ultimate" my eye!

greencalx · « **Reply #17 on:** September 30, 2010, 07:20:44 pm »

You never know - it could actually kill you.

adders · « **Reply #18 on:** September 30, 2010, 08:29:49 pm »

Quote from: Angst in my Pants on September 30, 2010, 05:19:12 pm

At least Live in Your Own Home is getting a separate release, the larger box set has too many repeated releases to warrant me buying that.

Yeah, but still unsure as to whether it's the full 80 minutes featured on the vhs release, or the 48 minute version shown on BBC1. 2entertain are ignoring my e-mails. You could try pestering them too. Wouldn't surprise me if the full version is in the boxset (which I don't need) and the edited version is on the single release.

Angst in my Pants · « **Reply #19 on:** September 30, 2010, 08:47:19 pm »

Well I'm sure it would cheer you up as much as it did me to learn that amazon is listing the single disc at 48 minutes...

Ignatius_S · « **Reply #20 on:** October 01, 2010, 10:41:35 am »

With the morning, I'm having I can't say I'm surprised... doesn't bode well.

neveragain · « **Reply #21 on:** October 03, 2010, 08:04:55 pm »

Confusing comma there I agree with, the sentiment though.

Ignatius_S · « **Reply #22 on:** October 04, 2010, 03:05:21 pm »

Quote from: Ignatius_S on October 01, 2010, 10:41:35 am

With the morning I'm having I can't say I'm surprised... doesn't bode well.

*edit* bad punctuation fixed!