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BBC Video presents
Little Britain: The Complete First Series (2003)

"It is the law in Britain that on Sundays everybody must eat a roast. The most popular meats are beef, lamb, pork and bat."
- Narrator (Tom Baker)

Review By: Mark Zimmer  
Published: August 18, 2005

Stars: Matt Lucas, David Walliams
Other Stars: Anthony Stewart Head, Tom Baker, Steve Furst, Paul Putner, Stephen Aintree, David Soul, Les McKeown, Mollie Sugden
Director: Steve Bendelack

MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (language, thematic material, sexual and racial humor, brief male nudity)
Run Time: 03h:46m:56s
Release Date: August 16, 2005
UPC: 794051227522
Genre: television

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
A	A-	B-	B	A+

DVD Review

Although sketch comedy is for the most part stone dead in American television, it's quite alive and well in Britain. Or more specifically, in Little Britain, an alternate-universe United Kingdom that is even more thoroughly populated with eccentrics (not to mention cross-dressers) than the real thing. This two-disc set collects the first series, eight shows, of the program, which is a hit on BBC America as well as in its native country.

The focus is on a population of some 60 oddball characters, nearly all of whom are portrayed by the writer/creators, portly Matt Lucas and Harold Lloyd-like David Walliams. Aided by some superb makeup and costume work, Lucas and Walliams bring to vivid life scores of well-realized creations who mock the everyday hypocrisies, deceptions and lusts of the British people. Having worked together for many years, Walliams and Lucas had honed these madcap characters in a radio version, allowing them to absolutely hit the ground running with proven material and fully realized personages.

The memorable impersonations are legion: Daffyd (Lucas), the self-professed "only gay in the village" who is unable to cope with the posssibility he might not be as unique as he desires; utterly unconvincing transvestite Emily Howard (Walliams), who compulsively insists on her ladyhood; motormouthed juvenile delinquent Vicky Pollard (Lucas), pathetic ex-kiddie star Des Hayes (Walliams); unscrupulous theatrical legend Bernard Chumley (Lucas); teen Jason (Walliams), who is sexually obsessed with his friend's elderly grandmother; romantic novelist Dame Sally Markham (Lucas, in a devastating satire of Barbara Cartland complete with lewd topiaries); and Sebastian (Walliams), the aide hopelessly and jealously in love with the Prime Minister (Anthony Stewart Head of Buffy the Vampire Slayer). The characters have an amazing variety, thanks to the chameleon-like stars, and they're quite convincing in their madness.

The characters are at their best when they demonstrate an oblivious cluelessness or an outright deceitfulness. The most outstanding set of characterizations are the pairing of Andy (Lucas), who shams at being handicapped, with his long-suffering friend Lou (Walliams), who must put up with his abusive and increasingly absurd demands. It's a one-gag setup, but it's a good setup that can stand many different permutations. Bizarreness is also a vital component of the show, such as flute-tootling Scottish hotelier Ray MacCooney (Walliams), who looms goggle-eyed over his guests, an exceedingly disturbing character that doesn't know the meaning of boundaries. There are quite a few references to British television and popular culture that will likely be lost on most American viewers, but there's enough that's broadly accessible to be enjoyable by nearly anyone other than the easily offended. Coherence is supplied not only by recurring characters but also by a series of running gags, such as the concluding sketch of the two stars in one ill-fated attempt to set a world record after another.

Little Britain is a microcosm of society, seemingly recognizable, but it's also full of unusual details such as the hours of the day being given people's names. Tying the whole together is the stentorian narration of Tom Baker (Doctor Who), a rigid reading of a warped and increasingly absurdist text, with tongue firmly planted in cheek. It may take a while to get used to the world of Little Britain, but it's fascinating in its detail and hilarious in its broad strokes.

Rating for Style: A
Rating for Substance: A-

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.85:1 - Widescreen
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	yes

Image Transfer Review: The anamorphic widescreen picture is acceptable; while color and black levels are quite good, there is some pixelation and blocking on close inspection. The PAL to NTSC conversion is pretty well done, although there is some visible ghosting during rapid movement.

Image Transfer Grade: B-

 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English	no

Audio Transfer Review: The 2.0 track is quite serviceable, without significant noise or distortion. David Arnold's lovely score for the series comes across nicely, with good presence. The laugh track is mixed a bit loud for my tastes. The dialects are often thick enough that I found myself leaving the subtitles on at all times to be able to follow the humor.

Audio Transfer Grade: B

 

Disc Extras

Animated menu with music
Scene Access with 162 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English with remote access
2 TV Spots/Teasers
27 Deleted Scenes
1 Documentaries
2 Featurette(s)
8 Feature/Episode commentaries by Matt Lucas, David Walliams, producer Myfanwy Moore and director Steve Bendelack
Packaging: Gladiator style 2-pack
Picture Disc
2 Discs
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: dual

Extra Extras:

1. Pilot Episode
2. Best of Rock Profile
3. Live performance
4. Radio interview with still gallery

Extras Review: This set is packed with extras, nearly all of which are distinctive and add something to the complete package. Foremost is a commentary on each and every episode with both stars as well as the producer (on episodes 1-4) and director (5-8). I would have expected these to be skippable but they have plenty of comments that are interesting in their own right, and the participants are willing to admit things that don't quite work. The original pilot episode is also included, which has some sketches that are borrowed for the series either as they are or reshot. That's accompanied by 27 deleted scenes (some of which, again, show up in the pilot) that are pre-laugh track and mostly without voiceovers, totaling over 45 minutes in length. There are two interviews with the creators, one from a television show with Dennis Ross and a 35-minute radio interview. The principal characters each respond in their own distinctive idioms to the question "What does Britain mean to you?" in a 4m:51s featurette. The second disc includes a selection (28m:27s) of the best items from Lucas and Walliams' earlier series, Rock Profile, in which they masqueraded as various rock stars such as Elton John, the Bee Gees, ABBA, Bono and The Edge. A video diary of the shooting of Series One is provided in How to Make a Little Britain, running 36m:17s. Finally, there are nearly 15 minutes of live performances of Little Britain characters for the Teenage Cancer Trust benefit. The menus are well designed, allowing access to the episodes one by one or as a "Play All," and another feature allows you to select bits from particular characters that appear on the disc regardless of the episode. I'm at a loss to think of anything else that could possibly be included, which means there's only one possible grade.

Extras Grade: A+

 

Final Comments

A modern gem of British comedy finds a home on DVD, supplied with an enormous array of bonus features.

 

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