Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5412 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-10-22
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Formats: Box set, Black & White, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 8

Amazon.co.uk Review
The label `comedy legend' is, sadly, banded about with frequent abandon now, often rewarding those whose body of work hasn't yet earned such words (if at all). Yet there's little doubting the pedigree of Tony Hancock, one of Britain's greatest comedy talents. And there's no better place to enjoy his work than in The Tony Hancock BBC Collection.

The set brings together a goldmine of Hancock's television work, with the 39 episodes of Hancock's Half Hour still in existence brought together. 17, sadly, are seemingly lost forever, although PDF files of the scripts of these episodes are included in the box, which proves to be a very welcome inclusion.

When it comes to the surviving content itself, though, what else can be said? Some of the material here is simply peerless, a splendid marriage of its superb leading star, blistering writing from Galton and Simpson, and a supporting cast that includes the likes of Sid James and Hattie Jacques. Backed up with fresh supplemental material, Hancock's Half Hour is a British comedy iconic, and there's plenty of evidence why in this set.

It should be stated that The Tony Hancock BBC Collection has little extra to entice those who have bought all the previously released Hancock DVDs. But for those with just a handful of those, or looking to start their collection, then this set is simply superb. A treat for fans of classic comedy young and old. --Simon Brew

DVD Description
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first television broadcast, this collection brings together all 39 surviving episodes (from the original canon of 56) of Hancock's Half Hour and Hancock, from 1956 to 1961. This classic sitcom was written by Galton and Simpson and featured, of course, East Cheam's most famous resident, Tony Hancock.

DVD extras:
The Succession - Son & Heir
Face to Face: Tony Hancock Interview
Missing Scripts PDFs
3 Audio Commentaries with Ray Galton, Alan Simpson and Paul Merton

Synopsis
50th anniversary commemorative collection comprising the entire HANCOCK's HALF HOUR series.

Customer Reviews

Good value but poor design
37 episodes, commentaries, scripts and an interview: to get all this in one boxset is fantastic and very good value for money. This is definitely a must for any Hancock fan, and luckily my patience was rewarded as I had waited while seperate volumes were released in the hope that a collection such as this would follow. However, amazingly the box contains no leaflet or episode guide! also contrary to what the picture on here (and all other websites) suggests it is only 37 episodes not 39. My box says 37 but everywhere else I have seen this for sale (online) it has the exact same box design but with the number 39 instead of 37, weird. As far as content goes though, this is a sure fire 5/5. The packaging designer needs a good punch up the bracket.

Good Content - Poor Packaging
It is astonishing that the BBC have just cobbled this man's work together in such a half-hearted fashion. There isn't even an insert for such a classic set nor even a listing of the contents (they have put a list behind the discs but it is unreadable because of the disc holder). The cover is, by common consent, poorly designed and the discs have just been taken from the previous published series so that the menu screens don't match the disc number and don't even harmonize with each other. It is hard to see how the Beeb could have made a worse job of the presentation. However the content is every bit as good as you would expect from Hancock and Co. For those of you who don't have the time to put a content list together here is mine for you.

The Tony Hancock Collection
DISC 1
1.THE ALPINE HOLIDAY
2 AIR STEWARD HANCOCK, THE LAST OF THE MANY
3 THE LAWYER: THE CROWN V SIDNEY JAMES
4 COMPETITIONS: HOW TO WIN MONEY AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE
5 THERE'S AN AIRFIELD AT THE BOTTOM OF MY GARDEN
6 HANCOCK'S 43 MINUTES: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

DISC 2
7 ERICSON THE VIKING
8 THE SET THAT FAILED
9 THE NEW NOSE
10 THE OAK TREE
11 THE KNIGHTHOOD

DISC 3 (VOLUME 3 DISC 1)
12 THE ECONOMY DRIVE
13 THE TWO MURDERERS
14 LORD BYRON LIVED HERE
15 TWELVE ANGRY MEN
16 THE TRAIN JOURNEY

DISC 4 (VOLUME 3 DISK 2)
17 THE CRUISE
18 THE BIG NIGHT
19 THE TYCOON
20 SPANISH INTERLUDE
21 FOOTBALL POOLS

DISC 5 (VOLUME 4 DISC 1)
22 THE COLD
23 THE MISSING PAGE
24 THE EMIGRANT
25 THE REUNION PARTY
26 SID IN LOVE

DISC 6 (VOLUME 4 DISC 2)
27 THE BABYSITTERS
28 THE LADIES MAN
29 THE PHOTOGRAPHER
30 THE EAST CHEAM CENTENARY
31 THE POISON PEN LETTERS

DISC 7 (THE VERY BEST OF HANCOCK)
32 THE BEDSITTER
33 THE BOWMANS
34 THE RADIO HAM
35 THE LIFT
36 THE BLOOD DONOR
Extras: Artist profile, Galton and Simpson Interview, The Blood Donor with audio commentary.

DISC 8 (THE TONY HANCOCK COLLECTION)
37 THE SUCCESSOR: SON AND HEIR
Extras: Face to Face, Script Archive

Dr Phil

Stone Me - Stop All The Whingeing!
I, like many others, bought each of the separate releases.
I was annoyed at the fact "Succession" had been left off, but I shopped around and picked up my anniversary collection for just £29!
A bargain indeed - especially when you consider the fact there are more extras. I paid for the boxset and sold my other copies.

The only reason I'm giving this product 4 stars, is because the DVD sleeve artwork is awful. So unattractive, heavy, depressing colours (or lack of them), dull, badly drawn etc. (Although inside it's blue and green, which is much better). In addition to this there is - bizarrely - no leaflet detailing which episodes are on what disc! If you are looking for a particular episode you have to remove every single disc so you can read the list written underneath. However, even the font style on this is illegible (Slanted and in Bold, but sized about 12). The lists are located under the clips holding the DVDs in place! My sight is perfect and I had real problems working out what it said. If you have a sight impairment, you may well find it a struggle.

Saying all that, the content of the discs is wonderful. A fitting tribute to Tony Hancock - as a die-hard fan I was thrilled to discover great extras as well! Interviews, the "lost" episode and PDFs (a great idea). Also, Scene Selection and full subtitles go without saying.

So BBC - not impressed AT ALL with the physical design. But for £29 I'm happy to just have them all together. 4/5 - due to the bad design. They really could have done so much better. They must have known how popular this was going to be.