I'm Back and the Randomizer Controls My Fate

I have been putting off my blog because of my college classwork, but I now tend to get back to writing regular reviews. I have decided for the first month back I will have no say in what programs I do review. I am using a program called the randomizer. What the randomizer does is it will pick a tv show for me to watch and an episode out of the series. For my first show it picked Steptoe and Son Episode 22 Crossed Swords. Will I end up with the randomizer choosing Steptoe and Son all month or will I get a wide variety shows? Stay tuned my review of Steptoe and Son is coming shortly.

The Problem with Amazon!!!!

Every time I go to Amazon.com and look at a review for a DVD/Blu Ray it always makes me angry. The other day I was reading a review of the Doctor Who R1 Happiness Patrol DVD and once again I noticed something that makes me mad a review was posted on the DVD before it has ever been released. The review that really caught my attention was from David W. Curry http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1SOK8H08194UL/ref=cm_cr_rdp_pdp here is link to his other reviews. What makes me mad about this review is what is wrong with the Amazon review system right now. Here is a guy who supposedly reviewed the product, but has not even viewed the actual product being released. The guy has left out video/sound quality and special features so his review is based solely on the feature itself. What happens here is that this is an inaccurate review and does not do the product justice. The policy Amazon should take is in order to review the product on their site a code should be given to a person after the product has shipped and then the person can be able to review the product. However that is not the only thing wrong with Amazon's reviews they combine multiple different releases of the movie/show in the review page so a person might not even be able to read a review for the actual product.Don't trust review you read an Amazon is all I can say.

The Birth of Venom

A little over a year has passed since I last wrote in my blog, but since things have finally calm down the writer's block has passed. Usually I will review a film or a tv show, but today I have decided to focus on comics.
May 1993 my sister was getting ready to graduate from high school and I was just finishing the 7th Grade. My cousins were on there where from Cleveland to attend the graduation. When they arrived I noticed one of them had an issue of SpiderMan that was apart of the 14 part epic Maximum Carnage, while the other had an issue of Superman that was apart of the Reign of Supermen saga. Since by that time in my life I found Superman to be a dumb character I ended up asking my cousin what his Spiderman issue was about. He said he wasn't really sure himself, but he liked Venom so much that he picked up the issue himself. I like Spiderman enough that when I went to the comic book shop with my cousins I picked up the first seven parts of Maximum Carnage.

I didn't realize it at the time, but I was about to introduce myself to an antihero called Venom. Maximum Carnage covered the history between SpiderMan and Venom nicely. The artwork and story was like nothing I had ever seen before in comics it was just on another level. I know the big deal that summer was the Death of Superman/Reign of Supermen, but as far as I was concerned Maximum Carnage was where it was at and my favorite comic book character was now Venom.

Like anybody who discovers there love for a now superhero I wanted more of Venom. In fact I wanted so much more of Venom that I wanted to read every issue he was ever in. What sounded like an easy task at the time turned into headache trying to find out the truth.
When you don't know something ask somebody. So I asked the local comic book shop owner what was Venom's first issue he replied Amazing Spider-Man 300, but the two guys to the side of him said something different. One of them said Web of Spider-Man 18 and the other said Secret Wars #8. All of three of them started to get in debate over this situation so I just left the shop confused.

How can one character have three different first issues? I didn't let that incident deter me from finding an answer, but it would be awhile before I would get a more satisfying answer. That answer came from one of my sister's friends who offered me the majority of his collection because he was getting ready to attend college. The one issue he had in his collection he wouldn't let me have was an Amazing Spider-Man 300. When I saw that issue I lost my poker face and had to ask him is that Venom's first appearance. Nope Amazing Spider-Man 252 was Venom's first appearance.

How can Venom have 4 different first issues was my next question. His answer was the one I was looking for Venom is not Eddie Brock, but the symbiote itself. Spider-Man first appeared wearing the black suit/symbiote in Amazing Spider-Man 252 to where all we knew was that the suit had mysterious powers. The answer satisfied me completely until I picked up a trade paperback entitled the Birth of Venom. Which collected ASM 252-259,298-300, 315-317, and Annual 25, Secret Wars #8, Web of Spider-Man 1, and the Fantastic Four 274. Uncredited Web of Spider-Man 18 and Spetacular Spider-Man 100.

Here is a book that put Venom's history in nice order. While not completely in order by publication date only by Secret Wars 8 being put in front of ASM 252-259. Secret Wars 8 did not come until Dec 84. The order was right chronoligically. The symbiote did first appear in ASM 252, but where the symbiote came from was explained in Secret Wars 8. In Secret Wars 8, Spidey's regular suit was destroyed so he was told by Thor and Hulk to go to a machine where Thor got a new helmet and Hulk got a new pants to get a new suit. Now there is an idea for another story What If Thor's helmet and Hulk's pants were symbiotes.

We didn't even learn the suit was a symbiote until issue 258 of ASM when Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four analyzed the suit for Spidey and ended up blasting it with a sonic gun to get it to seperate and contain it. The symbiote eventually escaped in Fantastic Four 274. In which we next saw the symbiote in SS 100 in which the symbiote attached itself to an innocent bystander to lead up to the events in Web of Spider-Man 1.

Over a year would pass before anything noticeable would happen to Peter Parker a hand shoves him to the subway tracks, but his Spidey sense didn't go off in Web 18. Then Eddie Brock wearing the symbiote appears in ASM 298 and 299 with his first full panel in 299, before making his first full issue debut in ASM 300. So who is right here in the end?

According to the CGC Web 18 is Venom's first cameo appearance and ASM 300 marks his first full appearance. The CGC also recognizes the symbiotes first appearance in ASM 252 and origin in Secret Wars 8. Other people have worn the suit since Brock and have been called Venom so technically my sister's friend is right in the end, but in my view Eddie Brock is Venom so ASM 300 is fine with me.

A 1st appearance for a character should never of been this hard to find out, but the sad thing is the number of writers saying they created Venom as a result of this confusion. Jim Shooter, David Micheline, Roger Stern, and Tom Defalco all said they created Venom, but when you ask fans they say Todd McFarlane the man who drew him big, bulky, razor sharp teeth, and toungue as we know him today. Maybe that is why Todd McFarlane has his own toyline and they don't.

Up next Jam and Jersulem because I didn't listen to friends advice.

“It’s Money and Adventure and Fame. It’s the Thrill of a Lifetime.”

That famous quote was from Robert Armstrong as Carl Denham in 1933’s classic film King Kong. King Kong holds a special place in my heart as one of the first films I saw that left me speechless after viewing the film. Still to this day when I view the film I am still amazed and blown away by the technique used to make King Kong possibly the most influential film of all time. The year was 1986 and I was in the first grade. When the weekly TV Guide came out in the paper I always looked to see what was playing on the local PBS WILL-TV’s Silver Screen. Silver Screen was a program that used a host to introduce the movie of the night without commercials. I saw in bold letters King Kong was playing that week and had asked my Dad to record it for me since I could not stay up that late. My dad was more than happy to do it for me. This was not the first time I saw Kong in action. I believe in the early to mid 80’s he had a part in an insurance commercial ad and I had caught what I believe to be brief glimpses of him from the 1976 remake when my Dad watched it on TV not quite sure to young to remember. So I had a brief idea in my head what I thought I was about to see, but never knew what I was about to fall in love with. The credits rolled and the first 30 minutes rolled by mainly with Carl Denham building up the crew of the ship, film, and my own anticipation of what we were all about to see. Then we all arrive at the island and see the natives in very elaborate costumes and mad that we interrupted their ceremony in honor of Kong. They ask for Ann Darrow, but the crew says no and leaves. In the end the natives kidnap Ann Darrow and we are forced to retrieve her before she meets her doom. All of a sudden a giant 25’ ape arrives on the screen and the build up and anticipation was worth the wait for what I had just saw had changed my life forever. I had jumped behind the couch to watch the rest of film in amazement because my mom was not there and I could not bury my face in her. I had seen Freddy, Jason, and Bruce(Jaws) before then none of those characters could even come close to scaring me as much as Kong did because he was believable in my eyes and I never knew what to expect from him, but as the film went on I fell in love with Kong. Kong was like an animal with human emotions you could see and love him for, which made it that much harder for me when Kong died at the end of the film because I cried for him just like I cried when Old Yeller died. Anybody with just a small imagination could see what Kong and could easily feel what he went through and did not deserve. Even to this day I still feel for him when I watch the film as I had just done earlier today. Today was the first time I had the chance to view the new Blu Ray release from Warner Studios of the 1933 King Kong and the first time of seeing King Kong in HD. The film is still as brilliant today as it was the first time I viewed it, but I am able to appreciate in a much different light now then I was able to back then. King Kong came from the minds Merion Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack and in a lot of ways is almost an autobiography of their life and adventures. Cooper and Schoedsack were known for going to strange place across the world and were willing to put their own lives on the line against wild animals such as man eating tigers and more just to get the picture they wanted. If an animal appeared that close to the camera on screen it was because it was that close to the camera. They were eventually hired by RKO Pictures to make films and overlook certain productions. One of those productions happened to be a project Willis O’Brien was working on called Creation. Creation had a lot of problems going on with the production mostly due to towards the escalating budget that was going to reach somewhere towards a million dollars. At ten cents a head the studio heads knew the chance of getting their money back their money at the height of the depression would be impossible. So they asked Cooper and Schoedsack to take a look into the project and tell them what they thought of it. Cooper and Schoedsack thought it was crap, but a light went off in their heads they saw an opportunity with the help of Willis O’Brien to tell their story the way they could of never dreamed of. Pieces and portions of the script were taken out of Creation and put inside a story written by Cooper and Schoedsack that was about to tell the story of their ultimate expedition they could only dream of. With the technical effects of Willis O’Brien they created Kong the 8th Wonder of the World. With state of the art technology then combined with great sets and effects. The world was about to be taken to a place they have never been before. However it would take more than effects, sets, and a great story to make King Kong the film as it is remembered today. In walks Max Steiner”The Father of Film Music” an Austrian composer for films and theatre who has done some film scores before, but is about to make a film score that is going to change the way films are made still to this day. Steiner sets the entire mood for the audience suspense, drama, action, and more. Something that was rarely seen in film at that point and nothing to that extant. Bring on the stars of the film Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong. Yes Kong is the true star of the film for reasons mentioned above it took great performances from legendary actress Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong. Wray was absolutely sensational in her role being able to make an audience believe a giant ape has fallen for her, but at the same time being able to show her fear, emotions, and more. Wray just delivered on all levels and became Hollywood’s first scream queen. Armstrong’s role was just as important though he had to build up the audience’s anticipation as well as keep them interested for nearly 30 minutes while we wait to see Kong for the first time. Armstrong also delivered on his part. Radio City Music Hall in New York City and the 3,700-seat RKO Roxy across the street on Thursday, March 2, 1933 King Kong premiered. Audiences were amazed. This was the first time people were able to see a big budget special effects film, mixed with strong acting, great story, and a music score that complemented the movie as needed. It was the rebirth of Hollywood for a film had never been done on this level, but it showed studio heads what could be done. Without Kong maybe there would be no Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and more. Seeing King Kong in the theaters back then must have been like for me seeing Jurassic Park in the theaters when it was originally released. I never knew it was possible, but a whole new set of doors opened up for film. King Kong would go on to inspire countless filmmakers and special effects artists. While it may not be the greatest film of all time it is the most influential film of all time. Story - A+ I’ve already said it above Video Quality – B This is the best print I have ever seen of the 1933 classic, but certain parts bother me. The parts have nothing to do with the transfer itself and come down to the source material used. While I saw no artifacts, dirt, or scratches I am bothered by the amount of grain certain scenes have or scenes within the scenes have. Some of the best examples come from the jungle sequences you have a blue screen in the back, the middle scene involving the animation, and a front scene involving the actors. The blue screen sequence might be quite grainy, the middle scene would have less, and the scene involving the actors would have little to none at all. Making a sequence that just does not look like it goes together. I hated viewing the film to review this part because it did take away from some of my enjoyment of the film. However one has to take into factor of when this film was made and not let it bother them much. Sound Quality - A+ Warner my hat off to you for not creating a 5.1 mix and sticking to a DTS-HD Mono Mix staying true to the film and not trying to make the film something it’s not. Warner you may have alienated some fans with this move, but in my book you just went up another level. Special Features – B Blu-ray Exclusives: A 32-page Blu-ray book with production photos, notes, and a background of director Merian C. Cooper Commentary: Yes, with Ray Harryhausen and special effects supervisor Ken Rolston with archive interviews from Fay Wray and Cooper Documentaries/Featurettes: 2 Documentaries: the 7-part two-and-a-half hour "RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World" and "I'm King Kong: The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper"; Original creation test footage with Ray Harryhausen commentary Deleted/Extended Scenes: Yes, "The Lost Spider Pit" sequence in its entirety (HD) Theatrical Trailer: Yes Digital Copy/DVD: No/No All of these extras appeared on the 2005 2-Disc Collector's Edition DVD These are all great features, but we have gotten these before. I am sure they could of added a few more features to make people triple or even say it quadruple dip into this. Overall – A- While this is a great release, great story, and loaded with nice features. It is virtually the same release as the 2005 release with a slight bump in video and audio quality. If you already own the DVD this might be overkill, but if you missed the release on DVD or are just a collector like myself who is dead set on upgrading your favorite films from DVD to Blu Ray then bring on the Kong.

Sherlock: A New Sleuth for the 21st Century

The last series of Doctor Who saw writer/producer Steven Moffat take over the reigns as head script editor and producer from Russell T Davies. People may ask who is Moffat and what has he done and was he good enough to take over for Davies. Moffat is a Scottish Television writer who has been writing for British Television including Press Gang featuring Julia Sawahla, Chalk, Jekyll featuring James Nesbitt, and Coupling a British Comedy that took the U.S. by surprise. Given Moffat’s clear success, how would he do if he was given the chance to do Britain’s number one character of all time Sherlock Holmes? A few years back on a train ride to Cardiff, Moffat spoke with fellow Who alumnus Mark Gatiss about their love for Conan Doyle’s literary work Sherlock Holmes. Moffat and Gatiss found out both of them were interested in creating an updated version of Sherlock Holmes set in modern day times. After those discussions the two men set out to create their vision with the help of Moffat’s wife producer Sue Vertue. What they ended up doing was making a 60 minute pilot that cost around 800,000 pounds to produce to use as a vehicle to get a network to pick up the series. In July 2009, the BBC drama department announced plans for a further three 90-minute episodes, to be broadcast in 2010. The first episode, "A Study in Pink", was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 25 July 2010 simultaneously on BBC One and BBC HD. The remaining episodes was broadcasted the following Sundays. I was able to catch the first two episodes from people who uploaded them onto the internet and was pretty impressed with what I saw, but decided to hold off my review of the series until I could get my hands on the 2 Disc BluRay set released in the U.K . Sherlock is a British television series produced by Hartswood Films for BBC Wales, co-produced with WGBH Boston for its Masterpiece anthology series. Featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Dr Watson as well as Mark Gatiss as Mycroft Holmes . The actors are well casted in their roles. Cumberbatch was the only guy Moffat considered for the role of Sherlock. It is easy to see why Cumberbatch is always one step ahead of the audience and comes across as a bit weird. I had no problem watching Cumberbatch as Holmes and I found myself half the time thinking Cumberbatch would be perfect as Doctor Who. Which in the end what makes Cumberbatch perfect for the role because I always envisioned Doctor Who what Sherlock Holmes would be like if he was traveling through space and time. Dr. Watson was a little bit harder for the producers to cast they even had Matt Smith audition for the role who in the end said his performance made him more suitable for the role of Sherlock Holmes. In the end the producers settled on Freeman. Freeman is a veteran actor who I have seen in many different films he usually plays similar characters to Dr. Watson. Freeman works so well off of Cumberbatch it feels as if you are watching the Odd Couple. The transition from the Victorian era of England to the modern day England also works out for the better. Sure some small changes were made to the characters, but they work out for the better for instance instead of smoking a pipe or using opium Holmes now uses nicotine patches “This, Watson, is a three-patch problem”. Holmes also has all of today’s technology at his fingertips and uses the technology to his advantage on many occasions during the series. As far as the stories go they were all great and really doing something I have not seen other versions for film or TV do returning to the core of Conan Doyle’s stories. Moffat says, "Conan Doyle's stories were never about frock coats and gas light; they're about brilliant detection, dreadful villains and blood-curdling crimes — and frankly, to hell with the crinoline. Other detectives have cases, Sherlock Holmes has adventures, and that's what matters". Gatiss criticizes recent television adaptations of the Conan Doyle stories as "too reverential and too slow", aiming to be as irreverent to the canon as the 1930s and '40s films starring Basil Rathbone. The Blu Ray features the first 3 episodes as well as the unaired pilot. The first episode is “A Study in Pink” written by Steven Moffat and directed by Paul McGuigan. The police investigate the deaths of a series of people who all appear to have committed suicide by taking a poisonous pill. They turn to their unofficial consultant, Sherlock Holmes, who deduces various elements pointing to a serial killer. Meanwhile, Holmes is introduced to John Watson, and the pair immediately move into a flat in Baker Street. This episode is a loose adaption of “A Study in Scarlet”. The second episode is “The Blind Baker” written by Stephen Thompson and directed by Euros Lyn. Sherlock is hired by an old friend to investigate a mysterious break-in at a bank in the City. The episode is a loose adaption of “The Dancing Men”. The third episode is “The Great Game” written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Paul McGuigan. Sherlock is commissioned by his brother Mycroft to investigate the suspicious death of a government employee who was working on a top-secret defence project; the Bruce-Partington Project. The Pilot after careful viewing is a shorter version of the first episode “A Study in Pink”. Story – A What is there to be said, but after three episodes I am addicted. The settings, acting, and more just gel together and it is brilliant. I would love to go into more detail, but with a U.S. premiere date on PBS soon there is no need to give any spoilers. I was looking for a show to take the place of Ashes to Ashes when it went off the air. I think I found that show. Video Quality – A The Blu Ray keeps the 1080i/16:9 high definition formats that were used when the BBC first aired this on BBCHD. None of the video suffers from any scratches, dirt, or debris. The images are clear and simply breathtaking it feels as if I can jump into the screen and join their adventure with them. This release is a prime example of how much better a movie and TV can look at home with the right setup than seeing it in the theaters. Extras – A I am not a big guy for extras for most films or TV shows so I don’t ask for much. Included on this release is a commentary for episode 1featuring Gatiss, Moffat, and Vertue, a commentary for episode 3 featuring Cumberbatch, Freeman, and Gatiss, the pilot episode, and Unlocking Sherlock – The making of. A person cannot ask for much more than that out of any release. Overall – A This a great series definitely worthy of taking the time out of your schedule to watch. The Blu Ray does the series justice and the way I suggest to view it. Sherlock may be Moffat’s best series to date and gives the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle the respect they deserve. Sherlock will be airing on PBS stations across the U.S. 24 October 2010. A DVD and Blu Ray are scheduled to be released in the United States on 9 November 2010.

Max Headroom 20 Minutes Into the Future

Today I am taking an in depth look at Shout’s new Max Headroom The Complete Series release. To be upfront I have never seen this show before today, but I am very familiar with some of the actors in the show and the background of Max Headroom. Max Headroom was originally concieved as an idea that Channel 4 a relatively new station in the U.K. then was looking for an innovative way to connect music videos together using a host. Channel 4 however wanted a single episode to introduce the character and his background before the music show premiered. So with the help of funding from HBO, Channel 4, and another benefactor the telefilm was produced. Max Headroom ended up being an innovative worldwide phenomenom. The original UK telefilm premiered on Channel Four on 4 April 1985. A few days later the Max Headroom Show premiered in the UK. So how does Max get from the U.K. to the U.S. the creators were given a call by Coke wanting to use the character to promote New Coke and save it from failing. Max ended up being on every TV screen across the U.S. making one of the most interesting ads in years and way ahead of its time. At that time ABC was in third place of network rankings and looking for something innovative to draw new viewers in. One of the execs was shown the telefilm from Channel 4 and they realized they could make a series out of this using the British Show as template bringing in the core crew of the original film they didn’t need much more. The US series premiered on 31 March 1987. The show featured American actor Matt Frewer as Edison Carter/Max Headroom, British actress Amanda Pays as Theora Jones, and British actor William Sheppard as Blank Reg returning from the British Telefilm and Jeffrey Tambor as Murray, George Coe as Ben Cheviot, Chris Young as Bryce Lynch as new actors for the U.S. show. Edison Carter is the top investigative reporter in television his reports brings in ratings every station dreams of having and which ever station controls the ratings controls the world. Carter is sent out to investigate a strange explosion that happened inside an apartment complex. The moment Carter arrives on the site the plug is pulled on the assignment from the top. After the incident Carter fires his controller and in walks Theora Jones as his new controller. Carter doesn’t understand why a microwave explosion would cause such an uproar . With the help of his controller he investigates further into the situation and finds out more than he bargains as a result he ends up having a conveinant accident at the hands of a mysterious kid Bryce Lynch who somehow has involvement with Channel 23. The station realizing his ratings potential agrees to an expiramental project that will transfer Carter’s mind into a 3-D Cgi character from head up, but with a personality of his own which ends up becoming Max Headroom a host for the station. With Max having Carter’s mind blow the lid on the station’s secret? Story A I am looking at this show with a fresh perspective and it is amazing the time frame they put at in the future and how accurate it is in today’s world. Even with the limited technology at the time they really pull this off . The first ep is a remake of the British Telefilm, but with certain scenes changed and actors for the U.S. show. Is it better? In my book it is. The British version is one episode leaving you asking for more with a somewhat loose ending. Max also appears more in the first episode in the U.S. Version. Any bad things about the U.S. version well certain effects were taken straight from the U.K. version that could have been done better by then for the U.S. show. The U.K. telefilm is still good and definitely worth a watch because it the U.S. episode slightly beats it on a narrow margin mainly because of more scenes with Max and a slightly better supporting cast. What I like about the U.K version it is darker than the U.S. version. Video A-C depending on the episode you watch I really hate it when a company releases DVD’s where not all the episodes meet each other’s quality and Max Headroom suffers from this fate as well. The first episode looked perfect and then the second episode didn’t even come close to the quality of the first episode. The rest episodes of the box set are like this as well and vary in quality. So it does not look like any restoration was done unfortunately for the set. Special Features B+ • Live on Network 23: The Story of Max Headroom • Looking Back at the Future • The Big-Time Blanks • The Science Behind the Fiction • The Writers Remember • Producing Dystopia Its about 2 hours worth of special features for the boxset not bad for a show over 20 years. Interviews with the cast and crew except Matt Frewer odd enough. The only thing missing from this set is Channel 4’s telefilm, the Coke commercials, and two times Max interrupted WGN and WTTW television transmission’s in the late 80’s. One of those times Max interupted the Doctor Who serial of Horror of Fang Rock. Either way I am not going to complain much the release does gives us a lot and does not leave out much. Overall B+ A release well worth the pickup failing really only on the video side of it on some levels It would be interesting to see this show remade into a new series or movie today with Ipods, Cellular Phones, Internet on the level it is, and more Max would finally be able to be made at a level it deserves. Max Headroom – Jim Carrey Theora Jones- Michelle Ryan Murray- Jeffrey Tambor

The Professionals

Two of the most liked British shows of all time are now in the works to get their own theatrical movie I looked at one of those in my last review The Sweeney. Today I am going to look at the other show The Professionals CI5. The Professionals was created by recently awarded O.B.E Brian Clemens best remembered in the U.S. for as the creator the Avengers and featured Lewis Collins as Bodie , Martin Shaw as Doyle , and Gordon Jackson as Cowley . The show had a simple premise CI5 (Criminal Intelligence 5) is a law enforcement department, instructed by the Home Secretary to use any means, which deals with crimes of a serious nature that go beyond the capacity of the police, but are not tasks for the secret service or military. It was ITV's response for the Sweeney and very simular to Starsky and Hutch. The episode I am looking at today is the story the Klansmen which is the one episode that has been banned from being shown on tv since it originally aired back in 1977. While the episode features no noticable guest stars from what I can see however beyond that factor it is one of the best episodes to give an explanation of the series and what sets it apart from other shows. For the benefit of readers who have not seen the episode, I have given a detailed synopsis of the story below. PLEASE NOTE I have pointed out various aspects of the script – not because I agree with them, but simply to illustrate exactly why LWT felt uncomfortable with it. The Klansmen The story opens with a middle-aged black couple, the Culvers, having their furniture thrown into the street by two white thugs intent on evicting them. Mrs Culver is sobbing and her husband is helpless. Despite the fact that a crowd has gathered to watch, nobody is willing to come to his aid. However a smart Mercedes suddenly draws up and a young black man steps out. We later discover he is a lawyer by the name of Zadie (played by Trevor Thomas. He orders the thugs to return all the furniture back into the house and pay for any breakages. One of the thugs, Dinny (Tony Booth), turns on Zadie: "You wanna mix it with me, nigger?!". Zadie, cool and unflinching, replies that he has obtained a court order to prevent the eviction and that as 'nigger' is simply a deformation of 'negro', the term does not offend him. This retort winds Dinny up even more and he threatens to thump Zadie - who in turn happily invites the thug to take a swing: after all there are plenty of witnesses! Dinny and his mate, Merv, decide they are beaten and start to replace the furniture. Zadie reassures the Culvers and then drives off. However one of the spectators, Hulton (Edward Judd), approaches Dinny and invites him to join his "Empire Society", a small local establishment devoted to the ousting of coloureds. Later Dinny phones his boss, Mr Miller, to explain what happened at the Culver's house. Miller tells Dinny and Merv to join the Empire Society, much to Dinny's surprise. That evening Hulton and his mob, dressed intraditional Ku Klux Klan white robes and hoods, pay a visit on Zadie, throwing a brick through a window and erecting a huge wooden burning cross in his front garden. Zadie runs outside to challenge the men but there are too many of them and he comes under physical attack. Zadie's white wife Helen (played by Sheila Ruskin) witnesses the scene and screams abuse at the men as they run away. Opening Credits Roll Next day the incident comes to the attention of Cowley and, as a man who has seen and been appalled by much racial hatred in his time, decides to send Bodie and Doyle in to investigate. Bodie thinks this is a waste of CI5 resources: after all "all they did was plant a cross in a spade's garden". Cowley reacts furiously to this remark, warning Bodie not to use that term again, then sends the lads on their way. They go to interview Zadie and Bodie is plainly aghast when he sees that his wife is white. Zadie notices this but Bodie clumsily tries to cover up his feelings. However shortly after leaving Zadie's home, Bodie expresses to Doyle his resentfulness at the fact that a "spade" should own a nice, large house and drive a brand new Mercedes. Doyle, like Cowley, rebukes Bodie for making such remarks. The lads then go on into the area of the town where the tenants live and try to make further investigations. At the same time a young black man by the name of Arty has discovered an accounts book with some information in it that he thinks Zadie should be made aware of. However before he can speak to Zadie, he is cornered by the hooded Klansmen and pushed off a rooftop, falling to his death. The lads arrive on the scene and Bodie tries to investigate the death by questioning some black youths. However they don't take kindly to this and when Bodie threatens to take one of them, Tommy, in for interrogation, they stab him and leave him for dead. Fortunately Bodie is able to radio for help. On the way to hospital in an ambulance Doyle wants to know who was responsible and Bodie manages to gasp "Tell Cowley a spade did this - a dirty black spade". On arriving at hospital, Bodie has lost so much blood that he is now in a very demented state and goes beserk when he sees that the doctor who will be treating him is black. "Get off me, you black bastard!". The doctor manages to administer an injection which subdues Bodie into sleep. In the meantime Hulton has called a meeting of the Empire Society to express his fury about Arty's murder: although he doesn't completely disapprove of the action, he fears that to take such extreme measures might make the white population turn against the Society. He demands to know which members of the group were responsible for the death but nobody owns up. The second item on the meeting's agenda is Zadie and a decision to step up further the crusade against him: "Let's go scare the arse of that flash nigger lawyer!". Doyle, suspecting there might be another attack on Zadie, is watching in the bushes when Hulton's men (again, dressed in the familiar white Klansmen attire) arrive. Zadie, inside the house, hears the doorbell and opens the door to be greeted with a tin of white paint thrown over him: "Now you're as white as that wife of yours!" bellows the disguised Hulton. On hearing the commotion, Mrs Zadie runs to her husband's side only to be drenched in paint herself - but this time it is black: ".... and you're the same colour as him!" Hulton roars before the whole gang turn and run off. Doyle, seeing that the Zadies are unharmed, follow Hulton's gang as they retreat to the safety of the Empire Society building. On seeing the name of the club, Doyle quickly realises what is going on and informs Cowley. In the meantime Bodie remains in a poor state at the hospital and his demented outbursts continue. They are overheard by a young black nurse and she is visibly upset but nevertheless continues to attend to his wounds. Doyle suggests he goes undercover and joins the Empire Society. By staging a racially-motivated fight with black CI5 operative Jax in front of Hulton, his invitation to join the society is soon forthcoming. At yet another meeting that night, he not only plays along with the groups' attitudes but actively encourages them to take much more extreme measures - "I've got a shotgun in my car!". Hulton is appalled by this and rebukes Doyle, explaining that is is not the group's intention to murder anybody. "What about the guy on the roof, though?" Doyle excitedly points out. The group go out on one of their hooded jaunts and we see Dinny telephoning somebody: "There's a guy here with a shotgun.... should make a nice connection!". Shortly afterwards a middle-aged black man is gunned down by a Klansman. In the meantime the rest of the group are daubing racist slogans on the walls and garages of several tenants' houses. The dead man was, in fact, Zadie's business partner, Carter, and Cowley is now very worried. In the meantime Doyle visits the Empire's office and, on the pretence that he has been summoned by Hulton, searches the various filing cabinets and desks. But Hulton himself turns up unexpectedly with Dinny and Merv and the three of them, catching Doyle rifling the office, beat him senseless - his injuries are appalling but he remains conscious. The three interrogate him and he convinces them that he is working as a freelance reporter, trying to find out more about the Society so he can publish an article in a local black newspaper. Dinny and Merv then pile Doyle into their car and dump him at a nearby water-tower - ironically the same place at which Bodie was knifed. Doyle lapses into unconciousness. A little while later the young kid Tommy turns up at the tower to play with his tennis ball and racquet. He discovers Doyle and administers food and water. Doyle manages to struggle to his feet and slowly start to recover, but his bruising is horrifying! Tommy tells Doyle about Bodie being knifed and Doyle explains that he is after the men who have been tormenting and murdering the blacks in the area. Tommy explains that he thinks Arty might have been murdered because of a robbery he pulled at the offices of Mr Miller, the property owner. It seems that Arty had discovered the account book contained some figures in it that would incriminate Miller. Yet witnesses had described seeing Klansmen running away fom the rooftop, so they would be Hulton's men, not Miller's. Doyle happens to find Jax and asks to borrow his gun. Jax, shocked by Doyle's condition, contacts Cowley and arranges for him to meet Doyle at Miller's offices. Although still in a bad shape, Doyle arrives at the building before Cowley and discovers Dinny and Merv - who are two of Miller's employees, of course. He manages to overpower and tie them up - with Tommy as 'back-up'! A quick search of the offices reveals that the reason Miller wants the tenants evicted is so that he can sell the land for redevelopment and make a quick fortune. Interrogation of Dinny throws up a more pressing problem, though. It seems that Miller has arranged for some other men to murder Zadie that evening. Miller thinks that with Zadie out of the way, he will be able to carry out his evictions. Leaving Tommy with Jax's gun, Doyle rushes off, asking the youngster to explain things to Cowley when he arrives. Tommy: "This Mr Cowley - is he white or black?", Doyle: "Hmmm.... I never thought to ask!" At around the same time Zadie receives a phone call from the tenant Mr Culver saying that some men have come back to his house to try to throw him out again. Zadie sees this as an ideal opportunity to land Miller in court and, grabbing various legal documents, heads for Culver's house. However when he arrives he discovers the house is intact and that men are actually Klan members waiting to kill him: Culver had been forced into making the telephone call. Doyle arrives and is forced to shoot the men when he sees Zadie is just about to be killed. Zadie, grateful to Doyle, expresses his distaste for the men: "White trash!". However removing the hood of one of the men reveals that he is actually black!?! By now Cowley has arrived at Miller's office and discovers young Tommy guarding the bound Dinny and Merv. Cowley gets Dinny to phone Miller to ask him to come to the office. Dinny, a "dyed-in-the-wool black-hater" has never actually met Miller, merely spoken to him on the telephone. So he is absolutely shocked to discover that when Miller arrives, he himself is black! It would appear that Miller had decided run his tenants out of town by using Hulton's Empire Society as a cover - with Miller's men dressed in Klan robes, they would naturally appear to be associated with Hulton! It was Miller's men, not Hulton's, who had murdered Arty and Carter and had just tried to kill Zadie. By now Bodie has recovered well and we see him thanking the doctor who has just saved his life. He also apologises for his behaviour. But to top that, Doyle is amazed to see his partner strolling off hand-in-hand with the young black nurse who treated him. A bit envious of this, Doyle declares to Jax: "Right, now we start our campaign.... to get rid of some of these damned whites!" It is easy to see why they never showed this episode despite being one of the strongest episodes of the series it is the most controversial. They show just how far they are willing to go with violence, words, and more without stopping. While Bodie is never portrayed this way again in the series because the producers thought it was bad for the characters image. One bizarre aspect of the whole situation is that prior to filming, all episode scripts were sent to LWT for 'vetting'. At this stage they could request changes to the scripts, if they felt these were necessary. Amazingly 'Klansmen' was given the 'OK', apparently with no change requests at all. So Mark 1 naturally went on to actually film it. It was only AFTER filming had completed and Mark 1 had wrapped up the first season that LWT suddenly decided that the episode was unacceptable. Brian Clemens has said that had LWT notified him in time, he would have happily adjusted the script to appease them. But I suspect the fact that Mark 1 had all "gone home" and, consequently, various members of the cast and crew were not available, then re-shooting was not possible. To be fair, I must add that Lew Collins himself was not very happy with the episode and, judging by his remarks in the Channel 4 documentary, was probably relieved when it got pulled! However despite the controversial episode about the content in this episode. This is what The Professionals show was all about. The Professionals on more than one occassion was willing to go where The Sweeney was not willing to even touch which is amazing considering the amount of violence on The Sweeney. Over the top acting, unbelievable action sequences, and great stories with alot of one liners in it "You may be bigger than me, Bodie, but you're not tougher.... at least not when I've got this gun!" Cowley "It's time to kick ass and chew bubble-gum." Bodie It is what sets this show apart from others and why 30 years after the fact it is still remembered today. The show is also unintentionally funny because of the onscreen chemistry of Bodie and Doyle partnership can leave different views of a what people may think of them just ask the people of Comic Strip Presents. The Bullshitters: Roll Out The Gunbarrel was a spoof of The Professionals, first broadcast in 1984 on Channel 4. Although it was made by many people behind The Comic Strip, it did not feature the Comic Strip logo and is not considered by some to be part of the series. However, it was included in the Comic Strip DVD box set (2005), and its lead characters Bonehead and Foyle reappeared in a later Comic Strip episode, Detectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown. The Bullshitters When Commander Jackson (Robbie Coltrane), head of DI5, hears that his daughter Janie has been kidnapped and held for ransom, he has to call in ex-agents Bonehead (Keith Allen) and Foyle (Peter Richardson) to save her. Since being kicked out of DI5, Bonehead works at a TV Tough Guys School, teaching others the "rules" of being a TV tough guy (such as not locking your car because you need to get straight back into it), and Foyle is now an actor on stage. Jackson blackmails the two into working together. It's time for Bonehead and Foyle - the flashiest, fastest and most under-dressed detectives to be kicked out of DI5 to get back to work. With a Magnum in one hand and a bus pass in the other, the Bullshitters set out to track down the criminals and get some good close-ups. However, as every good TV cop knows, not all is as it seems, especially Bonehead and Foyle's relationship with each other - is there a reason they wear so little clothing around each other? Quite honestly you know you did something great when they are making fun of your show. DVD Box Set Overall D Now while the content itself is great the source material they used for the transfer is terrible and the lack of special features makes it worse. This is not the worst i have seen for DVD release but this is up their in the top fiveworst releases I have laid my eyes upon and can safely only get this set if your a true fan of the series. While The Professionals is not for everybody it is very easy to fall in love with it like I have and definately good for few unintentional laughs. I highly recommend the series just not the DVD release.