The Day Today DVD - BBC Press Release

[Darrell]

BBC DVDs haven't had certificates on the side for years. You're only legally required to put one there if the spine is above a certain width, which conventional DVDs in Amaray-style cases aren't.

[DuncanC]

What might be good is a reversible cover like the Look Around You disc has, with a faithful DVD version of the "This Is Our War" videos on the back.

(Also, I hate that Godawful just-used-Photoshop-for-the-first-time bastardization of the logo even more now.)

[Darrell]

Nah, the This Is Our War video box is the one thing which annoys me, because it looks so much like a mocked-up video cover. No reason why they had to use the old one from the pilot instead of getting a new one printed to match the new logo and graphic design style.

[The Region Legion]

And the spine looks too crappy. Although better this than that Alan Partridge one.

[Artemis]

Agreed, I think the 'new black cover' looks great. Not sure if that's because the previous cover looked so shit though. I suspect someone with clout was looking at the cover of TDT as it was and decided it was so bad that a very basic but ok looking replacement was needed, hence this new one. I'm still expecting a different end result. Let's face it, the BBC has never been shit-hot on covers. I don't think I own a BBC DVD that has a good cover on it. Maybe they should stick to this black thing - it's better then anything else. Let's just hope that if they stick the word complete on the front, they follow through on the disc(s).

[chand]

BBC DVDs haven't had certificates on the side for years.

The recent HIGNFY DVD did.

[Darrell]

BBC DVDs haven't had certificates on the side for years.

The recent HIGNFY DVD did.

It wasn't a BBC DVD.

[chand]

In any case, I suspect the spine isn't finished as it has no serial number on it, but the front is the same format as pretty much every BBC DVD I've got, with the BBC logo in the top right. And the 15 certificate doesn't look any bigger to me than the ones on the DVDs I have.

So, I don't see any reason why this couldn't be the basic DVD cover.

[Darrell]

I urge you to trust me here.

Another fake-o-spot - the above image is at too much of an angle.

[chand]

Fair enough, if the BBC shop wants to fake its own DVD covers I won't lose much sleep.

[The Region Legion]

I'm not worried about the possibility of that shit, shit cover any more - has anyone seen http://www.dvdcoverart.com ? I'm sure if they do go with this one (or one just as bad) someone'll be able to make their own far better one we can all replace it with.

That will come in very handy if the quality of recent covers doesn't improve. I'm not going to buy the two new Matrix ones until there's a Matrix Trilogy box set but they're fucking shit, as is the Kill Bill one, as is the Lost In Translation one. What was wrong with the original beautiful film posters?

[Darrell]

Just as an example of what an actual 2004-style BBC DVD cover would look like at that angle.

[A Passing Turk Slipper]

I like the look of that new effort. I don't care when the DVD is released, I hope it is later rather than sooner which would mean more work had been put into it.

[Darrell]

If every single rumour and presumption is correct, the DVD contents are:

- Commentary by Christopher Morris, Alan Partridge, Peter O'Hanraha'hanrahan, Collatellie Sisters, Rosie May and Sylvester Stewart
- Commentary by Chris Morris and Armando Iannucci
- Six Mininews episodes
- Original pilot episode
- Newly-recorded sketches
- Extended version of 'The Pool'
- Extended version of 'The Office'
- Mark Radcliffe radio interview with Steve Coogan
- 'News Stories' (Open University documentary)
- Sound bin?
- Trailers?
- Photo gallery
- Cast biographies (and presumably newscaster biographies)
- SCENE SELECTION!

It's just a case of which of them are actually going to be included. Place your bets now.

[A Passing Turk Slipper]

I'd be happy with the pilot and a decent commentary. And the actual shows. Obviously.

[fbb bastard]

hopefully the whole ruddy lot....the newly recorded sketches would be a glorious thing but i dont know.....if it has happened i think some kind of more substantial indicator of it would have surfaced by now....and as well i got a strange feeling that patrick marber wont be involved as much as he should be....i think the gulf between him and coogan is still too wide and he always gives of the impression of being 1000% absorbed with his theatre work now

i would be as happy as arseholes if i am wrong i truly would be

[butnut]

hopefully the whole ruddy lot....the newly recorded sketches would be a glorious thing but i dont know.....if it has happened i think some kind of more substantial indicator of it would have surfaced by now....and as well i got a strange feeling that patrick marber wont be involved as much as he should be....i think the gulf between him and coogan is still too wide and he always gives of the impression of being 1000% absorbed with his theatre work now

i would be as happy as arseholes if i am wrong i truly would be

Well, he did the commentary on Knowing Me , Knowing You - although Coogan didn't - so I think he will be involved in some way,

[Darrell]

There's no 'gulf' between Marber and Coogan.

Adam Tandy confirmed on the Mausoleum Club that there have definitely been new sketches recorded, and an in-character commentary session has definitely taken place, if Talkback moles are anything to go by.

[fbb bastard]

There's no 'gulf' between Marber and Coogan.

come to think of it i should have prefaced my bit with the words "according to some interviews i read of marber around the time of the release of after ms julie clearly indicating some kind of gulf between marber and coogan......"

[Bilko]

If all that lot is in it I'll piss my pants my excitement, but it's too much to wish for.

Things like Trailers and Photo Gallery are standard things, The Pilot Show is what I really want along with a serious commentary By Chris Morris and Armando Iannucci.

[Darrell]

Things like Trailers and Photo Gallery are standard things

The Day Today trailers included unused/specially shot footage, such as "...said Mr Howard as a live antelope burst through his stomach". The publicity photos for the series are utterly beautiful, too. I'd love a couple of them framed on my wall.

[Ambient Sheep]

BBC DVDs haven't had certificates on the side for years.

The recent HIGNFY DVD did.

It wasn't a BBC DVD.

Eh?  Both HIGNFY DVDs I have here say "BBC" on the front (the only company logo on the front), as well as "VCI" and "Hattrick" on the spine and all three logos on the back cover.  Both have certificates on their spines.  In a similar way is it possible that this DVD is going to have "Talkback" and "BBC" logos on it and still manage to have a certificate on the spine?

It seems that what is and isn't counted as a BBC DVD is rather subtle, can you help explain please?

Having said that, I agree with you that that black cover doesn't look quite right, but if that is the finished design, I rather like it.

[Darrell]

By "BBC DVD" I mean one that has been released by BBC Worldwide.

HIGNFY has a BBC logo on the front (as do all licenced releases of Beeb shows by other companies) but it's a VCI release.

[DuncanC]

I would've preferred a stark simple design like that for Brass Eye's cover, but it doesn't really suit TDT.

[Ambient Sheep]

By "BBC DVD" I mean one that has been released by BBC Worldwide.  HIGNFY has a BBC logo on the front (as do all licenced releases of Beeb shows by other companies) but it's a VCI release.

Ah, I see.  Thanks for the info.

And I take it that the HHGTGG DVD (BBC Worldwide) has a certificate on the spine because the packaging is over the minimum width you mentioned earlier?

[Darrell]

And I take it that the HHGTGG DVD (BBC Worldwide) has a certificate on the spine because the packaging is over the minimum width you mentioned earlier?

Certainly - most BBC DVDs since 2002 are missing the certificate, although they still occassionally appeared for a few months. None of them have a cert on the side now (unless of course they're above a certain width as I mentioned).

Christ, I'm tedious.

[Munday's Chylde]

That new black dvd cover looks to me like a cardboard box sleeve rather like the one they did with the first Office dvd...

which as you can see from their original mockup...



...wound up identical to the released one (only with a different certificate). Complete with BBC logo in the top right (and no dvd written beneath it) and cert on the spine (since these cardboard slip on covers fall above the afore- mentioned regulation size I suppose). I'll bet my muffins that we're looking at a similar packaging for the day today.

What's intriguing me more at the moment though is Play.com's revised extras line up:

Audio commentary with Chris Morris and Armando Ianucci
Stills gallery
Steve Coogan/Mark Radcliffe interview providing insight into making of the show
Biographies
10 minutes of extended scenes

[Jonny Jonny Butter Fiend]

all those features are listed on Blackstar aswell, god I hope it's true

[The Region Legion]

That new black dvd cover looks to me like a cardboard box sleeve rather like the one they did with the first Office dvd...

Although Virgin Megastore made the cardsleeve for that one, not the BBC, so would design rules be different?

[Munday's Chylde]

all those features are listed on Blackstar aswell, god I hope it's true

I certainly hope the chris morris contribution to the commentary is true, first i'd heard of it last night when i checked my play pre-orders (it hadnt been there when i'd placed the order initialy) - fingers crossed.

And Devlin - did I get mine from Virgin then? I may well have done, hadn't realised it was different to the others.