Camberwick Green (Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy - Re-scanned 2011 by the BBC)

This is a (mainly technical) review for Camberwick Green (Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy - Re-scanned 2011 by the BBC) released in 2011.

There are some films and shows that are rated as being in the stratosphere of unlikeliness for release on the still relatively new high-definition Blu-ray format. 'Camberwick Green' must certainly rate as one of these shows - but here it is!

I'm not going to review the show itself - enough has been said about it and there are plenty of comments to read elsewhere. If you're like me - a 40-something child of the 70s who grew up with this show - you will be primarily interested in hearing about what the show looks and sounds like on Blu-ray.

Every episode has been lovingly cleaned and restored. The colour is bright and the soundtrack is at a suitably high volume with little or no hiss. It must be remembered, however, that the original films were sourced on 16mm. 16mm film of the 60s never looked the best, but this is the best 'Camberwick Green' has ever looked. There is a certain point-of-view that 'old' material like this does not benefit from the high-definition treatment and should therefore be avoided. It is not a philosophy I agree with and is one that generally takes its benchmark from the latest HD digital technology in cinema and on television. In my opinion, anything sourced on film will always look better on Blu-ray than on standard DVD, and deserves to be exploited.

A brief word on the packaging: This is a 'triple-play' release; a Blu-ray disc and a DVD which also contains a digital copy housed in an official Amaray Blu-ray face-on-face double disc case.

This 'Camberwick Green' Blu-ray is never going to be a reference-quality disc to show off your system, but if you are an advocate for the high-definition format, grew up watching this show, or just a fan of classic children's animation, this is definitely a disc worth adding to your collection. I can only hope that the other series in the trilogy - 'Chigley' and 'Trumpton' - will also see a similar release.

The quality of this reissue of an old childhood favourite is superb, and although most of us would watch these episodes in any quality, it is a treat to see them so clearly. Speaking as someone who did not even have a colour television as a child, this bluray is an extra treat! The work which has gone into the restoration has obviously been a labour of love. Don't think twice, buy this and join the queue for the later restorations as well. Don't even pretend you are buying this for the children or grandchildren, sit back and indulge yourself.

Since the days of 405 line black and white television the daily lives and tribulations of the folk of Camberwick Green have been entertaining both the young and the young at heart.

As anyone who has seen Camberwick Green on television or DVD will attest, the surviving prints had seen better days; with warping, drop outs, scratches, dirt and colour fading from scene to scene. The good news is that restoration work performed for this blu-ray has worked wonders on both the visual and audio elements. To put is simply, you can now view the programme better than it appeared on the original transmission in 1966. On first viewing I was amazed at the little details I'd never noticed before.

Blu-ray was never intended for something as low definition as 16mm film, and the disc does show plenty of film grain and noise artifacts from the restoration work. However, after a few minutes you will stop noticing these and focus on the stories. When compared to all previous versions it is simply stunning. Those without blu-ray player are not forgotten as you also receive a dvd version as well. By way of extras there is an all too brief interview with the great Gordon Murray himself.

In short I thoroughly recommend the blu-ray of the restored Camerwick Green. Money well worth spent.