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

I'm hunting for a new British series to order on DVD. Has anyone watched Ripper Street? I don't get BBC America on my cable so can't watch it there. It is available for pre-order on Amazon.uk, but, as usual, the description of the series is very poor.

I have the latest George Gently, Lewis and Murdoch on pre-order. I enjoy all of those series.

I watched something else when it was on but have been informed it is quite gruesome, as the title suggests.

I enjoy the same ones too and was sad to read that the new Lewis starting next week will be the last series

Websailor

Rats. I think Lewis is my favorite series. I liked Endeavour. I hope they make a series out of it.

I don't mind a little violence, but really don't like programs that are ultra bloody and gruesome. Thanks for the tip off.

i think it just showed London as it was in that time, not a nice place. I will see if I can find a good info link for you.

I liked Endeavour too, I see to remember seeing something about a series but I am not sure.

Websailor

Have sent you some info via email which might give you a better idea.

Websailor

Thanks. I received it. It was a lot more information than was available on Amazon. I think I'll go ahead and order the series.

I think it will be worth it. Nice to chat too

Websailor

Indeed!

I watched the first episode of Ripper Street last night. I want to give it a few more chances before saying whether it's good or not, but first impressions are that it has good production values, good costumes, sets and locations and definitely good atmosphere, but it felt to me as if it was trying a little too hard, and some parts were hard to believe, like they needed a plot device but couldn't come up with anything better.

Worth watching though. I think they've done some good research. I'm very familiar with that area and others like it nearby, and I think they did a good job of putting it across.

I wouldn't say that it was unnecessarily gory. Quite mild actually, but also not holding back on realism where appropriate.

Thanks, Gosho. I have cable rather than satellite tv. I've asked them to include BBC America about three times a year for oh, 7 years. Wasting my breath. I don't subscribe to HBO or any of the other subscription channels. I don't do Pay for View or Netflix. For years, I've use the money I'd spend on them to buy DVDs. I have quite a good collection built up. Which is a good thing considering how awful the tv programs are these days.

D and I have been enjoying reviewing the TV series 'The Dead Zone' with Anthony Michael Hall. Have you ever seen that? It was a complex series and the writers are truly excellent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dead_Zone_(TV_series)

We are watching it on Netflix.

Elektra, I've never seen that one. I'll read up about it. Thanks for the suggestion.

It's nice to have a collection of DVDs to pull off the shelf whenever you want to watch it, and I have a small collection of my own which is mostly made up of films I classify as my favourite films ever in the whole world and time

But I would recommend giving Netflix some consideration. The range of British television shows they have, of all genres, is pretty good. At least once or twice a month I look for something obscure thinking it unlikely that Netflix will have it, and blow me down, they do!

I'm out of touch with BBC America these days but was New Tricks ever shown? Because Netflix has seasons 1 - 8. And Minder! Really? Minder? Okay, only series 1 - 5, but still. Minder? And no subtitles for things like "GBH of the earole" and "A nice little earner"

I have all of New Tricks on DVD. It's a fun series. I'm rather glad that it's ended since the final series wasn't nearly as good as the ones with James Bolam.

So which way do you get Netflix? Through the mail or do you download them to your computer or what?

I have so many DVDs of programs I genuinely enjoy that I could cancel my cable altogether if it weren't for needing it for local news and the Cardinals games.

James Bolam isn't in it any more? Oh bother I'm just starting series 6.

I get mine on DVD. I prefer them that way because they don't have everything on download yet, because the streaming versions don't have the DVD extras and because DVDs are just a whole lot more user friendly. Plus, no bandwidth problems. I don't need the instant gratification of streaming, although was nice when I had it. It's enough for me to know that if I want to watch something I can get within a few days as soon as I send something back. I have two discs at a time unlimited times a month.

I had Netflix many years ago. I could have 3 at a time, I think. But every couple of months the price went up, so I dropped it. That's when I started buying DVDs.

James Bolam was written out in Season 8. Then Alun Armstrong announced he was leaving at the end of Season 8. Anyway, they went ahead and ended it instead of bringing in a new cast. Season 8 wasn't awful, but it wasn't as good. At least not to me.

Yeah, cancelling it was a good idea I think.

Before Netflix imploded with stupid ideas about separating DVD and streaming accounts I had one disc at a time unlimited times a month which meant I could also get unlimited streaming, and it was a good deal at under $10 a month. Then, after they first tried to split into two companies, then came back together but changed the pricing, the monthly charge for what I had before would have almost doubled so I dropped the streaming and went to two discs. That only increased my payment by 50%.

And I still have my own little stack of DVDs, including a handful from Amazon.co.uk that I don't think will ever be on Netflix.

I find it interesting that Netflix has Rising Damp but not Steptoe and Son...

I'm trying to remember how exactly my subscription worked. I may not have had Netflix. Whatever I had was hooked up with Blockbuster. I remember that my subscription included two checkouts a month at the local Blockbuster. But it started out at around $10 and was up to $22 when I dropped it.

I think Netflix may be gearing up to destroy itself again soon. I read something about their plans to become something more like HBO on demand. One thing I have noticed is that more and more discs are special feature free and I've also noticed that a lot of the programs on streaming "expire".

I still blame the big media conglomerates for most of Netflix ills though. Without their cooperation, Netflix can't do squat and they know it.

Seems like there might be a niche in the market for someone who wants to set up an old school no-frills mail order DVD rental company like Netflix used to be.