Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13889 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-06-16
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 140 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Featuring Avid Merrion as the Scandinavian stalker/host and sketches in which he plays the parts of pop stars like Craig David and Britney Spears in lurid, latex masks, Bo' Selecta! is a brilliantly surreal take on celebrity culture. This first series (originally broadcast in 2002) features a number of cameos and guest appearances from minor celebs: Boyzone's Keith Duffy, Davina McCall, Vanessa Feltz and the hapless Christine Hamilton, one of numerous guests to be interviewed by a puppet bear played by Merrion whose feverish line of questioning invariably results in him sprouting a little erection.

Another character is hauled up in a neckbrace (following an altercation with Lisa Tarbuck), but Merrion's innocent broken English can't conceal the fact that he's a psychotic sex maniac who explicitly lusts after celebs who "make me do a sex wee", keeps Craig from Big Brother locked in a cupboard and his dead mother in a wardrobe.

Merrion's pop spoofs are also masterly: rather than mimic the stars, he reinvents them--Mel B and Britney Spears--as farting, hairy-chested Northerners, slobbing out on fry-up breakfasts washed down with lager and, most improbably, Michael Jackson as a cussing, jive-talking black dude à la Huggy Bear. Bo' Selecta! doesn't so much satirise celebrities as debase them, exposing their humiliating none-dimensionality by drawing them into a vortex of vulgar absurdity, not unlike Vic Reeves' Shooting Stars. Of course, they play along--they're on television. Although initially off-putting to some, once you get into Bo' Selecta! there is, as for Big Brother's Craig, no escape.

On the DVD: Bo' Selecta! on disc features numerous extras, including a behind the scenes feature in which the production team discuss making the show ("like directing a squirrel on roller-skates"), deleted scenes including Gareth Gates as a Tourette's victim, which was deemed a little beyond the pale, some unfunny bloopers and a feature on the life story of "Craig David" with Kate Thornton, including an unmissable nativity scene in which the infant Craig plays Jesus. There's also a commentary, with Merrion as his stalker self watching himself with consternation (It's strange seeing yourself on TV"). It's a pity we don't get to hear from the "real" Merrion. --David Stubbs

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:

• Behind the scenes
  
• Deleted scenes
  
• Bloop Selecta
  
• Craig David’s life story
  
• Trailers
  
• Avid’s Gallery
  
• Commentary

DVD Technical Information:

• Video Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Anamorphic
  
• Main soundtrack: English, stereo
  
• Disc Format: Single sided, dual layer – DVD9
  
• Feature Length: 140 mins approx.
  
• DVD Extras: 57 mins approx.
  
• Colour PAL
  
• Region Code: 2
  
• Subtitles: English for the hard of hearing

Special Features
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 9
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital Stereo English
Dolby Digital Stereo
Featurette
Craig Davids Life Story
Outtakes
Trailers
Avid Picture Gallery
Deleted Scenes

Customer Reviews

Classic comedy
Avid is hysterical.
His sketch of Micheal Jackson mixed with a perfect ozzy osbourne impression is one of the funniest moments in television history.

This first series may be far too crude for some viewers but for others it will become a favourite.
Jokes are plenty and Craig David as a falkener who wets himself is billiantly concieved.

Well worth buying for fans of any "off the wall" comedy!
brilliant.

Completely new and original - an underrated masterpiece
After seeing the short but massively funny trailers for BB3 including Avid Merrion, I was introduced to Bo' Selecta by a friend. At first glance I thought that this series would be a series of random sketches with no substance whatsoever.

How wrong was I! This is NOT an impressions show believe me! Don't expect a charicature of the celebrities shown; expect a complete redesign or twist of their personalities. The targeted celebrities range from Craaaaig David, with his pet peregrine falcon 'Kez' and emergency p*ss bag (say 'Proper Bo I tell thee' to any Bo' Selecta fan and you'll have them in stitches!) to Enrique Iglesias' mole, to Mel B; scary spice in every possible way!

These sketches are then accompanied to some brilliantly conceived original characters: the Bear, a very naughty little cuddly bear who shocks real celebrities with his 'tail' popping out (watch the one with Liberty X, it's hilarious!) and of course Avid, the stalker (or 'superfan' as he puts it) of Celabrities (no that's not a typo there) who keeps 'the Craig from Big Brother' in his cupboard. Avid's trips out into the world of celabrities ends up with hilarious consequences, himself being pretty unheard of at the time, shocking all involved with his outbursts - 'she makes me do a sex-wee'.

Obviously a show this strange and off-the-wall will not be a massive hit with everyone. In many scenes it is just plain vulgar, which makes you almost feel guilty for laughing your head off (the Michael Jackson/Jackass scene - 'Omlette for your G' is particularly revolting). I would suggest having a peek at it on TV before buying the DVD as it is definitely a love-hate kind of show.

The extras on the DVD are great, there are absolutely loads of features: 'Bloop Selecta' there is only one bloop (Mel B towards the end) where Leigh Francis actually breaks character! 'Deleted Scenes' 'Craig David's Life Story' and more. There is also a very well hidden extra that I actually found by accident; if you wait for the Bear to speak while on the DVD main menu and then quickly move the cursor to him, there is a very special scene involving a brand new, non-masked Leigh Francis character named Keith Lemon, who goes on a set up blind date with Tess Daly - the results are absolutely side-splitting.

I cannot recommend this DVD more, it truly is a great step for British comedy, which is rapidly slipping into the realms of unfunny sitcoms. Watch with an open mind and let yourself be sucked in - it seems wrong at first but you know you want to!

Proper Bo I tell thee!
Avid Merrion, the celebrity stalker, presents the first series of Bo' Selecta. Pure Genius.
All the characters are side-splittingly funny, ranging from the grim Northern Mel B, looking for a good fook to Michael Jackson, checkin' his bad self, chamon!
The brilliance of Craig David as a Northener, Davina McCall as the pregnant, frantic, swearing Big Brother presenter and the sheer filth churned out by the bear add up to some top quality entertainment.
All I can say is that 'It's proper bo, I tell thee!'