Hauling Like A Brooligan

Stephen Gallagher

Callan on DVD

In the UK there’s a boxed set that calls itself season one but is actually season three. Who on earth thought that was a good idea?

In the US there’s ‘set one’ and now ‘set two’ while from Australia ‘season four’ includes two episode commentaries from Woodward.

Last night I hopped all over the web trying to work out what I already had and what would merely be duplicated by which other release.

In the end my brain imploded and I went to bed.

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6 responses to “Callan on DVD”

  1. The two aussie sets cover all the existing colour episodes and the film. And in Feb next year all the monochrome stuff is finally coming out in the UK. Details:

    This set contains

    · Original Armchair Theatre pilot play, "A Magnum for Schneider"
    · Remaining black and white episodes from Series One and Two unseen in nearly forty years and available for the first time in any format.
    · "The Worst Soldier I Ever Saw" transformed from an unedited
    recording block that has been re-edited into its proper transmissionformat for this DVD release.

    Callan the Monochrome Years (PG) is a Network DVD release
    Release Date: 22nd February 2010
    RRP: £39.99
    Discs: 4
    Running Time: 525 minutes (approximately)
    Screen Ratio: 1.33:1

  2. That's great news. I know the monochrome stuff has been knocking around in bootleg form for years but a release like this is what everyone's been waiting for.

    It's just a shame that EW won't be here to see it.

  3. It would be good if Network or Optimum Releasing – who are in the process of releasing fully restored versions of The Avengers got hold of the DVD rights for Callan and have it the respect it’s due.

    I suppose you’re referring to the UK set from Clear Vision getting it hideously wrong.

    When Fremantle Home Entertainment brought out Homicide: Life on the Street on DVD in the UK they lumped the nine episodes of season one and the four episodes of season two together, labelling them “The complete first series” so that season three became the “second series”, etc.

    Numbering shouldn’t really be that difficult.

  4. Good Dog: the monochrome set IS Network, so I supose it's possible they'll follow it with the colour stuff done properly. Here's hoping.

    I forgot one thing, though – the reunion TV movie. That's still not out anywhere, so is, afaik, the only Callan episode not released or scheduled for release any time soon 🙁

  5. Scott,

    Ah yes, you did mention it. I’d like to blame overlooking that point on the bout of insomnia addling my brain (as opposed to simply being an idiot).

    Well, Network have already divided The Saint into the monochrome series and colour series box sets, so it is likely they’ll bring out the colour episodes of Callan too. Which would be a result.

  6. The colour episodes of Callan (aka Series 3 and 4) seem to be tentatively scheduled for May 2010 according to Network.

    By the way, their deal of the week is Brian Clemens' Thriller, for £24.99 (RRP £97.87) which ain't bad for 16 discs…