Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #52516 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-06-11
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 125 minutes

Special Features
English
Region 2

Synopsis
When Fred Mumford (Anthony Jackson) returns the land of the living from the spirit world, he establishes Rentaghost, which offers ghosts and other spirits for daily (or even weekly) rentals. Aided by the mortal Meakers (Edward Brayshaw and Anne Emery) and various other poltergeists, Mumford's business leads to plenty of spooky adventure. This collection includes the entire first series.

Customer Reviews

Childhood Revisited
I cam across this on Amazon by fluke and am I glad i did. THIS is what my childhood TV memories is all about. It encapsulates all that was brilliant about 70's TV. Wobbly sets prevail and storylines that even though we are talking about ghosts do not seem too far fetched and it is set in England.
Fantastic and well worth buying just to show your own kids what they are missing.

Gadzooks! Odds Bodkins! - It's a wonderous "shiny disc"
What can I say but "About time!!!" and "Classic BBC archive material".

This is the 1st ever series of Rentaghost broadcast back in 1976 (when I was 3) so if you remember the later episodes in the mid 80's, you'll love this. Fred Mumford, Mr Davenport and Mr Claypole star as the 3 ghosts who together are Rentaghost.

Picture quality is excellent - expected quite a bit of hiss & grainyness from such an oldie program but these are thankfully missing. Only thing that spoils the CD IMHO is that the CD doesn't have any extras on it, just a scene selection menu. Come on DVD production guys, at least you could have included the soundtracks (original and the more well known one), along with some biographies of the cast etc... But don't let this put you off buying what is otherwise a fantastic DVD.

BTW - Dobbin, the Pantomime Horse doesn't appear until Series 5 if you're expecting to see him.

Lastly - please let's see more series of Rentaghost on DVD !

Timeless Classic
Ah, the days of dodgy haircuts, puple waistcoats and yellow flares! Children's tv in the 70s lacked much of the sophistication of today's 'yoof' tv but in many ways was better for it. 'Rentaghost' continues a trend of slapstick comedy based around minimal plot stretching back to the Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy. Sure you can see the strings attached to the props and the special effects make Doctor Who look like 'Lord of the Rings' but the knockabout humour and interplay between the three leads makes this timeless comedy.
It's interesting to see the original 5 episodes again because the series was only finding its feet before the introduction later of perhaps more memorable characters. No McWitch, Miss Popov or Pantomime Horse yet or my particular fave Mrs Meaker. But a brilliant theme tune that I can still remember 25 years on and pure, honest and innocent comedy from a time when children's tv presenters didn't wear cropped tops and body piercings at 4 in the afternoon. Let's hope the Beeb release the rest of the other series.