h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

OOER... more nutcases, eh?
Oh yes, I remember it well. And I have a few copies of it too.
A dubbed VHS, a German VHS and best of all a German DVD.
In my early attempts to acquire this masterpiece I too had to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous counterstaff in Virgin/HMV et cetera.
Honestly... some people!
Mind you, if a bloke came up to me and started rabbiting on and on about an evil Dwarf who transforms a Prince into a Bear, freezes a Lake with his breath, a white horse with antlers, and a stroppy Princess who, er... stropps a lot, then I too would be rather baffled.
How satisfying it is to be in the know, so to speak.
For the curious, the VHS is available from NETWORK Video - a company owned by Virgin ironically enough. Find them at www.networkvideos.co.uk
Want the catalogue number? Of course you do... #7951133
The DVD can be acquired from www.amazon.de but you'll need the original title... Das Singende Klingende Baeumchen.
Now, does anyone want to talk about 3 Gifts (or Nuts) for Cinderella?
Or Belle et Sebastien?
How about The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe?
Perhaps not... but maybe someone out there can help me with a real puzzler. Okay - sitting comfortably? Then we shall begin...
There's a Prince. There's a Princess. There's a little Bumble Bee who hovers over the heads of veilled Princesses, all sitting in a grand room. Ringing any bells yet? There's more...
Someone, a King methinks, throws a ring into a pond and a Goldfish assists the Prince to find it. Finally there's something about a Bottle of Life and a Bottle of Death. If anyone can help I, and indeed my entire entourage of friends, will be very, very grateful.
Sometimes I think it was all a dream... surely not.
Please help...

Yes, I too am old enough to remember being terrified by that Dwarf. He haunted my nightmares for years after. However, now that I am older and wiser (!!??) I'm ready to revisit my childhood. The Singing Ringing Tree/The Tinder-Box (which I don't remember) are now available on DVD via Amazon or Virgin online. So, no more spotty oiks looking at you as if you've grown another head when you ask for a copy. It'll be delivered to your door by a nice postperson (no sexism please as we're all PC now) and you can watch it till your heart's content. I also remember Belle and Sebastian, The White Horses (I was MAD about them!), The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (which the BBC in their infinite wisdom have deleted from their archive) and The Flashing Blade (also now available on DVD). The Prince, Princess, King, Gold Ring and Goldfish ring a bell - but I can't remember the title. Hopefully, someone will have the foresight to add this to the list of must have's for the over 35's. After all, we deserve a return to childhood too. Pardon me now, as I'm off to watch Muffin the Mule!

Many thanks, Researcher 196780. I don't remember this film but my daughter's very enthusiastic about it, delighted to note that it will feature in a Radio 4 item this Saturday (28th Dec) and keen to get a VHS copy - which I'm about to try and order from Network Video.
Tangolf (212670)

G'Day people. Stumbled across your postings on the above whilst looking for pictures from the singing ringing tree. Nothing really to add except that delighted I am not the only person wanting to know more about this programme.

So thanks because it helped me a lot - now if only I could remember the tune to the Flashing Blade (You've got to fight for what you want, whatever you.....)

Oh, and apologies if I have managed to stick this reply in the wrong place - first time!

I would be most grateful if you could tell me where I can purchase a video or DVD version of this film with dubbed in English ( ideally the BBC dubbing)

Paul Montgomery

Hi Paul

I can't really help much but have noticed that Amazon.com (as opposed to its UK base) stocks what looks suspiciously like what you are looking for, did have a quick look at some UK sites selling DVD's but no immediate joy (others are probably more practised than me!). And of course it will be region 1 dvd.

The link to Amazon is http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004YS9R/104-6896897-3207912?vi=glance

Also found an interesting review of a DVD here http://www.mhvf.net/forum/euro/posts/13008.html

http://www.kelkoo.co.uk does turn up some results, but these are boxed sets that look as if subtitled. The same goes for http://www.dvd.co.uk

Also came across http://www.zapdangle.com/a/af/afp/The-Singing-Ringing-_BaaaaeYSjR.html which looks like a review of the video, but has a link to Amazon.Com in it.

Hope this helps, more importantly, I hope someone else can give you more information.

Chris

Aaaaaaah. Despite a promise to a friend that I would record the programme on Radio 4 on Saturday, I see that my inability to program a recorder correctly has led to utter failure.

So..........did anyone out there record the programme and could I persuade you to part with a copy (in return for an unspecifided favour in the future of course!)

Ta